The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Summary:

This book  is about a middle class, nine year old, African American boy named Kenny. Kenny lives in Flint, Michigan with his family who people call the Weird Watson's. His older brother, Byron, is always getting into trouble. Finally, his parents have had enough and they decide to take a family road trip to visit the only person who can straighten Kenny out, Grandma Sands. They spruce up their car, the Brown Bomber, for the long trip to Birmingham, Alabama. While in Birmingham the family finds themselves caught in the middle of one of the most famous and tragic events of the Civil Rights Movement, the bombing of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church. 

Evaluation:

               Anyone who is looking for a great book that you won't want to put down, The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 is the perfect book. It is a must read for children ages 8 years to adult. I love how the author incorporated historical events with adventure and hysterical family drama. The book starts off being a light read full of hilarious events. One of my favorite events was when the two brothers, Kenny and Byron, had to go de-ice the car so they could go to their Aunt's house for the night to keep warm. Kenny was working hard so he could get going, but Byron on the other hand was admiring himself in the mirror. When Byron kissed his reflection his lips inevitably got stuck. I was laughing so hard as the family worked to get his lips unstuck because I could envision one of my younger brothers doing the same thing.

            The author really focuses on family ties as one of the main themes of the book. Along with the historical problems the country is facing the reader also see's the problems of the Watson family. Curtis has the reader feeling what the characters in the story are feeling, whether good or bad. The reader laughs and cries alongside with the Weird Watsons throughout the book. Once the reader is emotionally attached to the Watson family a drastic turn of events almost turns the book into a tragedy. It engages the reader to think about the historical events that took place during the Civil Rights Movement, specifically the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church bombing, from a personal perspective.

            Growing up I learned about the Civil Rights Movement, but it was not until this book that I viewed it in a more personal light. I saw the four little girls that died that day as little Joey Watson's, who the I grew to love throughout the story.  Joey reminded me so much of my own daughters, that I felt the anguish and pain that the Watson's felt when they thought Joey was in the church. I also love how Curtis does not dismiss Kenny's feelings after the event. We see Kenny suffering as a child would who has witnessed such a tragic event. But, Curtis uses Byron as a savior to Kenny which I really admired.

    I believe The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 should be a staple in the middle school classroom as well as on home books shelves everywhere. The characters in this book are easy for a children and adults to relate to. Kenny and Byron have many of the same experiences and feelings as children today. Growing up, no matter what state or time period you are in, is hard. And, raising children in this era is no easier. Like the Watson brothers, teenagers today are trying to make sense of the world they live in, while exploring the hopes and stumbling blocks of growing up. The Weird Watsons provide children as well as adults with a unique opportunity to experience the Civil Rights Movement events through the eyes of a child and his parents. This is a memorable story of family bonds and friendship built between brothers, which is a stirring contrast to the lasting impression of the horrible tragedy that took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.

Classroom Extension Ideas:

LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM: have the students explore characterization. Students can pick one of the characters from the book and create a treasure chest for them. Have the students put items into the chest that would reflect what the character is like. Then have them share their treasure with the class at the end of the book. Another idea is to have the students keep a daily reading journal in order to reflect upon what they read that day. Students could also write short essays on some of the main points of the book such as family, first impressions, bullying, and equality. For example, have students define and write about what family means to them. For their essay on first impressions have them answer the question: How do first impressions create our opinions of someone. Are they always right, why or why not? Then for their essay on equality have students think of a time that they have been treated unfairly because of their family, background, culture, age or social status and write about how they felt and handled the situation.

HISTORY CLASSROOM: students can research and do projects on the Civil Rights Movement. One idea is to have students create a newspaper from 1963. They can interview parents, grandparents, neighbors, and relatives who lived through and remember the Civil Rights Movement. Students can then put their findings in a article. They can also research the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church bombing and write their own news report of the events that took place. They can include adds for movies, music, cars, gadgets, and other popular items of the era. Another idea is to utilize the map skills that Mr. and Mrs. Watson hat to use since they did not have GPS. While reading the story students can find where the Watson's are on a United States Map and determine how many miles they have traveled and have left to go. They can also research different facts about the states along I-75 from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama just as Wilona did in her notebook, and share them with the class.

MATH CLASSROOM: Teachers can have students research the cost of items from the 1960's and compare them to today's prices. They can also create word problems about the trip including mileage, travel time, and distance.