Stratford students and faculty reacted differently to the news that a sequel to Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is due for publication this summer. HarperCollins recently announced that Go Set a Watchman will be released July 15.

“Sequels are never as good as the first novel,” upper school English teacher Ms. Lynn Hutto said. “Even so, I’m too curious of a reader not to read it.”

Lee actually wrote Go Set a Watchman before To Kill a Mockingbird, in the mid-1950’s. She submitted it to her publisher who suggested a novel about the main characters in their younger years, which resulted in To Kill a Mockingbird, released in July of 1960.

Go Set A Watchman features Jean Louise “Scout” Finch returning to her hometown of Maycomb 20 years after To Kill a Mockingbird takes place.

Freshman Emily Fackler feels positive that Watchman will live up to Mockingbird’s beloved status. “It would definitely be just as good, especially if it’s by the same great author who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, “ Fackler said.

“I was satisfied with the ending (Mockingbird’s) because I feel like it really closed up the story. I never thought about there being a sequel, but I think it would be interesting to know how their lives end up later,“ Ms. Maddie Henderson, upper school English teacher, said.

Whether Go Set a Watchman meets readers expectations or not, HarperCollins anticipates great interest and has scheduled a first run of two million copies.