The Watsons Go to Birmingham- A Good Book About a Bad Problem

Bibliography:
Curtis, C.P. (1995). The watsons go to birmingham-1963. New York: Yearling.

Awards:
Newberry Award Winner
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
An ALA Top Ten Best Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Notable Children's Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book
A New York Times Book Review Best Book

In the novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, Christopher Paul Curtis tells the story of an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, who take an unforgettable trip to Birmingham in the summer of 1963. The book is narrated by the main character, Kenny Watson, and everything that happens in the book is told through the eyes of a ten-year-old. His hilarious stories of life with his brother, Byron, who is the sixth grade's resident bully, and his adventures in fourth grade are as memorable as the horrifying event that he describes in the end. When his family makes the trip to Birmingham one summer to leave Byron with his grandmother for a while, they experience something that is both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Everything that happens in this novel is told through the eyes of a fourth grader, so the language is very easy to read and understand. Although there are some issues with racism and prejudice, these issues shouldn't be enough to keep anyone from teaching this book in his or her classroom. I think that this book would make a great whole-class read, because it has something for everyone. The humor that exists in the story lightens up the sometimes somber tone, so there should be nothing in the book that is too intense for any reader. I would suggest this book for anyone from sixth grade up, because there is no bad language, references to drugs or alcohol, or any sexual content. Again, everything in the story is narrated by a ten-year-old, so the content is pretty clean.

If I had this book in my classroom, I would probably use it in many different ways. I think it would be useful for a whole class read, especially if it sparks a discussion of the negative implications of racism. It would also be good for group work or even individual reading. It would definitely have this book on my bookshelf, and I would encourage readers to pick it up and see for themselves what was like to be African American in the 1963 American south.

As a reader, I absolutely loved this book. From the very first page, I felt a connection to Kenny, and I sympathized with everything that he goes through in the novel. I laughed when he told stories of his life at the school, and I cried when the bomb went off at the church in Birmingham. I loved being able to see everything through Kenny's perpective, because it gave me a point of view that I don't often get from literature. I think this was a great book, and I will definitely be reading more literature by Christopher Paul Curtis.