Christopher Paul Curtis

The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

a novel

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963

Laura Mauler

I really love how the author draws you into the Watson family slowly but surely. I also love any book that has me going to the wiki to find out more info about an intriguing subject (for this book I couldn't resist looking up conks).

julia centeno

I first read this book years ago in elementary school, and loved it. I remember that it really stuck with me, and I must've read it dozens of times as a kid. I reread it today since I was in the mood for some quarantine reading. I was worried it wouldn't hold up to how much I loved it in grade school, but man. It got me. So much that I'm writing this review, which I never do.

The book starts off as a glimpse into the lives of an African-American family living in Michigan in the early 1960s, narrated by the middle child, fourth-grader Kenneth. The author did an excellent job of fleshing out all of the characters and making them distinct- I felt like I was observing a real family. The first 2/3rds of the book revolve around lighthearted and humorous family scenarios before the last 3rd of the book hits you hard. Spoilers ahead.

(view spoiler)[ The Watson family takes the titular road trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to drop off the troublemaking eldest brother to spend the summer with his grandmother in the hopes that he'll mellow out. While in Alabama, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing occurs (which was tragically a real event in which four African-American teenagers were killed during Sunday school). The family returns to Michigan immediately and are all left shaken by the event, especially Kenneth who went inside the church after the bombing. The depiction of Kenneth's PTSD following the bombing is even harder to read now that I'm older. The author did an incredible and heartbreaking job writing from the perspective of a child trying to process an event he can't quite understand. I cried reading the last few chapters.

Despite the tragedy, the heart and perseverance of the Watson family shines through, and the book ends on an optimistic note despite everything. Overall this is a truly excellent book, and a reminder of how important it is to remember the effects of racism throughout American history during a time when so many people are pushing for it to be forgotten. Now more than ever would I recommend it for grade school reading, as well as to anyone looking to read a well-written historical novel. (hide spoiler)]

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963 a novel

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