To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Alabama author Harper Lee in 1960. The story comes from the perspective of 8-year-old girl Scout Finch, she has an older brother, Jem, who is 4 years her elder. They live with their father, Atticus, who is a lawyer and they are looked after by Calpurnia, their black maid during the day. The story takes place in a sleepy little town called Maycomb, in Alabama, it takes place during the Great Depression (1933-1935). At the beginning of the story Scout and Jem are introduced to Dill, he comes to live with his aunt every summer. The kids are intrigued by a person they call Boo Radley (real name, Arthur Radley), the rumor around the town is that Boo only goes outside of his house at night and hunts squirrels with his bare hands. Dill thinks of a plan to lure him out and dares Jem to pound on the front door, Jem refuses but Dill calls him a coward, Jem has not backed out of a dare since he was born so he ends up doing it. After pounding on the door they all run back to their own house, but for a split second Scout swears she saw a flicker of light in the house, as if they were being watched. Now the kids have grown obsessed with the house, they wonder what Boo looks like and why he doesn't come out. One night they try to break in from the back door to get a glimpse of Boo, however his brother Nathan Radley hears the commotion and fires a shot from his shotgun. the bullets don't hit but the kids learn their lesson.