I've been helping my nephews with their homework for "To Kill A Mockingbird". I'm convinced schools teach it all wrong. I present it as murder mystery. My opener was: "Picture this: In the pitch-black darkness of night, a young boy is unconscious on the ground under a tree, his arm broken. There is a little girl there too, dressed up as a giant ham. Between them, a dead man lies in the dirt; a knife buried in his chest. Can you figure out who the killer is?"

Also I tell them to keep track of how many times Scout hands someone their ass. Physically and verbally. 

I didn't care for the book the first couple times I read it, but I blame the way it's taught. I love the book now. Yes, there's all kinds of meaning in it, but can't we just enjoy it on the surface level first before we start dissecting it? You know this book's got jokes.