Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Leah Brustman
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
I read To Kill a Mockingbird
, a great classic. This book is filled with many lessons of life. It's hard to put
down when you start. It's the only classic that I really enjoyed this year. It
is a rather challenging book, but it's so worth it in the end.
The two main characters in this book are brother and sister. Their names are Scout,
a young tomboy, and Jem, a rather mature twelve year old boy. It takes place in
a small town called Maycomb, during the early 1900's. They have a friend by the
name of Dill. Over the summer, the three keep each other occupied by trying to get their next
door neighbor, Boo Radley, to come out of his house. Boo has been in his house so
long that he has become mentally challenged. They try to get him to come out by
sending him letters and looking into his windows. The three are anxious to see what he
looks like because there have been rumors throughout the town that he might be dead
or that he might be a mean old man who goes after kids. Jem, Scout, and Dill can't
find a way to get Boo Radley to come out of his house.
Scout and Jem live with their father Atticus Finch, a well respected lawyer. He
is defending a black man by the name of Tom Robinson in court. Tom was accused of
raping a white woman, and it's almost definite that he won't win the trial due to
his color. Almost everyone in the town of Maycomb is racist, accept for Atticus. Scout and
Jem are constantly teased and harassed about their father. But Atticus feels that
he should stand up for this black man because he believes that Tom is innocent.
This book is so realistic, and so hard to put down. It seemed like something that
could happen to almost everyone. It was a very simple book, but in the same way
it was so complex. It was easy to follow but each character was tied together in
a certain way. If you're looking for something that will make you feel good when it's done,
then I strongly suggest that you read To Kill a Mockingbird,
by Harper Lee.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
-classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Tami G.
Grade 6
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
The book To Kill a Mockingbird
was a terrific book. It was great how this story was a love story where you would
not expect it. The book's ending was so sweet that I found myself crying. In the
beginning, I thought this book would be boring and long. However, it was one of those
books where once you get interested in it, the book goes really fast.
I noticed I was into it during the court scene. Tom Robinson a colored man was being
convicted of taking advantage of Bob Ewell's daughter. Since this book takes place
in the early 1900's it was usual. Jem and Scout were sensitive about racism. One
reason for that is because their father defended them in court. Kids always made fun of
their father, calling him names. One time an old woman with cancer, named Mrs.Dubose
went a little too far.
It was during the summer and Jem and Scout were always going some where. Unfortunately,
wherever they went they had to pass Mrs.Dubose's house. She would always yell obscene
and rude comments about their father, Atticus even though he was the nicest to her. One day Jem and Scout were walking home. Scout with her baton and Jem with his
anger they walked past Mrs.Dubose's house. Jem stopped and grabbed Scout's baton.
He went over to Mrs.Dubose's favorite flower patch and thrashed them until nothing
remained but weeds. He did that with the rest of her flowers.
He got in trouble for it and Scout was angry at him for stealing and breaking her
baton. However, he was glad he did it. His repayment was going over to her house
for two hours everyday for one month and reading to her. One day he and Scout were
dismissed early because Mrs.Dubose's health was slowly but surely dying away. They were lucky
because it was their last day of the month. The next day they went back though
because their father made them go back to her for just 2 more weeks. Finally it was
over. And the next day Mrs. Dubose past away.
Jem and Scout were actually sad about this incident. But they had more to worry about.
Boo Radley, he was a very shy man who never came out of his house. Jem and Scout's
curiosity about him only made it worse. They basically tortured the guy, by knocking
on his door, writing letters to him and sticking them in his window.
To Kill a Mockingbird
was such a great book I am really glad I read it!
It is a challenging yet satisfying book and if I hadn't chosen it I probably wouldn't
be writing this.
Student Book Review:
To Kill A Mockingbird
-
classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Brittany Serafino
Grade 6
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill A Mockingbird
was an excellent book. The setting was in the early 1900's . It was an exciting and
serious book. It was exciting because Harper Lee made everything happen when you
least expected it. For example, when the murder was going after people. It was serious
because things happen to people that could change their lives. For example, when a black
man was killed.
To Kill A Mockingbird
was about a little girl named Jean (also known as Scout) and her big brother Jem.
Jean's family wasn't like families of today's time, they had to worry about different
things and had to worry about different kinds of people.
