To Kill a Mockingbird

Growing up in Alabama during the 1930s, six-year-old Scout Finch leads a fairly charmed life. Her dad, Atticus, is a kind single parent and a well-regarded attorney. Her older brother, Jem, and their lively, offbeat neighbor Dill are her best friends, and together they explore their sleepy hometown of Maycomb. Most of their time is spent observing (and making up stories about) their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley.

But Scout's innocence is short-lived. A young African American man named Tom Robinson is unjustly accused of raping a white woman. And when Atticus takes on the man's case and defends him to the best of his ability, Maycomb's searing and deep-rooted prejudices boil over. Atticus is scorned, Tom is convicted (though clearly innocent), and Scout loses faith in the community she trusted and loved. Can the young girl ever move past this incredible injustice?

A bold exploration of race, oppression, and morality, this book has been a must-read for generations thanks to its warm, witty, and approachable tone.