How to get To Kill a Mockingbird free for school
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the most assigned books in school. Here's how to get a copy free, which edition to look for, and what to know before you start.
Is it free online?
Still under copyright
To Kill a Mockingbird isn't free online legally, so skip sites offering free downloads. They're usually pirated and can carry viruses. The free, legal ways to get it are below.
Ways to get it free
- Ask at your school library. Many schools have class sets of To Kill a Mockingbird, since it's assigned year after year.
- Check BookBaton
.com . At schools on BookBaton, students give away copies they've finished, and you can ask for one free. Book Drops happen at the school library. Find your school. - Place a hold at your public library, for the print book and in the Libby app (ebook and audiobook). Do it as soon as you get your reading list, because waiting lists build up before the school year.
- Ask someone a grade ahead. Older siblings, cousins and neighbors often have a copy on a shelf.
- Talk to your teacher or school counselor if getting the book is hard for your family. Many schools can help.
Which edition?
Many schools use the Harper Perennial Modern Classics paperback (ISBN 9780060935467). If your teacher refers to page numbers, ask which edition the class is using before you get a copy.
Why it's assigned
Scout Finch grows up in a small Alabama town in the 1930s while her father, the lawyer Atticus Finch, defends a Black man falsely accused of a crime. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and is assigned for its look at justice, racism, moral courage and growing up.
Heads-up for families: It deals with racism and a rape trial, and uses racial slurs of its time. Teachers usually prepare students for this in class.
Common questions
Is To Kill a Mockingbird free online?
Not legally. It's still under copyright, so sites offering a free download are usually pirated. Your school library, public library or the Libby app are free and legal.
Which edition do schools use?
Many use the Harper Perennial Modern Classics paperback. If your teacher gives page numbers, ask which edition.
Done with it? Pass it on
When you finish To Kill a Mockingbird, give your copy to the next student who needs it. Someone at your school will almost certainly be assigned it next year.
Get To Kill a Mockingbird from a student at your school
On BookBaton
Last updated October 19, 2026. More help: How to get your required reading books for free.