Jean's father, Atticus was a lawyer who had a different person to defend in a case,
the man he was defending was Black. In those times people didn't like black people
so their was a lot of conflict with the trial. People were upset and disappointed
with Atticus. Atticus' sister Aunt Alexandra was very upset with him. She would criticize
Atticus for everything he did, even for things he didn't have control over. She was
even disappointed in the way her niece Jean acted. Aunt Alexandra never criticized
Jem's ways. I guess she just didn't like Jean.
Also, there was a man named Boo Radley. Boo was very different from other people.
Boo never came out of his house. People even called him crazy. A long time ago Boo
had stabbed his father in the leg with scissors. But before that Boo and his friends
were outside making a lot of noise and a old man called the police. The judge put him in
the basement of the courthouse because they didn't want him in jail. After a couple
of months the court had to let him go home because it cost money for Boo to stay
in the basement. The judge let him go home but made sure he stayed in his house. Ever since
then Boo hasn't come out of his house, except for one time. Jem and his friend Dill
played a lot of tricks on Boo to try to get him to come out of the house.
A lot of other exciting things happen but if you like what I wrote than read the book
and find out what else happens. To Kill A Mockingbird
was at a hard reading level. People who like to read, I would especially recommend
this book to you. For people who don't like then this book is not for you.
To Kill A Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Annie Gleba
Grade 6
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill A Mockingbird
was a great book. It is about a girl named Jean Louise (Scout), her brother Jem,
and their best friend Dill. The story begins when Scout is older, telling us the
story of her childhood.
The story took place when Scout was younger. The year was in the early 1900s. When
Scout and Jem meet Dill, was when the fun began. Since Dill had read some good books,
they acted them out and had a lot of fun. But one day, Scout and Jem told Dill about Boo Radley. Boo was a man with some very scary stories told about him. One example,
was that he stuck scissors in his father's leg. They also told him that Boo never
came out of his house. From then on, they were thinking of plans to make Boo Radley
come out of hiding.
To Kill A Mockingbird
was also an exciting book. For example, when one of their father's enemies was chasing
Scout and Jem trying to kill them. It was exiting because at the time, I didn't
know who the killer was. It was also exiting, because you don't know who is going
to get killed and who isn't.
The book was also kind of serious. Where the kids lived, in Maycomb County, the people
hated black people. Scout's father, Atticus, was a lawyer. He was also a white person.
Tom Robinson, Atticus' client, was black. Most of the people in their town didn't like Atticus because he was defending Tom. But Atticus didn't care, even though
people were calling him a Negro lover. They hated Atticus so much, some people
were making threats to Atticus. One man said he would get him someday. Scout and
Jem were very affected by their father's decision to defend Tom. Scout had to deal with people
making fun of her dad and she couldn't do anything.It affected Jem because he always
had to worry about weather or not his father would win his case. Jem also had to
worry about gangs. Jem thought his father was going to get beat up by a gang even though
Atticus assured him he would be fine.
To Kill A Mockingbird
was a wonderful book. It was full of exictment, fun, and even a little love. This
was a great book for great readers.But if you don't like to read, than you wouldn't
like this book.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
-classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Elisse Sliwinski
Grade 6
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
One book I read this year was To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee. It takes place in the 1930's while Black discrimination was a big
issue. This book was full of sorrow, happiness, and also a lot of mystery and suspense.
The life of a little girl named Scout Finch, and a trial that could changed her life
is the main heart of the story.
Scout Finch is a six year old girl who is growing up in the time which there was a
strain between white rights and black rights. Atticus Finch, Scout's father, is a
lawyer that is defending a black man in a trial. The trial is about a 19 year old
girl, Mayella Ewell, who claims to have been hurt by a black man named Thomas Robinson. Scout's
Family and the black people that know Tom believe him, but the rest of the town
believes Mayella. The trial ends up at a terrible decision, and bad things happen
after to Tom. Scout's next door neighbor is a very mysterious man, no one has seen Boo
Radley in years and there are a lot of terrible rumors about him. Scout being only
six has never seen him. But Scout, Dill, Scout's friend, and her brother Jem are
going to some how make him come out. They try many things to make him come out, but none of
them worked. One time they tried to ring the door bell but was unsuccessful. They
tried and tried again, but still couldn't make him come out, until one night. Scout
and Jem came home from a school food pageant that Scout was a ham in. A terrible thing happens
to them while they are coming home. But luckily someone helps them, but you would
never think of who did. With all the description that the author said made you feel
like you were there sitting on the side lines just watching the action take place.
