Book: Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963. New York City: Scholastic, 1995.
Awards: John Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Notable Book
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: The Weird Watsons are from Flint Michigan. There they live their weird lives until one day when Momma and Dad decide it's time they pay Grandma a visit down south in Birmingham, Alabama. The book takes readers on the journey with the Watson's to the south, where they experience somewhat of a darker situation than they are used to. Readers are more able to relate and react to the historical events placed in the book because the Watson's, a family the audience is familiar with, is going through it!
Audience: 6th-10th Grade
Themes: One of the themes that we keep seeing in the books we have read is family. This theme pops up yet again in this book. Byron, the official delinquent, causes constant trouble for the Watson's. It is hard for his brother Kenny and his sister Joetta to get along with him because he is such a bad kid. The dynamic we see in the beginning of the book is something students may be able to relate to!
Another theme throughout the book is race. This book takes place in the middle of the civil rights movement. At this time, racial issues in the south were a big deal. Throughout the book we get hints of the negative attitude that was common towards African American's at the time. The racially driven tragedy that occurs at the end of the book is evidence of just how big of an issue this was.
Evidence:
"This guy was real desperate for a friend because even though I wouldn't say much back to him he kept jabbering away at me all through class."
I really liked this quote because many kids at this age can completely relate to this. There is always one kid who is constantly talking no matter who he is talking to. Some people just want someone to listen to them.
"We'd seen the pictures of a bunch of really mad white people with twisted-up faces screaming and giving dirty finger signs to some little Negro kids who were trying to go to school. I'd seen the pictures but I didn't really know how these white people could hate some kids so much."
This quote provides evidence of just how racially charged life in the south was. Even the young kids in the book can see how horrible the racism was. They can identify that it is absolutely ridiculous for adults to be so horrible to other people, specifically children.
Connections: This book obviously lends itself to a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. Lessons on Martin Luther King Jr. could be incorporated as well.
Reactions: Before reading this book, I had never even heard of the church bombing that took place. This book seemed to take quite some time to build up. The action in the beginning was something I could completely relate to. The family dynamic that was unveiled was extremely familiar to me, which is what I think kept my interest. Although not one of my favorites of the class, this book could be very useful in the classroom.
Reception: "An exceptional first novel!" -Publishers Weekly
"Superb, a warmly memorable evocation of an African American family" -The Horn Book Magazine
Links: Christopher Paul Curtis
Awards: John Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Notable Book
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: The Weird Watsons are from Flint Michigan. There they live their weird lives until one day when Momma and Dad decide it's time they pay Grandma a visit down south in Birmingham, Alabama. The book takes readers on the journey with the Watson's to the south, where they experience somewhat of a darker situation than they are used to. Readers are more able to relate and react to the historical events placed in the book because the Watson's, a family the audience is familiar with, is going through it!
Audience: 6th-10th Grade
Themes: One of the themes that we keep seeing in the books we have read is family. This theme pops up yet again in this book. Byron, the official delinquent, causes constant trouble for the Watson's. It is hard for his brother Kenny and his sister Joetta to get along with him because he is such a bad kid. The dynamic we see in the beginning of the book is something students may be able to relate to!
Another theme throughout the book is race. This book takes place in the middle of the civil rights movement. At this time, racial issues in the south were a big deal. Throughout the book we get hints of the negative attitude that was common towards African American's at the time. The racially driven tragedy that occurs at the end of the book is evidence of just how big of an issue this was.
Evidence:
"This guy was real desperate for a friend because even though I wouldn't say much back to him he kept jabbering away at me all through class."
I really liked this quote because many kids at this age can completely relate to this. There is always one kid who is constantly talking no matter who he is talking to. Some people just want someone to listen to them.
"We'd seen the pictures of a bunch of really mad white people with twisted-up faces screaming and giving dirty finger signs to some little Negro kids who were trying to go to school. I'd seen the pictures but I didn't really know how these white people could hate some kids so much."
This quote provides evidence of just how racially charged life in the south was. Even the young kids in the book can see how horrible the racism was. They can identify that it is absolutely ridiculous for adults to be so horrible to other people, specifically children.
Connections: This book obviously lends itself to a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. Lessons on Martin Luther King Jr. could be incorporated as well.
Reactions: Before reading this book, I had never even heard of the church bombing that took place. This book seemed to take quite some time to build up. The action in the beginning was something I could completely relate to. The family dynamic that was unveiled was extremely familiar to me, which is what I think kept my interest. Although not one of my favorites of the class, this book could be very useful in the classroom.
Reception: "An exceptional first novel!" -Publishers Weekly
"Superb, a warmly memorable evocation of an African American family" -The Horn Book Magazine
Links: Christopher Paul Curtis