<p><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.</p><p>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.</p><br><p><i>I Am Scout</i> is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.</p>