To Kill a Mockingbird
is a wonderful book for a person who loves to read or even a person who loves books
that makes you feel and react in so many different ways. I would recommended to a
person because this book really shows you that life is a difficult thing, not as
easy as some may think.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Maura H.
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mockingbird
is a timeless classic by Harper Lee. This book takes place in the early nineteen
hundreds. This book is a moderate reading level but keeps your attention throughout
the whole novel. The author makes you feel for the characters and you always know
what they are thinking. This makes it an easier book to read and I would recommend it
to moderate readers.
This story revolves around the Finch family, consisting of Atticus, the father, Jem,
the oldest child, and Scout, the daughter. They live in a small town in Alabama.
In this novel, the Finch family goes through many problems and is forced to deal
with them. The main problem is that Atticus has to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, in
court. During the time this story takes place, blacks were thought of as "different",
and segregation is very common. Robinson is charged for raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella's father, Bob Ewell, is totally against the Finch family during and after the trial
and often causes problems for the family. When Atticus is forced to defend this
Black man, the Finch family was given much trouble. At school Jem and Scout are
often bothered about their father defending this black man. Throughout the novel, the trial
comes back to haunt the Finch family, mainly the two children. They are taunted or
pestered by the town.
The two main characters in this novel are Jem and Scout Finch. Besides the trial,
they have their own little mystery that they want to solve. Boo Radley lives down
the street from the Finchs and he has not been seen for more than ten years. The
two children try to get Boo to come out, and they don't know barely anything about him.
When the two walk home from school, they walk past the Radley place everyday. Each
day, they start to wonder more and more about the mysterious figure. Soon, they
begin to notice that everyday when they passed the house, there are little packages in the
knot-hole of a tree in front of the Radley house. Some of the packages that they
find are, a ball of string, gum and a broken clock. They do not think that these
packages are for them until one day when they walk past the Radley house. Jem and Scout take
down the package to look at it. In the package are two soap figures, one of a boy
and one of the girl. Jem is the first to notice that the soap figures look exactly
like himself and Scout. They then realize that the packages have been for them and this
triggers their curiosity about Boo Radley even more. Jem and Scout think that Boo
Radley have been giving them the packages. One day, Jem and Scout walk past the
tree to look for a package but something is different. The children notice that the knot-hole
is filled with cement and their connection to Boo Radley is gone. Throughout the
novel, Jem and Scout still try to figure out more about Boo Radley although the knot-hole is gone.
This classic by Harper Lee is a wonderful book that makes you realize how much the
Finch family went through. To Kill a Mockingbird
is definitely a timeless classic and will touch your heart as you read on. If you
are looking for a good classic, this novel is for you.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Kira Karbocus
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
This year, I read To Kill a Mockingbird
, which was a well written classic by Harper Lee. It has been one of my favorite
novels I've read this year. It also turned out to be one of the first classics
that I have read. It ended up to be my favorite.
To Kill a Mockingbird
was a classic about two young children, Scout and Jem, growing up through the early
1900's. They lived in a rural and small town named Maycomb. Scout was a tomboy
and had to face many difficult situations. Atticus was their father who defended
Blacks in court. Other kids would make fun of Scout and Jem during school because of this.
Scout and Jem had to face many tough situations during that time period.
Every Summer Dill would come to visit Jem and Scout. Dill was their age and he was
very adventurous. There was a mysterious house and Arthur or "Boo" Radley was said
to be inside. Since Boo never came out of his home, no one knew if this was true.
Scout, Jem, and Dill spent their summers trying to lure this person to come outside
of their home. Sometimes Scout and Jem were frightened and unsure about doing this,
but Dill was very persistent and always encouraged them to keep trying. They tried
many things. For example, the three kids left Boo Radley several letters and waited for
a response.
One day, Atticus was assigned to a serious case in court. The decision made in court
was very important to Atticus because he wanted to win so much. This part of the
novel kept me in suspense and I couldn't put it down. The most interesting and exciting parts of this classic were everything that happened with Boo Radley and how Jem,
Scout, and Dill tried to bribe him out of his home. Through the book, I began to
wonder why they wanted him out of his house so much.
