gossip about "Boo" Radley. Egged on by Dill, Jem and Scout try to .

             think up ways to lure him out of his house.

             Soon it is Summer again , and Dill returns for another visit. .

             The children's plans for making contact with Boo Radley grew bolder .

             this year, and on Dill's last night they decide to sneak up onto the .

             Radley porch and spy on Boo. Jem goes first, but just as he reaches .

             the window, Nathan Radley catches site of them and scares them off .

             with a blast from a shot gun.

             Jem realizes that Boo is not a monster after all, but has been .

             playing along with them. Scout does not figure this out until the .

             winter, on the night that the house of their neighbor burns to the .

             ground. While Scout is standing outside in the cold, someone sneaks up .

             behind her and places a blanket around her. Later, Scout and Jem .

             realize that there was only one person in town who has not already at .

             work fighting the fire and that was Boo.

             Now that Jem and Scout realize that Boo is basically a kind .

             person, their interest in the Radley family begins to fade. In the .

             meantime, they learn that their father has become the defense lawyer .

             for Tom Robinson, who is charged with raping Mayella Ewell.

             As the trial of Tom Robinson grows nearer, the children become .

             more aware of the strong feeling it has aroused in everyone in .

             Maycomb. One day their housekeeper takes Jem and Scout to visit her .

             church, and the children realize for the first time that the black .

             parishioners are supporting Tom Robinson's wife.

             Two nights before the trial is to start, a group of men come .

             to the Finch house to tell Atticus about threats against Tom .

             Robinson's life. Atticus spends the next night camped out at the jail .

             to defend Tom from the mob. Jem, Scout and Dill go downtown to check .

             on Atticus and arrive at the same time as a group of men, who have .

             come to kill Tom. Scout recognizes one of the men in the group as .