Girl Scouts learn lessons of courage, confidence and character reading "To Kill A Mockingbird"

Tanasi Council hosts father/daughter event for social dialog:  What has changed?  How can I make the world a better place?

Knoxville, Tennessee (September 12, 2007):  Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council will spend October exploring one of the most influential books of our time:  “To Kill a Mockingbird.”  A  Book-of-the Month Club survey found the novel is second after the Bible in books "most often cited as making a difference in people’s lives.”

The Pulitzer Prize winning novel is told from the eyes of a little girl, Scout Finch, coming of age in 1930s Alabama.  The novel explores the darker side of human nature when dealing with race, class and justice—yet shows the quiet heroism of people who are essentially good. 

Girl Scouts are reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” as part of “The Big Read,” a National Endowment for the Arts program hosted by the YWCA and Knox County Library.   

“Girl Scouting builds courage confidence and character, and this book inspires all three,” says Lise Bender, Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council’s director of program.  “Books change minds.  And changed minds change lives.”  

All East Tennessee girls and their fathers are invited to join Girl Scouts for discussion about “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Carpe Librum Booksellers on Sunday, October 14, 2007, from 1:30 p.m.—3 p.m.  Enjoy lemonade, iced tea and sweet treats while exploring the lessons of courage and character girls learn from their fathers and communities.  Discuss how a host of unforgettable characters and their actions made a difference.  The event will be led by the father/daughter team of John Jessel, author and associate English professor at Walters State community college and Christine Jessel, Tanasi Council communications specialist. 

Carpe Librum Booksellers is located at 5113A Kingston Pike in the Bearden section of Knoxville. 

About Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council…Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves more than 10,000 girls in 16 East Tennessee counties.  Additionally, 3,500 adult volunteers work with Tanasi to deliver the Girl Scout program.   Since its founding in 1912, Girl Scouting has offered enormous opportunities for girls to develop positive values and contribute to society as leaders, thinkers and responsible citizens.  

Media contact: Sarah Callahan, director of communications, (865) 688-9440.