To Kill a Mockingbird
was of moderate difficulty, but it was all worthwhile at the end. I would highly
recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys reading challenging classics for seventh
graders. Once I started reading I never could put it down, especially toward the
end I would highly recommend To Kill a Mockingbird
.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Sydney Bailey
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mockingbird
is a great classic by Harper Lee. This book is set in a small town in Alabama and
is about a family named Finch. This takes place in the early 1900's when many people
were still racist.
This novel revolves around a small town and the experiences that the Finchs have.
The Finchs, consisting of a father, Atticus, a daughter, Scout, and a son, Jem, were
a small, close family. Atticus is a lawyer and was often out on business. In this
story, Atticus is hired to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, in court. Tom Robinson was
accused of raping a young woman named Mayella Ewell. Since Tom Robinson was Black,
the Finchs were badgered by the rest of the town. Bob Ewell, Mayella's father, was
especially upset with the Finchs because Atticus was defending Tom Robinson after he supposedly
raped his daughter. Whenever Mr. Ewell saw Atticus in town, he would spit in his
face or call him bad names. No one in the town was quite sure that Tom Robinson
was guilty of this crime because the Ewells weren't a very trustworthy family. They
lived in a farmhouse that was pretty much separated from the rest of the town. The
Ewells weren't your average family either. Mr. Ewell was a single parent raising
more children than he could handle. He was a hard-working, intense man that was forced to make
his living off of farming.
Another plot that was occurring in this novel included Scout and Jem Finch and their
friend Dill Harris. Every summer, Dill Harris would come and stay with his aunt in
the same town as the Finchs. Dill was an imaginative boy with plenty of curiosity
bundled up inside of him. Dill was fascinated with one of the Finchs neighbors, Arthur
(Boo) Radley. Boo Radley had been inside of his house for more than 10 years. Dill
invented plans to try and get Boo out of his house and interested Scout and Jem in
his schemes. Eventually, Scout and Jem's interest in Boo died out, but Dill's fire burned
on. He never gave up on this topic, but kept to himself. One year when Dill was away,
Scout and Jem kept receiving gifts in a certain knothole in a tree on the Radley's
lot. They found things like gum and a broken watch and figured that Boo Radley was putting
the gifts there. After the gifts stopped coming, Jem and Scout gave up on the entire
subject.
To Kill a Mockingbird
is an excellent novel that follows the lives of a troubled family. The Finchs experience
many problems, but stick together through it all. I would recommend this book to average or
above average readers. I thought it was a very well-written story.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
-
classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Jessica Chen
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mockingbird
is a excellent book by Harper Lee. The book is about a brother and a sister, Jem and
Scout. Jem loved adventure and Scout was a tomboy. The story takes place in Alabama
in a quiet neighborhood. Jem and Scout lived with their dad, whom they called Atticus, and their servant, Cal. The kids' greatest fear was their next door neighbor,
Boo Radley. There were rumors about him that he would come out at night and eat
squirrels and small rodents. Also, if anyone stepped on the Radley's property, Mr.
Radley would shoot them off the land.
In the beginning of summer, Jem and Scout's neighbor, Rachel, had her nephew over.
Her nephew, Dill, soon was acquainted to Jem and Scout. All three of them, spent
the summer together. Mainly, Jem and Dill would plan out a way to sneak into Boo's
yard and see how he ate the animals. When summer was over, Dill would have to leave and
go back to where he lived. Every summer he'd come to Alabama.
During the winters, Scout and Jem went off to school. Scout usually found many ways
to get into trouble. An example is when Scout stood up for one of her classmates,
Walter Cunningham. He forgot his lunch at home and he had no money. The teacher
offered him the lunch money. Walter refused it because he knew he couldn't repay it right
away. Scout knew this and told the teacher the reason why Walter wouldn't take the
money. The teacher thought Scout was making fun of Walter. So,she yelled at her.
During recess, Scout beat Walter up. She also was in trouble for that too. Jem was growing
up, he wasn't as boyish as he was during the summer. Jem would also act very mature
like he was almost an adult.
