Mockingbird Summer

1. General Impressions (2-3 questions)

Objective: Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• If you have read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, discuss how reading Mockingbird Summer has affected how you think differently about Lee’s novel. 
• Cal is framed as being “a man of his times” (277). How is Corky also a girl of her times, even as she undergoes an increased understanding of anti-racism? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection (4-6 questions)

Objective: Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• How has your worldview expanded after getting to know someone whose life is very different from yours? 
• What is the first historical event that you lived through where you understood its significance to something bigger than yourself? What did you realize about the world? 
• Have you ever bonded with someone over literature? What book or books brought you together? 
• Do you feel that losing innocence is wholly good or bad? What of your own experiences with coming of age inform your stance? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context (2-3 questions)

Objective: Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• The novel takes part largely in 1964, during the Civil Rights Movement, and partially during 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.