Lee, Harper

Harper Lee is one of the most famous writers of her time--most well-known for To Kill a Mockingbird, a controversial novel about race relations in America (although the book covers much more territory than just that). Lee received the Pulitzer Prize for the novel, but she has not published another book since.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is Harper Lee's classic novel about Sport Finch. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer, who defends Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell.

A coming-of-age story or novel is memorable because the character undergoes adventures and/or inner turmoil in his/her growth and development as a human being. Some characters come to grips with the reality of cruelty in the world--with war, violence, death, racism, and hatred--while others deal with family, friends, or community issues.