To Kill a Mockingbird Celebrates 50 Years

Sat, 07/10/2010 - 11:38am by katieh

Tomorrow marks the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee's renowned, poignant novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This novel, which Harper Lee once believed would have dismal sales (if any at all), was originally published on July 11, 1960 by J.B. Lippincott. Lee's story tackles issues of racism, flaws in the justice system, morality, and rape gracefully and became an instant success: on May 1, 1961, less than a year after it's publication, Lee was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. To Kill a Mockingbird has since made it's mark as an American classic, with 30 million books sold to date.

New to the library's collection is Scout, Atticus, and Boo : a Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird by Mary McDonagh Murphy. This book is filled with anecdotes and interviews of writers and celebrities, from Tom Brokaw to Oprah Winfrey, that explores their reactions and inspiration gained from the novel.

Interested in reading this classic for the first time? Want to revisit the book that you read way back in high school? Here at the library you can find a copy of the book, a sound recording, and a DVD of the 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck.