<DIV><DIV><I>To Kill a Mockingbird </I>is one of the most widely read novels in American literature. It's also a perennial favorite in highschool English classrooms across the nation. Yet onetime author Harper Lee is a mysterious figure who leads a very private life in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, refusing to give interviews or talk about the novel that made her a household name. Lee's life is as rich as her fiction, from her girlhood as a rebellious tomboy to her days at the University of Alabama and early years as a struggling writer in New York City. </DIV><DIV> </DIV><DIV>Charles J. Shields is the author of the <I>New York Times </I>bestseller <I>Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee</I>, which he has adapted here for younger readers.What emerges in this riveting portrait is the story of an unconventional, high-spirited woman who drew on her love of writing and her Southern home to create a book that continues to speak to new generations of readers. Anyone who has enjoyed <I>To Kill a Mockingbird </I>will appreciate this glimpse into the life of its fascinating author.</DIV><DIV> </DIV><DIV><DIV><I>I Am Scout</I> is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.</DIV></DIV></DIV>