Point of View

I'm reading Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone right now, and I must say she offers me vast amounts of inspiration. I am completely aware that the print version of the book is only one of multiple versions she would have created during the process of getting it right, and that most authors must rewrite, rewrite, and then rewrite it again before the book is worthy of print. Still, her words seem so flawless, her sentences so perfectly executed, that mine in comparison sounds juvenile. It seems all "he said, she said," and the voice (one important thing that ALL "write your own novel" sources say you must have, and have well) seems all mixed up.
I'm thinking of experimenting with the point of view. Over the summer, I considered the prospect of first person for Nola...but abandoned it because I was unsure how to write from the first perspective viewpoint of a six- or eight-year-old...Do I "dumb it down," have her thoughts purposely more simplistic, or do I just make her think like an innocent, happy, uncynical version of everyone else? Hmmm...I like what Diano Gabaldon does. The main character, Claire, is first person. Everyone around her, from her husband to her kids, are third. The voice changes with a section break. I like it, because you can feel closer to Claire, understand her thoughts, and while you understand the others as well, there's also a bit of distance there. It seems more realistic than what I'm doing now. I feel as if I just delve into people's thoughts at will, a sort of "anything goes" philosophy. But who can you connect with if you get pieces of everyone, but everything of no one?
I think tomorrow night I might give it a shot, see if it adds to or detracts from the story. It's hard enough just coming up with story ideas...then there's all of this!