Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1995. The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-440-41412-1.
Told through the eyes of Keith Watson, The Watsons go to Birmingham -- 1963 is a remarkably funny -- yet serious book about an African American family living in the sixties. It shows the family dynamics in a very amusing way -- how siblings interact to one another and how they interact with their parents. Keith the middle child -- is always being picked on by his older brother Byron. Byron seems to have a knack of getting in trouble! Joetta, the baby of the family, is always trying to keep her brothers out of trouble! For example, when Byron is caught playing with matches, his mother wants to burn his finger to teach him a lesson. However, Joetta always manages to blow out the match before Momma has a chance to touch Byron. In an effort to help Byron stop being a juvenile deliquant, the Watsons plan to go to Birmingham, their mother’s hometown, for the summer. If Byron is still being difficult -- they will leave him for Grandma to deal with!!! The Grandma is known for being stubborn and not putting up with anything!!! They make the trip without making any overnight stops in order to save money -- plus only certain towns would have a place for African-Americans to sleep, eat, and use the bathroom. The further south they go, the more nervous the parents become. In Birmingham two terrifying things happen to Keith: first he is caught by the Wool Pooh and almost drowns until his brother saves him from the water and secondly he was a witness to what happened when an African-American church was bombed. Both of these events send him spiraling in a path of despair. Once back home, he retreats to hiding behind the couch -- a place he feels has magic healing powers because that is where hurt dogs always lie down. Byron saves the day by helping his brother through this difficult time. It is a very loving book.
I loved this book. I thought it captured a range of emotions. What I really liked were the well developed characters. Byron was not just always mean or bossy or a deliquant. Byron could be scared, tender, loving, and concerned about others. These characters made the book real. The only problem I had with the book was that it seemed to be unevenly paced. I felt the chapters set in Birmingham were more chaotic and not as smoothly written. It seemed that the more confused Keith became--particularly the chapters on the Wool Pooh and the church bombing--the more choppy the style became. Overall, I loved the book.