Parents' Guide to

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

By Barbara Schultz, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Family faces everyday and traumatic events in touching tale.

Book Christopher Paul Curtis Historical Fiction 1995
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 21 parent reviews

Angela B.
Angela B. Adult
April 24, 2017
age 13+

Awful book for young kids

This book has adult language, sexual innuendos, and violence (bullying, name calling, etc). Definitely a PG 13 rating.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
momfizz
momfizz Parent
February 2, 2015
age 13+

Great for teens, not so great for tweens

Realizing there was NO actual sex, there was more innuendo than necessary. I really enjoyed the Watson family and the book did prompt me to delve into certain aspects of history that were depicted! The historical content is great but the emotional content presented requires more maturity. For instance, there were some parts that touched on developing sexuality that I think a 13 year old would have a healthier time processing than a 10-12 year old. The mention of smart kids and dirty magazines was unnecessary, the interaction of the parents during the car record player sequence was fine because married but still more appropriate for a teen reader. The prefrontal cortex brain development of a 10-12 year old should not have to process this... no matter the level of reader. In my opinion, the darkness of the "Wool Pooh" and the momentary dealings with loss of a sibling were too emotionally charged for a 10-12 year old's brain /emotional development as well. Some questions for discussion between a parent/child could be: 1) Are there any views presented that could change as the character grows older? If so, how? 2) Did any of the content seem to personal to you or to any of your friends? 3) Were your views on racial tension in history and present day altered by reading this? If so, how?

This title has:

Educational value
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
See all 21 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ten-year-old Kenny narrates THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM-- 1963, Christopher Paul Curtis' novel about an American family and the civil rights movement. The middle child in the family, Kenny is picked on by his older brother, Byron, and is protective of his little sister, Joetta. Much of this novel focuses on the family's struggles to thrive in their adopted hometown of Flint, Michigan, and on Kenny's relationship with "By," whose reckless misadventures have their parents, Daniel and Wilona, convinced that Byron should go live with Grandma Sands (Wilona's mother) in Birmingham, Alabama. The family takes a road trip to visit Grandma Sands, with the idea of leaving Byron to spend the summer there. But during their visit, a traumatic event terrifies the family, and Kenny sees more than a child his age can handle. Kenny's gradual recovery and the book's epilogue help readers turn fear and sadness into hope for the future.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (21):
Kids say (52):

This novel is full of funny, touching, relatable moments in the life of a 10-year-old boy in the South during the civil rights era. Kenny makes friends (and some mistakes along the way), fights with his big brother, and half understands his parents' struggles to keep their family on an even keel. At the beginning of the book, Kenny refers to his family as the Weird Watsons, but in reality they are a very average, loving, lower-middle-class American family, and this renders what happens in Birmingham all the more shocking. Readers have gotten comfortable inside the Watsons' family life by the time things explode.

Author Christopher Paul Curtis has a wonderful ease with creating relatable young characters, and in this novel he also educates readers about the life and times of Black Americans during the early 1960s. The events are fictional, but just barely, as they relate to real-life tragedies that occurred. This important book contains frightening events and a strong message. Younger readers will do best to read this in a classroom setting or with a parent.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about siblings in The Watsons Go to Birmingham-- 1963. How do Kenny, Byron, and Joetta feel about one another? Do they remind you of your siblings, or others you know?

  • Why do you think Kenny hides behind the couch? How does Byron help him feel better?

  • Have you read other books about racism and the U.S. civil rights movement? What seems different to you about the civil rights struggle now as compared with during the time when the book takes place?

Book Details

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