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The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963
 
 
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Mass Market Paperback)

by Christopher Paul Curtis (Author) "heat but he didn't have to tell us this, it seemed like the cold automatically made us want to get together and huddle up. My..." (more)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (408 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 8.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Product Description

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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

Books in Canada

The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a young adult novel by a Windsor, Ontario resident, Christopher Paul Curtis, aimed at the Grade 4 to 8 audience. The Watsons, originally from Alabama, are a middle-class black family living in Flint, Michigan. The time is 1963, and racial tensions in the South are simmering. It is in this climate that the ten-year-old narrator, Kenny, travels with his parents, his older brother Byron, and his little sister Joetta to Birmingham to visit his grandmother. Byron, the family's "official juvenile delinquent", who does things like torch toilet paper parachutes with matches, is the catalyst for the trip, his parents having decided that "the slower pace" of living with Grandma for a while will settle him down.

As fate would have it, the grandmother's church is bombed during the family's stay-a racially motivated bombing that takes the lives of four little girls. By the time this tragedy occurs, Curtis has made sure that his readers have gotten to know the likeable Watsons well and that they will, consequently, relate to the family's fear and sadness. Curtis does not exploit the tragedy, but does show-very effectively-how the world around us invades our families, our personal lives, our private space. Eva Tihanyi(Books in Canada) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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First Sentence
heat but he didn't have to tell us this, it seemed like the cold automatically made us want to get together and huddle up. My little sister, Joetta, sat in the middle and all you could see were her eyes because she had a scarf wrapped around her head. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

408 Reviews
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4 star:
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3 star:
 (41)
2 star:
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (408 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Dy-No-Mite!, Jun 25 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Paperback)
This book had me lauging one minute, and crying the next. Curtis takes his reader on an adventure with the Watson family, whom coincidentally has family members with which we can all proably relate with in one way or another. I would highly reccommend this book to my fourth grade peers.
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5.0 out of 5 stars if you like history books, Jun 15 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Paperback)
I read The Watson's go to Birmingham -1963.
The author is Christopher Paul Curtis.
I loved this book . It has 5 characters.
The character that I liked is Byron. Hi's a bully,
But he cares for his brother and sister. Kenny is
a great boy. He likes to hang out with his
brother. Joetta is a four year old girl. She likes to
go to Sunday school at church. Dad is a cool
He likes to decorate the brown bomber(the car). Mom is a women that likes stuff her way.
Whenever they travel she has everything
Ordered in her note book .I Enjoyed this book because it's fun and awesome and I loved it.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Review, May 27 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Paperback)
I read the book The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963 and found it very interesting and funny. The story is about a boy named Kenneth Watson who has an older brother, Byron, a younger sister, Joetta, a mom, and a dad. They all live in Flint, Michigan. Byron is constantly getting into trouble, so mom and dad decide that he should spend the summer with his grandmother in Birmingham. The whole family has to go on the trip because they can't leave anybody at home. While they are in Birmingham, the church is attacked by white people who throw a stick of dynamite into it. Kenny goes into the church after this and thinks he sees Joetta's shoe, and he thinks that the Whool Pooh, an imaginary evil twin of Winnie the pooh, is trying to kidnap her, so he leaves. When he finds out that Joetta wasn't in the church, he feels guilty because even if she had been in the church he wouldn't have helped her escape the Whool Pooh. After this, they decide to leave Birmingham. When they get back home, Kenneth hides behind the couch in their house and hopes to not feel guilty about not rescuing Joetta. Byron finally (...). I like this book and would recommend it to readers of any age. It is funny and entertaining. For example, one funny part is when Byron tries to kiss his reflection is the car mirror and gets his lips stuck to it. In conclusion, I think the book is amusing though it is sad and is a good book for anyone to read.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Great Book! This is a story about Kenny a ten-year old boy who is not really the coolest boy in school. He has an older borther named Bryon , he is also named the "School God. Read more
Published on May 6 2004 by Adam

3.0 out of 5 stars The Watson go to Birmingham
I think this was a prety good book it was funny espescially when Byron was talking to Larry Dunn with his deaf language. Read more
Published on May 5 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Ian T.
The Watsons go to Birmingham is a great book for young readers and adults. I enjoyed this book because of its emotion and humorous scenes. Read more
Published on May 5 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Kaung, O
The main characters are Momma, Dad, Byron, and Joey Watson. The are going to Birmingham, Alabama, because to teach Byron a lesson about getting into trouble by making Byron stay... Read more
Published on May 5 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great/MB
This book is funny and sad. I like this book because, I think that it is perfect. The humor keeps you laughing throughout the whole book. Read more
Published on May 5 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Austin G.
The Watsons go to Birmngham is a very good book as far as the beggining and the book but I didn't like the ending very much . Read more
Published on May 5 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Connor D.
The Watsons go to Birminham was a exrodonary book. (I don't know how to spell well)it was funny, sad, and very emotional. Read more
Published on May 5 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars the watsons go to birmingham
I like this book beacuse I thought the part when Byron got his lips stuck to the car window.And the part that really scared me was when joey was in the church and it blew up and... Read more
Published on May 5 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Byrons Troubles
Byron went through a lot of things that he shouldnt have done. One of them was that he wouldn't stop playing with matches and he would bullie and make fun of Kenny and other... Read more
Published on May 5 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Daniel s.
This book has five main characters, Kenny, Byron, joey, momma, and papa. Byron is like the bully of the family. he has repeated grades and gotten into alot of trouble. Read more
Published on May 5 2004

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