Historical Fiction - Sad Times/Sweet Story

I can't imagine growing up in times like those described in Mockingbird: not enough food to feed families, issues of gender and race, jobs at a minimum, loss of hope and fear in the atmosphere. All the same, the world seems a simple place as described by Scout, and even through all the hard times, the picture she paints of childhood and innocence is appealing. As I am rereading, I am thinking about impressions I first had as I read the first few chapters. The way our narrator sees the world, she seems so grown up for such a small child. It must be her relationship with her father, which seems more adult somehow. Reading the newspaper over Atticus's shoulder, trying to explain the Cunninghams' ways to Miss Caroline, Scout seems wiser than her years. It makes me wonder how many times teachers jump in - like Miss Caroline did- without understanding circumstances that kids already know. Have any of you sat in a classroom "learning" something that you already know?

Another BIG element of curiosity is Boo Radley. I imagine that some of the stories about him might say more about the town gossips than it actually does about Boo. How could he be shut up in that house so long, and what did he really do to land in so much trouble? We'll have to look at the clues.

Lastly, I am wondering about the vocabulary. What rich and wonderful narrative Mockingbird offers. Don't be discouraged if you find an inordinate number of words to decipher. Scout is a wise woman and precocious child. Somehow Harper Lee's simple way of capturing small town Southern life in the Great Depression has a powerful message for us all.