The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963. NY: Delacorte.

Kenny Watson and his family decide to go to Birmingham in 1963 because his older brother Byron kept getting into trouble. Kenny has a close call with death and witnesses some young children being injured in a church explosion. Kenny's family returns home where Kenny deals with his emotions with the help of his older brother.Curtis' theme of the power of a families love is evident throughout the entire story. Curtis portrays the Watsons as being very close and this allows them to be able to work through their problems.

Textbook Assignment 4:

Kenny’s family consist of him, his mom, his dad, sister Joetta, and big brother Byron. The setting for this novel is placed in 1963 in Flint, Michigan. Kenny’s older brother had been acting up and getting into trouble like a typical teenager. The parents decided to go to Birmingham, Alabama to visit their grandmother in hopes that she could help them straighten out Byron. It is during their visit that a bombing occurs at a church nearby killing 4 innocent little girls. At one point they feared that Joetta might be one of the children killed in the bombing. This historical fiction book helps the reader visualize what segregation was like during this time in our history.

This book received the Coretta Scott King award and is a Newbery Honor Book.
Here is a link to the book trailer:
https://vimeo.com/13895187

Meet-the-Author Book Reading with Christopher Paul Curtis:
http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=3602