Soon, summer came again. Dill's mother had gotten a divorce and his stepfather wouldn't
let him go to visit Scout and Jem. Instead, he had to work in the fields all day.
Dill decided to run away, so he took about thirteen dollars from his mother and
took a train to Alabama, where Jem a and Scout lived. When Dill arrived at the house,
Scout soon discovered him. She told Atticus and he made him call his mother to tell
her where he was. Dill's mother said he could stay at his Aunt Rachel's house for
the summer. Dill, Scout, and Jem spent their long summer days together.
During that summer Atticus, who was a lawyer, was having some problems. A man, Tom,
who lived in an African-American community, was accused of raping a girl, Mayella
Ewell. Tom would do odd jobs for her everyday. Sometimes he would chop wood or
get water from the well, other times he might organize a cupboard. One day, Mayella was
found on the floor of her house. Mr. Ewell, Mayella's father, thought Tom raped
her. Atticus, who thought Tom was innocent, decided to take his case. Atticus's
friends started calling him a racist name and everyone in the town was against him. Scout and
Jem were very concerned about this but Atticus told them that after the trial everything
would be back to normal.
To Kill a Mockingbird
was one of my favorite classics because it showed how even though siblings don't
usually get along with each other, they often have to depend on each other for support.
I would recomend this novel to a frequent reader.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
-
classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Alexandra DeSorbo
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mockingbird
is a novel by Harper Lee that was a touching story about how a young girl deals with
the reality of racism. Her feelings and how the author portrays them contribute
to the plot. Because of her age, she sees everything differently from others, and
she doesn't really understand them. She has to ask her beloved father Atticus and her older
brother Jem any questions she might have, and she really has a lot of them.
Her father is a lawyer and he has a very interesting case to work on. He is defending
Tom Robinson who is African-American. Tom is accused of assaulting Mayella Ewell,
and she brought the case to court. Even though she and her family are very poor,
and not liked by many citizens of the town, the entire town is backing them up. This
is because of Tom's race. Now, because Atticus is defending Tom, his daughter
Scout, and son Jem are being ridiculed everywhere they go by other children. This
is when Scout's many questions begin. She doesn't quite understand why people are so against
Tom because of the color of his skin. She also wants to help her father so badly
with his case. One night, she, Jem, and their friend Dill sneak out they find
a crowd of men talking with their father. But, this talk isn't a normal talk, the men have
guns. Scout and Jem suddenly realize how brave their father is. They realize that
he is risking his life by standing up for what he believes in, and they admire him
more than ever.
This novel is worth reading, and one of the best pieces of literature you could ever
read. I recommend this book to anyone who can, and enjoys reading for long periods
of time. You'd have to enjoy this because this is one book that you can't put down!
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Taylor R
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mockingbird
is an epic tale of growing up in Alabama during the 1930's. The main character and
narrator is Scout Finch. She sees life and many issues from a younger point of view.
Scout is what people consider a tomboy. She wears overalls and loves to play with
her brother Jem and other friend Dill. Together, the three of them get into trouble.
The Finches have neighbors called the Radleys. They have a son named Arthur who
never comes out of the house. This made the children very curious. During the night
they try to sneak into their yard and almost get shot by Mr. Radley. After that
they try to stay away from that house. Along with this one the three of them had
many other adventures.
On the front of the Radley property there is a large tree. One day as Scout is walking
home from school she notices a shiny object. She looks in the hole in the tree and
sees some gum in a silver wrapper. She doesn't want to take it because she is afraid that it is the hiding place of a small child. A few days later the gum is still
there and she decides to take it. The next day she walks by and finds a pocket watch
and a box with two shiny pennies. jem is with her and says that they should leave
it, and wait a few days before taking it. Like the gum, it stays there so they take it.
Again, once it is gone, something else appears. This time it is two blocks of soap
with figures carved in it. They soon realize that it is a girl and a boy that resembles themselves. They then know that it was meant for them to have. The next day as
they are walking by, they see Mr. Radley is covering up the hole in the tree because
he says that it is dying. Jem and Scout never find out who it was that was giving
them the presents.
One issue that Scout has to face is rape. Her father Atticus is a lawyer. He is
appointed to defend a Black man who is accused of raping Mr. Ewell's daughter.
