The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 [Mass Market Paperback]

Christopher Paul Curtis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the Weird  Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's  13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble,  they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the  one person who can shape him up. And they happen to  be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown  up.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The year is 1963, and self-important Byron Watson is the bane of his younger brother Kenny's existence. Constantly in trouble for one thing or another, from straightening his hair into a "conk" to lighting fires to freezing his lips to the mirror of the new family car, Byron finally pushes his family too far. Before this "official juvenile delinquent" can cut school or steal change one more time, Momma and Dad finally make good on their threat to send him to the deep south to spend the summer with his tiny, strict grandmother. Soon the whole family is packed up, ready to make the drive from Flint, Michigan, straight into one of the most chilling moments in America's history: the burning of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church with four little girls inside.

Christopher Paul Curtis's alternately hilarious and deeply moving novel, winner of the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Honor, blends the fictional account of an African American family with the factual events of the violent summer of 1963. Fourth grader Kenny is an innocent and sincere narrator; his ingenuousness lends authenticity to the story and invites readers of all ages into his world, even as it changes before his eyes. Curtis is also the acclaimed author of Bud, Not Buddy, winner of the Newbery Medal. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-In the only Newbery Honor book to make my list, the weighty issues and historical perspectives don't get in the way of a very funny family. Byron plays some awful tricks on his younger brother Kenny, but readers can't help but laugh at some of his less harmful teasing. He tells a convincing story to little sister Joey about how garbage trucks scoop up frozen Southern folks who don't dress warmly enough, and half-fools Kenny with his tall tale. While the boys supply many of the laughs, it's clear that they get their sense of humor from their dad. His gentle teasing and tongue-in-cheek exaggerations can be hilarious. Laughter and Tears Award: More than any other book on my list, the humor in The Watsons shifts to near tragedy and many thought-provoking developments. The serious stuff succeeds in part because readers grow so close to this family through the humor that comes earlier in the book.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (December 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044022800X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440228004
• Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 0.6 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (661 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > African-American
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Multigenerational
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Prejudice & Racism

More About the Author

Photo © 2003 James Keyser
author spotlight
"To me the highest accolade comes when a young reader tells me, 'I really liked your book.' The young seem to be able to say 'really' with a clarity, a faith, and an honesty that we as adults have long forgotten. That is why I write."--Christopher Paul Curtis

Christopher Paul Curtis made an outstanding debut in children's literature with The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963. His second novel, Bud, Not Buddy, is the first book ever to receive both the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Author Award.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Born in Flint, Michigan, Christopher Paul Curtis spent his first 13 years after high school on the assembly line of Flint's historic Fisher Body Plant # 1. His job entailed hanging car doors, and it left him with an aversion to getting into and out of large automobiles--particularly big Buicks.

With grandfathers like Earl "Lefty" Lewis, a Negro Baseball League pitcher, and 1930s bandleader Herman E. Curtis, Sr., of Herman Curtis and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, it is easy to see why Christopher Paul Curtis was destined to become an entertainer.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 tells the story of 10-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan, and their unforgettable journey that leads them into one of the darkest moments in American history. It is by turns a hilarious, touching, and tragic story about civil rights and the impact of violence on one family.

Curtis's novel Bud, Not Buddy focuses on 10-year-old Bud Caldwell, who hits the road in search of his father and his home. Times may be hard in 1936 Flint, Michigan, but orphaned Bud's got a few things going for him; he believes his mother left a clue of who his father was--and nothing can stop Bud from trying to find him.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Watsons Go To Birmingham- 1963, April 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Paperback)

The Watsons Go to Birmingham -1963 By:Christopher PaulCurtis

If you're looking for a great book that you never want toput down, The Watsons Go to Birmingham is perfect. It is written by Christopher Paul Curtis. It's full of adventure, comedy, and tragedy. This book is based on the life of a black family in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. The book is narrated by one of the young family members, Kenny.

