To Kill a Mockingbird

Historical (fiction), Trade Book, Lexile 870

Gem and Scout live with their father, Atticus Finch, a highly principled attorney, in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression. Here the cruelty and injustice of racism are just a part of everyday life. When Mayella Ewell, a young white girl, accuses Tom Robinson, a black field hand, of rape, Atticus agrees to defend him in court. But before the trial even begins, everyone knows two things: first, Tom is innocent, and second, he will be convicted anyway. For Gem and Scout, this is their first unvarnished look at the evils of racism, the suffering of African Americans, and the moral fortitude of their father.