To kill a mockingbird 7&8

I'm not surprised that scout doesn't like her 2nd grade class either. She might have liked it for the first week but then realized it was just school. I found it funny when Jem says that school gets better the older you get. To me that was funny and could be easily argued (homework!) I find it funny that they are afraid of boo Radly but they still take stuff in the tree that is his (I think). I also find it suspicious that mr. Radley filled up the tree with concrete, because I have never heard that curing a dying tree. Jem later tells scout why he was scared when he came back from retrieving his pants. It was because they had been attempted to be repaired and were hung on the fence. Winter finally arrives in Maycomb and mrs   Radley has died. In the middle of the night Maudie's house catches on fire and all the neighbors go outside and see your home burn to ashes. Scout was staying near the Radly home and ended up with a blanket over her. They then realized it was boo Radly and she got really scared. What I don't understands is that if Atticus is not afraid of boo Radly then why are the kids??