Mr. Ewell is a very racist man, as were almost all the people in Alabama in the
1930's. They think that it is horrible that Atticus is defending a Black. Many of them go around
calling Atticus a negative racist term. It is very hard for Scout because they said
that to her too. Scout sneaks into the trial when she was not supposed to go. While she is there, she sees how awful and unfair people are to blacks. It is very hard
for her to understand what was going on because she had never been faced with an
issue like this before. Jem, being older understood what was going on and really
took it to heart.
The whole book holds your interest and it never gets boring. I would recommend this
book to anyone, especially someone who likes to read.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: author's name
Review done by:
Alex Rock
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
A book I read this year was To Kill a Mockingbird
. It is about two kids named Jem and Scout. One day they met a kid named Dill.
He told them that he could read. Jem said that Scout could read and she hadn't even
started school yet. They talked for a little while and they decided to play. They
eventually became good friends and played a lot. One day, they told Dill about Boo Raidley.
Boo was a strange man that lived next door in the old Raidley house. The legend
was that he was crazy, and stayed inside all the time.
One day he had a pair of scissors and he took them and stabbed his mother in the leg.
He said that now he went around and scratched on people's doors looking for victims.
When Dill had heard that Boo only came out of the house in the night, he wanted
to have him come out. One time Dill and Jem were planning for a long time of how to
get him out. Scout was mad because they wouldn't let her do anything. They eventually
told her that they were going to put a note on a window. They decided that she would look around the corner to see if Atticus, Scout and Jem's father, was coming. Dill's
job was to ring a bell if he came, and Jem was going to put the note on the door
with a long pole. Atticus came and Dill just kept on ringing the bell. Atticus
was very mad and said to stop bothering Mr. Raidley. They stopped, but started playing a
game called Boo Raidley. They acted like they were Boo, until Atticus caught them
again. Eventually summer ended and Dill went back home. After a while Scout and
Jem noticed that their father had been acting strangely lately. They eventually found out
that he had a big case and that he could loose Jem and Scout if he didn't win. I
don't want to give away too much of the book so I won't tell what happened.
I liked this book because even though not a lot is going on, you still want to read
it. For example, when Jem, Dill, and Scout are playing, it's not real exiting, but
because of how they had been trying to get Boo out of his house. Another example
is when they were at court watching Atticus trying to win the case. It is a very long
part, but it's exiting because you want to find out what will happen. I think this
is a good book and that anyone that likes to read should read it.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Anjuli
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
If you would like to read a gripping story about the pressures of society, I would
suggest To Kill a Mockingbird
. This book was suspenseful, interesting, and full of adventure.
It is about a girl named Scout and her brother Gem. Their father, Atticus, is an
attorney. Scout is a tomboy who gets into a lot of fights. She always wears overalls
or some kind of garment a boy would wear. People keep trying to persuade Atticus
to make her wear dresses, but he never does. Gem is basically a normal boy. He obeys
the rules and lives a pretty uneventful life. Since it takes place during the late
1800's to early 1900's, there is still prejudice against African Americans. There
is even still some slavery and their family has an African American nanny named Calpurina.
Scout and Gem's neighbor has a nephew named Dill. Over the course of the book,
the kids become friends and have many adventures including tormenting Scout and Gem's
next door neighbor, Arthur "Boo" Radley who has not come out of his house for ten years.
The kids try to get him to come outside. Then, the trouble starts. Scout's father
decides to represent an African American named Tom Robinson in court. Now a days
it would be no big deal but back then it was considered really strange for someone to
do that. Many people were prejudice against Atticus for doing this. News got around
to everyone, even the children in their town. Although Atticus was the one representing an African American, people did not make fun of him to his face. Instead, they
called him racist slurs in front of Scout and Gem. This caused a lot of tension
between the them and the society.
I enjoyed this book because it had a lot of details in it. I also kept my attention
so that it was hard to put it down. I would definitely recommend To Kill a Mockingbird
for someone who would like to read a challenging book. It is 281 pages of tremendously
engrossing literature!
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Vanessa Sarfoh
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mockingbird
is an exciting classic about the trial of a young Black slave accused of a horrible
crime unthought of in such a town. It was described through the eyes of a young
girl, Scout (Jean-Louise). Though somewhat of a tomboy, who amuses herself by playing
with her brother Jem and their friend Dill, she shows a clear vivid scene of the plot.
