Curtis, Christopher Paul. (1997). The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. 224 pp.

Grade Range: 6-9

Genre: contemporary fiction

Summary and Critique

Kenny Watson is a ten-year-old African American boy living in Flint, Michigan during the early 1960s. Kenny is the smart, though awkward, middle child in a family of five. His older brother Byron is continually in trouble, and his little sister Joetta is perfect. When Byron gets in trouble one too many times, Mr. and Mrs. Watson decided that he should spend some time with his grandmother in Alabama. The Watsons embark on a cross-country trip to Birmingham in 1963. The family is in Birmingham on Sunday, September 15, 1963 when a local church is bombed in an attempt to prevent integration. Kenny struggles to understand hatred and violence.

Curtis develops his characters well with the use of humor and anecdotes, allowing for a very enjoyable story. The Watsons are a real family, and the reader feels their pain.

Awards

1996 Coretta Scott King Honor Book

1996 Newbery Honor Book

American Library Association (ALA) Notable Book

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Top Black History Picks for Youth

NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book In the Field of Social Studies Bank Street Child Study Association Children's Book Award

New York Times Book Review Best Book

Publishers Weekly Best Book

Horn Book Fanfare

Bulletin Blue Ribbon

Golden Kite Award for Fiction

Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author

Themes/Topics

Friends and Enemies

The Individual vs. Society

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Generations

Families

Challenges and Triumphs

Author Information

Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan on May 10, 1953. He spent the majority of his life in Flint, and worked in the Fisher Body Flint

Plant for thirteen years while attending the Flint Branch of The University of Michigan in the evenings. Curtis hated his job at the plant, and spent time writing during his breaks each day. Eventually, his wife, Kaysandra, offered to support him for a year so that he could finish the draft of The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963. Currently, Curtis is a full time writer and lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children, Steven and Cydney.

For more information on Christopher Paul Curtis:

http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-curtis-christopher-paul.asp Biographical information on Christopher Paul Curtis.

http://www.powells.com/authors/curtis.html Biographical information on Curtis as well as lesson plan ideas for Curtis's books.

http://christopherpaulcurtis.smartwriters.com/index.2ts?page=bio More information on Curtis.

Media Connections

Movies

4 Little Girls (1997) A Spike Lee production documenting the tragedy of the Alabama Church bombing on September 15, 1963.

Liberty Heights (1999) A movie about a Jewish family in the late 1950s. School integration is addressed.

Conrack (1974) A Caucasian teacher in a predominantly African-American school challenges the establishment.

Do the Right Thing (1989) Spike Lee examines race relations, prejudice, and stereotypes in a Brooklyn neighborhood, all of which contribute to an unnecessary explosion of violence.

A Dry White Season (1989) A Caucasian school teacher living in South Africa takes action against the apartheid government, despite opposition from his family and friends.

Remember the Titans (2000) African-American and Caucasian students in a recently integrated Virginia high school compete for starting positions on the football team.

Music

"Yakety Yak." Performed by the Coasters. The Very Best of the Coasters. Rhino Records, 1994. A high school student has a fondness for talking back and pulling pranks.

"Under the Boardwalk." Performed by the Drifters. The Very Best of the Drifters. Rhino Records, 1993. Fond memories of a summer spent relaxing at the Boardwalk.

Various songs performed by Various artists. Sing for Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs. Smithsonian Folkways, 1990. Music and speeches from the Civil Rights Movement.

Online Resources

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/winter99/george.html Includes an interdisciplinary unit for The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.

http://useekufind.com/peace/"In the Memory of Four Little Girls" A very thorough site of the Civil Rights Movement and the bombing of the 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing, including lesson plans.

http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/history.html"History in Song." An excellent website incorporating lyrics to songs from major events in history, including the Civil Rights Movements. Some songs also include pictures or historical information.

http://thekingcenter.com/ Official Web site for the King Center, an organization dedicated to fulfilling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream.

Related Texts

Taylor, Mildred. (1976). Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry New York: Dial Press. 276pp. Cassie, a twelve-year old girl, comes of age in a small 1930's Mississippi town filled with racism, hatred, injustice, and poverty.

Rochelle, Belinda. (1993). Witness to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights. New York: Lodestar Books. 97 pp. Addresses contributions made to the Civil Rights Movement by pre-adolescents and adolescents.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. (1994). Hand in Hand: An American History through Poetry. New York: Simon and Schuster. 144 pp. Poetry about the history of the United States, as well as about the various groups who have inhabited this country.

Muse, Daphne. (1995). Prejudice: Stories about Hate, Ignorance, Revelation, and Transformation. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. An anthology of stories about prejudice.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "History Lessons with Interviews" Have your students interview a variety of people from your community that were children or teenagers during the early 1960s. Consider getting representation from several different ethnics groups. Have students adapt these interviews into a variety of short stories.

(2) "Then and Now: A Comparison" In small groups, students should brainstorm all the cultural things they know about the 1960s, including clothing, food, television, school, church, and the Civil Rights Movement. Students should add to the list as they find details in the book, read other stories and poems about the era, or talk to adults that remember the 1960s. Compare and contrast the life of an African American teenager forty years ago to the life of a contemporary teenager. What might the family purchase for a long trip rather than an Ultra Glide? Consider having students write a short story entitled"The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 2003."

(3) "Are We There Yet?" Have students plan the trip from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama, using information from the novel and from an atlas. Which roads should the family take? How many miles will the family travel? How many hours of driving will it take to drive to Alabama if the family travels an average speed of sixty miles an hour? How much gas will the family use? How many sandwiches should Mama pack for a family of five?

(Review written by Brenda Wheat and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)