I’ve just finished To Kill a Mockingbird , by Harper Lee, and I have to say, when my English teacher passed it out I was extremely apprehensive, but I was proved wrong, without a doubt. The book tells the story of a young girl, her brother, and their lawyer father as they go through the Depression in Alabama, and how the girl and her older brother are exposed to hatred and prejudice, but also love and tolerance. This book should definitely be read over the summer. I finished it within three days of getting it, I couldn’t put it down. The writing is superb, making me feel as if I live in the little Southern town of Maycomb, and like I’ve known the characters all of my life. A large part of the book is the kids being exposed to intolerance for the first time, and I think most of us can remember the first time we learned the world isn’t perfect. It’s amazing how Lee captured the tone and speech patterns of a nine-year-old girl, as well, without dumbing-down the story. Some things the main character doesn’t understand, but the reader does, and that’s just so interesting to me to think about. Please, read this book, don’t Sparknotes it if you were assigned it for English class- this fantastic novel is worth the read.