The family goes through many problems with Kenny's big brother Byron. Byron thinks he's so cool and thinks he can do whatever he wants including dying his hair, play with matches, and he does other stuff like kissing himself in the mirror. Kenny also has a mom who is very strict and a dad who is always positive. One more family member is Joetta. She is Kenny's younger sister and is very caring.One of the things we really enjoyed about this book was, that the author really expresses the character's characteristics.

The theme of this story is based on the Civil Rights Movement and family. The book goes through problems in both of these categories. Such as, bombings during the Civil Rights Movement, problems with Byron and Kenny, and so many more usual, and some unusual, problems. Many of the Watson family members change during the story. An example of this is, Byron changed from a disobedient child, to a mature, young man full of respect. The theme of this book really expresses the authors feelings on family and the Civil Rights Movement. Christopher Paul Curtis is a great author and uses many different "secrets" to make his writing as good as it is. First of all, he tells things like they are. There isn't any fantasy in this book and you can relate to the story. The Watsons are just like any family. They go through difficult times and good times. Curtis also does a good job of describing the things that are happening. For example, he told in detail what happened after the church was bombed and what Kenny saw while he was in the church. Curtis has humor in his book too. This makes a big difference, because it makes the book more interesting by making you laugh. Sometimes he uses humor to describe. Like when Byron got his lips stuck to the rearview mirror and Kenny said, "...Byron's lips stretched a mile before they finally let go of that mirror." One thing that we didn't care for about the book was that he didn't use any cliffhangers. We think that that is wanted in a good book, but otherwise it's a great book. We think Christopher Paul Curtis's life really relates to the book. Christopher Paul Curtis was born in the same place that the book took place, Flint, Michigan. He began working on the book The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 when he was in high school. He attended the University of Michigan, where he won the Avery Hopwood Prize for major essays and the Jules Hopwood Prize for an early draft of The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Curtis has won a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor for this book and it was named a Best Book of 1995. Christopher Paul Curtis currently lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada with his wife Kaysandra, and children Steven Darrel, 18 and Cydney McKenzie, who's four. Can't you see how Christopher Paul Curtis's life really reflects on this book?

The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a great book that is worth the reading. We would rate this book an eight on a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest. We would rate it this because, the author has well-developed characters, great describing and really expresses his feelings about family and the Civil Rights Movement You learn many things from this book about appreciating your family and will learn that you never know what you've got until it's gone.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't stop laughing!, November 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Paperback)

This was a great book about racial injustice and family. Although it was set in the '60's,the story felt just as real as if it were occuring right now. It was very funny,especially when Byron got in trouble for staging WWII battles in the bathroom and got his lips stuck to the car mirror. When I read the book in reading period,I often began having laugh attacks and had to cover them with fake coughing spells. I understood Kenny's depression after the bombing. However,the Wool Pooh scenes were vague. Who was he really? What about Kenny's vision? Overall,though,this was a wonderful,entertaining book. It conveyed the message of racial tolerance without preachiness and showed how alike we all are inside.

43 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important book, recommended with reservations, July 25, 2001

By 

Volkert Volkersz (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Watsons Go To Birmingham--1963 (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

In 1963, I was a white kid attending a predominantly black junior high school in Seattle. "The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963" rings true to what I saw and experienced in those days.

It's true that this story doesn't have much of a plot in the usual sense, but then how many families have lives that are neatly plotted out? Instead we see episodes in the life of nerdish Kenny Watson, his older brother Byron who is always getting into trouble, his little sister "Joey" who is a little angel, their Momma who still has some of the old South in her, and Dad, a loving, but sometimes stern, man.

This is an important piece of historical fiction. It shows an intact African-American family, struggling with many of the same things families of other races were dealing with in those days, however one is given a taste of their fear of racial violence as Momma and Dad plan--and take--their trip into the deep South to visit Grandma Sands during those turbulent times.

This is an important book, but one I can only recommend with reservations. Some of the situations, and more especially some of the crude language used by Byron and his friends, would cause me to give it a PG rating. I think it's unfortunate that some authors of children's books think it's OK to use language that most educators are otherwise discouraging students from using.