Chapter 1 In this chapter, the characters are introduced. We find out about Jem’s injury and a little background on how it happened to him. We also learned about the time period the book is set in and whom the narrator is. Jem and the narrator also meet a new friend and we learn about what Atticus’s is job is like. Moreover, this is all set during the summer months, when the kids want Boo Radley to come out of his house. Chapter 2 Summer has ended and Dill, the new friend, has to return to his home in Meridian. The children, Jem and Scout, are now getting ready to start school again. Scout is starting the first grade and has trouble with her teacher, because she tells her that her daddy is teaching her wrong. Jem is starting the fifth grade and does not want Scout around him. Chapter 3 After a little mishap in the classroom, Scout takes after a fellow student. That Jem stops her from fighting and invites him to their house for dinner. While having dinner Scout gets in trouble with Calpurnia, the cook, and she gives her a good talking to. The following day at school the teacher, Miss Caroline, learns about the Ewells. Chapter 4 Scout begins to think about Boo Radley and mysterious gifts start to show up in the trees knothole that is in front of the Radley house. Scout shows Jem these things and they find more of them and save them. Dill shows back up for the summer and tells Scout some unnerving things and crazy stories. They then start getting closer to the Radley’s and one day end up in his yard, and begin acting out a game about Mr. Radley. Chapter 5 After Dill asks Scout to marry him, he starts pulling away from her and hanging out with Jem. Therefore, Scout goes her own way and spends time with Miss Maudie Atkinson, their neighbor. Miss Maudie makes her famous cakes, shares them with the kids, and tells stories to Scout about Boo Radley. Then the kids try to give a note to Boo. Atticus then finds out and tells the kids to knock it off. Chapter 6 Dill is taught to swim by Jem and they make a plan to peek in the Radley’s window that night. Scout does not like the plan but goes along with it. They get so close to peeking in the house but, a shadow comes and scares them away and they are all caught up in the Radley’s garden and Mr. Radley shots at them when Jem gets his overalls stuck in the fence. After leaving his pants in the fence later that night, he returns to get them and then they go to bed.
Chapter 7 Jem is quite for a week after this until he decides to tell Scout what happened when he went back to get his pants. They then begin to find more gifts in the trees knothole. They write a note to the gift giver but cannot give it to him because the knothole was sealed off. Chapter 8 The children see snow for the first time in their lives and school is cancelled. In addition, the kids then take Miss Maudie’s snow to make a snowman, which turns out to look like Mr. Avery. That night it is freezing cold and fireplace are light. In the middle of the night, Atticus wakes the kids up to show them that Miss Maudie’s house was on fire. They watch as the town puts it out, Scout receives a blanket without noticing, and everyone seems to think they got it from Boo. By the end of the night, everyone was happier and Miss Maudie was excited to rebuild her house. Chapter 9 A student gets in an argument with Scout and calls her father something she does not like and she gets ready to fight him, but is stopped by Jem again. Later Scout tells Atticus about what happened. Atticus then explains to Scout why the student said that to her and talks about the case he is working on. Then Christmas comes along and the family gets together. The children receive the air rifles they always wanted. They go to Finch’s Landing for Christmas and Scout gets in trouble for fighting with her Aunt Alexandra’s grandson. Uncle Jack then gives Scout a firm talking to and he talks with Atticus about her, which Scout overhears. Chapter 10 Jem and Scout begin to think Atticus is too old to do anything. Therefore, Uncle Jack gives the kids a shooting lesson since Atticus refuses to do so. Atticus tells the children “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Miss Maudie defends that Atticus still has it in him and can do a lot. Jem and Scout encounter Tim Johnson who is the neighborhoods dog and they realize he is sick. Calpurnia calls Atticus, he has to shoot the dog, and Miss Maudie calls Atticus “One-Shot Finch.” The kids want to brag about it at school but Jem does not think Atticus would like that. Chapter 11 Scout seems to realize that tormenting Boo is a childish thing to do, so they begin going to town. However, to get to town they have to go by a mean neighbor’s house and she throws things at them and says nasty things about their father. After purchasing new toys with Jem’s twelfth birthday money, the kids head home but Jem’s is sidetracked after they were attacked by the neighbor’s nasty comments. He destroys her flowers then and breaks Scout’s toy. Atticus then finds out what Jem has done and talks to the neighbors and she wants Jem to come read to her to pay her back for what he did.
Chapter 12 Jem is now in middle school and his views have changed. Calpurnia has to talk to Scout about what is going on, so she starts spending time with Calpurnia until Dill arrives. To make things worse Atticus has to go away for two weeks because of his job. While Atticus is gone, Calpurnia makes sure the children are perfectly clean and in place and takes them to church with her. The children feel as if they are not wanted at Cal’s church but soon they begin to enjoy it. Then they arrive home and Aunt Alexandra is on the porch waiting for them. Chapter 13 Aunt Alexandra is there to give Scout some feminine influence. When Atticus comes home, he confirms that is why Alexandra is there. Alexandra then becomes involved with Maycomb’s happenings. Scout ignores her Aunt until she tries to introduce her during a luncheon. Scout does not do well at this luncheon so Alexandra talks to Atticus about how the kids should act. Atticus then talks to the kids and make Scout cry. Chapter 14 Aunt Alexandra lays off on Atticus about the children. Scout then asks what rape is, and Atticus explains it to her, but she does not exactly understand. Then both Atticus and Alexandra find out the kids went to church with Calpurnia. Aunt Alexandra then refuses to let Scout spend a day at Cal’s house. That night Dill shows up and says he has ran away from home, so Atticus lets him stay with them for the night after calling his aunt. Chapter 15 It is decided Dill gets to stay for the summer. Atticus is talked to by a small mob of men about the Tom Robinson case. Jem gets him out of further trouble by yelling the telephone is ringing. They go away after that and Aunt Alexandra and Atticus have another argument. The next day the Finch’s head to church, but that afternoon turns weird, when Atticus heads out with the car. Later that night the children find him at the jail and get him out of trouble yet again. Chapter 16 No one eats the next morning except Jem. Aunt Alexandra is happy the kids are okay, but mad that they went there. Atticus heads to work and tells the kids to stay away from the courthouse today. The children, however, do not listen to Atticus and head to the courthouse with the rest of the town. They find a seat up by Cal’s Reverend in the African- American balcony. Chapter 17 The trial is finally in session and Scout settles down enough to watch it. Mr. Tate is questioned first and gives very interesting answers. Then Mr. Bob Ewell is questioned and Scout
does not seem to like him very much. Mr. Ewell tells the story of the rape and how recounted the events. Atticus then questions Mr. Ewell and Jem thinks that they have won the case just by that.
