What is the effect created by the author telling this story from the perspective of a child? Does it make the racial incidents seem more or less sinister?

Cassie's narration allows us to see the novel's occurrences through the innocent eyes of a nine year old child. A lot of what she learns comes from the other characters.... she is lectured, she eavesdrops, and sometimes she gets in all wrong. None-the-less, we learn right along beside her, and as a novel intended for a younger audience..... a lot can be learned.