To Kill a Mockingbird,  novel by American author Harper Lee, published in 1960. Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and is one of the most-assigned novels in American schools. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize. The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South. I believe it to be the best American novel of all time. Yes, THE Great American Novel. It is part of our literary heritage and forms a throughline with Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, that came before, and J. D.  Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, that came after All three books, each a product of its era, give voice to outsider American kids trying to negotiate an adult world full of hypocrites. All three counterbalance the pain of human failings with the healing balm of humor. 

The book is perfect for a novel study. There is so much to talk about: from the character motivations to the larger themes about American society. Many adults, some very prominent, site this book as being an influence on the person they became. 

I will provide guided reading questions so learners can practice close, careful reading. In class, we will spend a lot of time talking about the novel’s major themes. 



Here are some examples of questions that will guide our class discussions:

Chapters 1-3 Questions
1.) What does it mean to "act responsibly?" Explain what a person needs to do in order to "act responsibly" in the 1930's in Maycomb, Alabama. 
2.) Who can people trust in Maycomb, Alabama? Identify your impressions of Dill, Calpurnia, Jem, the narrator, Atticus, the Radleys, Miss Stephanie Crawford, and Miss Caroline Fisher. 
3.) What are some essential family values and family history that have shaped the people in this community? 
4.) What behaviors are acceptable in the Maycomb community? What behaviors are not acceptable in the community? 
5.) Which characters inform Scout about proper behavior? How do these characters tell her to act? 
6.) What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behavior during lunch suggest about his home life? 
7.) Describe Miss Caroline's interactions with Burris Ewell. What does this suggest about Miss Caroline? What does this suggest about the Ewells? 
8.) What do you think of the way Atticus treats Walter? 
9.) Does Scout learn anything from Walter's visit? What do you think this is? 
10.) Atticus says that you never really understand a person "until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." What does this mean? What does this lesson suggest about Atticus? Is it an easy thing for Scout to learn?

Here are some examples of close reading “Homework Questions”

 Chapter One 
1. What does Atticus Finch do for a living? 
2. a) From whose point of view with the story be told from? 
b) How will this affect the information readers receive? 
3. Who is Calpurnia and what is she like? 
4. Describe Dill’s game. 
5. According to Jem’s description, what does Boo Radley look like? 
6. Describe the setting of the story. 
Chapter Two 
7. List two reasons why Miss Caroline reprimands Scout. 
8. a) How does Miss Caroline Fisher feel at the end of her first day? How do you know? 
b) What does this tell us about the setting? 
9. What does Scout tell us about the Cunninghams? 
Chapter Three 
10. a) How does Scout solve her problem with Walter Cunningham? 
b) What does this tell us about her character? 
11. a) How does Jem Solve Scout`s problem with Walter Cunningham? 
b) What does this tell us about his character? 
12. Why can’t Walter Cunningham pass the first grade? 
13. What does Atticus say about the Ewell family


Here are some examples of the topics that I will ask students to take notes on as they read and answer via short essays. 

Discuss how education is presented in the novel, and how it relates to class and home life. 
Analyze the role of Atticus Finch as a father and role model, and how Calpurnia acts as a substitute mother to Jem and Scout. 
Examine how race and class affect the citizens of Maycomb, and how the novel presents classism. 
Identify the setting of the story, and define and recognize the three main components of setting in literature. 

All students will write an essay for the last meeting:

Identify a hero from the novel and explain why he or she is a hero (and why that character’s hero status might be contested, if applicable)


“Read it, talk about it, think about it, and then do something to make the world a less unjust place.” Oprah Winfrey on To Kill a Mockingbird