The Watsons Go to Birmingha - 1963

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

      10 year old Kenny Watson humorously narrates the happenings of life at school and with his family.  His family, the "weird Watsons," made up of Kenny, older brother Byron, little sister Joetta, and Momma, and Dad, take a trip to Momma's hometown of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.  After returning home, Byron helps Kenny cope with the tragic truths of the segregated south.  Curtis does a wonderful job of making the characters believable and relatable.  In addition, the characters' dialogue is reflective of real life.  The plot is dynamic and the reader is not stuck on one part for too long.  Curtis keeps the details engaging as the story hits highs and lows.  The conversational style of writing makes this an appealing book to various audiences.  When comparing the book to the movie, the book spends more time on various anecdotes from Kenny, while the book has a larger focus, and added parts, about the Civil Rights Movement.  The movie had more scenes added depicting the Civil Rights Movement and lessons learned by the Watson's, than did the book.