Curtis, Christopher Paul. (1995). The Watsons Go To Birmingham--1963. New York, New York, Yearling.
Brief Annotation: Kenny, who lives in Flint, Michigan in the 1960s, has trouble dealing with his crazy family. His older brother, Byron, is becoming a juvenile delinquent, and his younger sister, Joetta, has trouble walking in the layers and layers of clothes that their southern-born mama makes her and Kenny wear to survive the Michigan winters. His father is a constant joker and dreamer, who outfits their old car, the "Brown Bomber" with a record player. When Byron crosses one line too many with his mother and father by straightening his hair, they decide to drive to Birmingham, Alabama to have Byron spend the summer with his tough southern grandmother. They go through a cultural divide on the drive south, journeying to the land of segregation, and in Alabama, the church in Birmingham was bombed by white men, killing four young black girls. Kenny withdraws into himself in the wake of the bombing, to be drawn out by Byron, who finally exhibits his compassionate side in the aftermath of this racial violence.
Genre: Historical fiction
Grade Level: 4-7
Readers who will like this: Readers learning about the civil rights movement, readers who like stories about families, readers who like humorous but serious books
Response/Rating (1-4): 4. This book is a wonderful, personal exploration of civil rights history and family dynamics at a crucial period of civil rights history. The family is warm, funny and easy to relate to, and the depiction of the different racial relations in the north and south U.S. during the 1960s is multifaceted and interesting. I think this book would have something to interest almost any upper elementary student. It would be a perfect fiction extension to a unit on civil rights history in the U.S.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: How do you think life was different for African American people in Michigan and in Alabama in the 1960s?
So when you say Kenny's family is easy to relate to, are you positioning yourself in a particular social/cultural/socioeconomic class? When we talk about contemporary realistic fiction, we'll explore why some books make us feel comfortable, at ease--why they fit like a well-worn glove. When we have this feeling of connection, what does it say about us? Although Kenny's family lives in a different time, and the color of their skin is different from yours, you picked up on their likability. Do you think this would be a typical reaction by all readers?
ReplyDeleteOn another note, your before reading question assumes some background knowledge about America in the 1960s. Maybe you're thinking of using this book as part of unit study?