(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. This picture book biography does justice to the spunky, independent writer of To Kill a Mockingbird. Hegedus develops Lee's character and shares the author's childhood influences (including her small-town lawyer father and her friend Truman Capote) who helped shape her groundbreaking novel. Unfortunately, the digital illustrations cheapen the presentation, giving it a cartoonlike look. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer:

(4) 4-6 This sequel covers three Christmases in the lives of childhood friends Truman Capote and Nelle Harper Lee; most of the novel takes place in 1937 Monroeville, Alabama, after Tru runs away from military school. Although the pair's coming-of-age as writers is affecting, the hodgepodge plot--loosely based on actual events and Capote short stories and incorporating a murder trial, fire, lynching, and fruitcake--results in a disjointed whole.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Pro Sports Biographies series. Each slim biography briefly introduces the career and personal life of a sports superstar. Short, simple sentences and a large, uncaptioned color photo appear in every two-page chapter. Headers in oversize type, plenty of space between lines, and occasional fact boxes help early readers learn nonfiction text conventions, but fans of these athletes won't learn much about them. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Pro Sports Biographies titles: Bryce Harper and Cam Newton.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 Playmakers series. These volumes provide brief profiles of basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, football, and golf standouts. The choppy texts focus on each player's biggest games to date (through early 2017) and impressive statistical accomplishments, while also touching on his or her background and personal life. Color photographs capture the athletic action. "Fun Facts and Quotes" are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Playmakers titles: Odell Beckham Jr., Jordan Spieth, Serena Williams, Bryce Harper, Stephen Curry, and Neymar.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) 4-6 Truman, an eccentric Little Lord Fauntleroy aspirant, and Nelle, a feisty girl, strike up an unlikely and unshakable friendship in Depression-era Monroeville, Alabama. Set against the backdrop of the early-twentieth-century South, this fictional account of the childhood bond between Harper Lee and Truman Capote will entertain readers on its own merits, but it also serves as a love letter to two cultural icons.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016

(4) K-3 Baseball's Greatest Stars series. Action photos drive these profiles. Each book opens with highlights from an important game in which the featured athlete played a key role. Discussion continues with a cursory look at the subject's life from childhood to the present, though there's very little information about the players' personal lives. The books also touch on temporary setbacks and injuries overcome. Baseball-loving reluctant readers will appreciate these offerings. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Baseball's Greatest Stars titles: Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper, Clayon Kershaw, Giancarlo Stanton, Madison Bumgarner, and Mike Trout.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(2) YA In honor of her favorite (deceased) teacher, Lucy starts a guerilla campaign "to turn To Kill a Mockingbird into forbidden fruit." She creatively re-shelves copies in bookstores and libraries, making them nearly impossible to find and thus desirable; social media helps the campaign to take on a life of its own. Fans of the Harper Lee classic--and book nerds everywhere--should flock to this tribute.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(4) YA World Writers series. Full of information, these titles explore the personal and professional trajectories of popular authors. Real Courage also delves into the social and political history of the time. The subjects are engaging, but the books would benefit from better organization. The stock photographs are often only tangentially related to the texts. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these World Writers titles: Rick Riordan, Real Courage, and Suzanne Collins.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(2) YA In this straightforward biography, Madden covers Lee's childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, her college years, her persistent rewriting of To Kill a Mockingbird, and her friendship with Truman Capote; there's also a slightly gossipy chapter on the filming of Mockingbird. Madden's done her homework, providing clear documentation from an impressive group of secondary sources, including many from the past two years. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(3) YA Social Issues in Literature series. Each volume presents brief, thoughtful essay reprints (primarily written by literary critics and academics) arranged into three sections that explore the author's life, identify relevant social issues, and discuss current cultural applications. Although the pieces are sometimes awkwardly truncated, they usually present ideas that go well beyond superficial critique, inviting readers to consider fiction as a vehicle for analyzing American identity. Reading list, timeline, Bib., ind. Review covers these Social Issues in Literature titles: Class Conflict in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Racism in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Racism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Women's Issues in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) YA This book, abridged from Shields's 2006 adult release Mockingbird, relies on extensive secondary source material and a few interviews with Lee's acquaintances. Shields's journalistic style creates a readable ode to a headstrong, determined, unconventional woman who writes, rewrites, edits, becomes frustrated, and finally finishes an enduring novel. Extensive documentation is appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(3) 4-6 Motivated by her late mother's diary, aspiring writer Erin spontaneously buys a bus ticket from Minnesota to Alabama, hoping to find her mom's literary inspiration, Harper Lee. The simple, well-told story focuses on the familiar themes of self-discovery and catharsis as Erin develops unlikely friendships during her two-day pilgrimage.

Reviewer: Marika Hoe