Chapter 18 Mayella is then questioned and refuses to tell the story of the rape. Therefore, they begin asking her more specific questions. Finally, the judge reassures Mayella Atticus will not hurt her or scare her and he begins his portion of the questioning for her. In the end, Atticus seems to think they can win the case. Chapter 19 Tom Robinson is now on the stand and we find out about his arm being crippled. We then hear Tom’s story and how Mayella made the first move and that, her father was yelling at her. Dill has to leave the courtroom because these things sicken him. They then meet Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Chapter 20 After Mr. Raymond joins Dill and Scouts conversation, he offers Dill a drink from his paper sack. Dill accepts and finds out that it is just Coca-Cola. After a talking to from Mr. Raymond Dill, gets a hold of himself and they go back into the courtroom to find Atticus stating his closing remarks. The kids then see Atticus do things he has never done, for example sweat. Then Atticus finishes up in time to see Cal coming down the aisle. Chapter 21 Calpurnia then gives Atticus a note that says the children are missing. The judge points out that they are in the balcony, and then Atticus tries to send them home with Calpurnia. They finally go home to eat dinner and then they get to come back to see the final decision. When they arrive back, many people are still in the same place they left them and Jem, Scout, and Dill are filled in on information from the reverend. The verdict is given and Tom is guilty. Chapter 22 Jem begins to cry as they head out of the courthouse to meet Atticus. Alexandra meets them at home and they then all head to bed. Waking up in the morning to gifts of food from the African American people, the Finch’s enjoy a lavish breakfast. The kids head out and see Miss Stephanie Crawford telling Miss Maudie about the trial, who then invites them over for cakes. Later that day Mr. Ewell meets Atticus on the street and spits in his face and then leaves.
Chapter 23 The kids begin to worry about Atticus’s safety until he reassures them that he will be just fine. Tom is put in jail and the kids discuss the possibilities of him getting out with Atticus. Aunt Alexandra then discusses the Cunningham’s and calls them trash which makes Scout mad. Chapter 24 Aunt Alexandra hosts a tea party, which she lets Calpurnia serve at, and then introduces Scout to the women. Scout gets along very well with all the women. While tea is going on Atticus comes home in a rush and tells Calpurnia she needs to come with him, because Tom has been killed. Aunt Alexandra then finds out the upsetting news and composes herself to go back to tea while Atticus and Calpurnia head out to make sure Tom’s wife is okay. Chapter 25 Scout realizes Jem is changing more, when he saves a bug from being squished in her hands. Then Jem tells Scout the story of what happened when they were coming back from swimming the previous day. Chapter 26 School has started again and Jem got a spot on the football team, none other than the water boy. Scout then brings up Boo Radley again, and Atticus tells her to cut it out. Again, Scout is having troubles in school with the teachers and not understanding why they make the kids do what they do. Atticus then talks to Scout about how Jem is acting and everything is okay for now. Chapter 27 Everything has calmed down in Maycomb. Mr. Ewell gets a job and loses it because of his laziness. A nice man gives Tom’s wife a job and she is harassed by Mr.Ewell everyday she goes to work. Therefore, she tells her boss about it, and he fixes it by walking her home. Then Halloween comes along and Scout is in a pageant. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra do not go to the performance so they get a preview before Scout leaves. Chapter 28 As they are walking to the performance, a classmate, who then tells them they can put Scouts costume behind stage until the performance begins, spooks them. Soon the pageant begins and Scout takes a nap in her costume and misses her cue. The narrator says she messed the whole thing up, but afterwards Jem makes Scout feel better and they wait a bit to go home. Scout realizes she has forgotten her shoes, so they go back to the school to get them. After they get them, they begin walking home and realize too late that someone is following them. They are then attacked.
Chapter 29 Mr. Ewell is the one who attacked the kids and has killed himself. Scout is all right but Jem has a broken arm. Scout then recalls the event of the attack. As she gets to the end of the story, she explains the man who saved them and sees that it is Boo Radley. Chapter 30 They then head outside to talk more about what happened, and Scout is reminded to call Boo, Mr. Arthur. Atticus seems to think that Jem killed Bob, but Mr. Tate is sure that he killed himself. Finally, Atticus gives in and says that Jem did not kill him. Chapter 31 Scout walks Boo Radley home and thinks of all the good times they could have if he would come out more. Then she heads back home, and into Jem’s room, where he is fast asleep because of the pain medication given to him by the doctor. Atticus begins reading a book to Scout until she is sleepy and then puts her to bed and he goes back to Jem’s room where he will stay until morning.