By Harper Lee
Challenged Books
While I generally would not consider To Kill a Mockingbird for students younger than high school age, many middle school students read this classic novel. First published in 1960, the book has remained on reading lists across the country despite objections from groups and individuals over the past 50 years. Included in the plot are issues of racism, racial inequality, Jim Crow, rape, and alcohol abuse – not nice issues, but issues that are part of the American experience. But the voice of Scout is so true that these issues are just there as if to say, “This is what happened and this is how it affected my life and my family.” And her voice is so real that we want to keep reading. I think older children will understand this. Most of them have seen injustice and intolerance in some form, but I agree that the content is not appropriate for most younger-than-high-school-age children.
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