This book takes place is the late 1800's. It starts out with one particular summer
in which Scout, Dill, and Jem, amuse themselves worrying about the myths about their
nest door neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo Radley was said to be a dangerous man who never
came out of his house at all. This amuses the children for awhile until the real main
plot of the story shows up in the book. The main plot plot of the story deals with
the hardships and the racial issues of being African American in the earlier years.
In the book a young Black slave is accused of the horrible crime of rape. As it turns
out Scout's father, Atticus, a lawyer, takes his case. He does this so that he will
not loose the respect of his children, This makes it very hard on Scout and her older brother, Jem. What they have to endure, just because of the case is beyond belief.
At their school, people make fun of their father calling him horrible and unthinkable
names. Many times Scout is put into hard situations that test her biggest flaw,
her temper, even by her own cousin. It is quite interesting to to see and hear the consequences
of, what the entire family has to endure because of the whole issue.
The man whom Atticus defends is named Tom Robinson. He is quite a respectful man
and a strong, but gentle character, which makes it quite hard in the book to believe
him guilty of such a crime. When he is accused of such a crime in the small rural
town, it creates a lot of shock, and a feeling of revenge throughout the town. Many people
are outraged even more at the idea of a black man attempting to do this. That is
why such a big ordeal is created when Atticus takes his case. Although he knows what
he is doing will affect his family and what his friends and neighbors think of him, he
is determined to try his best to try to save the life of Tom, and to still be an
idol to his children.
One particular man, Bob Ewell, is a big threat to the family. He happens to be the
father of the girl, Mayella Ewell who is the victim of the crime. He makes a numerous
amount of advances towards the family, and toward the family of Tom too. He is a
dangerous man in the book, and a constant drunk. When it comes down to the trial, it
is a big event. Everyone believes that Tom is guilty. It is up to Atticus and most
important to him to do his best to save the life of the accused, and still to win
the respect from his family.
This book kept me interested throughout the whole plot. It is a book that should be
read and enjoyed by all. The plot is filled with many adventures that you are not
only able to relate with (such as the time that Scout first started school), but
are serious, such as the trial scene. For her it was a horrible experience, but quite funny
also. To Kill a Mockingbird
was filled with many surprises. It was filled with some humor, but yet it showed
reality as it was in those days. It isn't a difficult book to read, but some parts
of it are very serious and involved. In you are looking for a good classic to read,
you should pick To Kill a Mockingbird
.
Student Book Review:
To Kill a Mocking Bird
- classic
by: Harper Lee
Review done by:
Meaghan Lynch
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
To Kill a Mocking Bird
is a timeless classic of friendship and growing. It is about Scout Finch and what
she sees through her eyes during the story. Her brother Jem, her father Atticus,
and she live together in Maycomb, a small county in Alabama out in the country.
Their mother had died when Scout was only two years old. Across the street, Miss Atkinson
lived who cared deeply about her flowers that she grew. Mrs. Dubhouse, an old lady
who picked on everyone that passed her house, lived down the road. Two houses down
from the Finches, the Radleys lived. Their house was old and their door was always closed
to the world. Mr. Radley lived with his mysterious son. Mr. Radley would be seen
now and then walking down the road to the town. He didn't speak much. His son,
Arthur was rarely seen unless during the night. Rumor had it he would watch people through
their windows while they slept, and scratch on their screen doors. The children
of Maycomb called him Boo.
Dill, the nephew of Miss Atkinson came to Maycomb every summer to see his aunt. Dill
became good friends with Scout and Jem. When Dill learned about Boo Radley he came
up with the idea of making him come out. Together, Dill, Scout, and Jem have many
adventures trying to contact Boo.
During the same time when they were having their exciting times together, Atticus
was defending a black in court. At the time, Blacks were free, but they weren't
considered equal to whites. Not everyone in Maycomb believed that Atticus should
be doing this, but he held his head high and tried his best in the trial.
With the feelings from the people that didn't think what Atticus was doing was right,
and the longing for contact with Boo from the kids, it turns into a near death experience
for Jem and Scout.
The novel was thrilling and I always wondered what would happen next. It was very
descriptive and was written wonderfully. I highly recommend this classic for any
sixth or seventh graders who love to read.
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