Chapter 1– The story starts with the first summer that Scout and Jem meet Dill, a little boy from Meridian, Mississippi who spends the summers with his aunt, the Finch's' next-door neighbor. From Scout’s and Jem’s point-of-view, their most interesting neighbor is Boo Radley, a recluse whom none of them has ever seen. Dill's fascination, in particular, leads to all sorts of games and plans to try and get Boo to come outside.
Chapter 2-3–Dill goes back to Mississippi for the school year, and Scout turns her attention to starting first grade — something she's been waiting for all her life. However, Scout's first day at school is not at all what she thought it would be. Scout's teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, is new to teaching, new to Maycomb, and mortified that Scout already knows how to read and write. When Miss Caroline offers to lend Walter Cunningham lunch money, Scout is punished for taking it upon herself to explain Miss Caroline's mistake. (Walter refuses to take the money because his family is too poor to pay it back.)
Scout catches Walter on the playground and starts to beat him in retaliation for her embarrassment, but Jem stops her and then further surprises her by inviting Walter to have lunch with them.
Scout is then punished by Calpurnia for criticizing Walter's table manners. Back at school, Miss Caroline has a confrontation with Burris Ewell about his "cooties" and the fact that he only attends school on the first day of the year.
That evening, Scout tells Atticus about her day, hoping that she won't have to go back to school — after all, Burris Ewell doesn't. Atticus explains why the Ewells get special consideration and then tells Scout, "'You never really understand a person . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'" These words stick with Scout.
Chapter 4– Scout’s grade releases half an hour earlier than Jem's, so Scout has to pass Boo Radley's house by herself every afternoon. One day, Scout notices something shiny in a tree at the edge of the Radley yard. When she goes back to investigate, she finds two sticks of gum. Jem admonishes her for taking the gum, but Scout continues to check the knothole daily.
On the last day of school, she and Jem find some coins in the tree, which they decide to keep until the next school year starts.
Dill arrives two days later to spend the summer in Maycomb. Jem suggests they play a new game called "Boo Radley.”
They act out Boo's life with great enthusiasm until Atticus learns of the game. The children play the game less frequently after that.
