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leahswanson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brittanyhoffman11's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime and Racism
janelleleigh12's review against another edition
4.0
Christopher Paul Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 is such an entertaining read. Not to spoil the ending too much, but the shocking inclusion of dramatic American history into the ending took me by complete surprise. When the bombing happened, I felt as if I just went over the top of the hill on a roller coaster and there is no where to go but down. Whereas the first five chapters are full of laughter and tears from laughing so hard, the last four are full of fear and anxiety. Thankfully, at the end, the reader is left with a feeling of peace regarding the characters and their growth within the novel, but not about the social situations going on in America in the 1960s. This book is a wonderful book to assign students in an English class because it is entertaining and thoughtful; also, I would highly recommend using this book in a History/Social Studies class covering the Civil Rights Movement or 1960s America.
whoolie3's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mickeypatchin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mxcrayon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
larosareads's review against another edition
4.0
Young Kenny Watson is the middle child in one fun-loving, quirky family. In fact, it’s his brother’s latest shenanigans that send these residents of Flint, Michigan to their mother’s old stomping ground, Birmingham, Alabama.
Kenny’s brother needs some good old fashioned discipline from his maternal grandmother. The road trip and arrival is full of adventurous moments, but no one could have anticipated the last and most impactful experience the family would have before heading back home.
This award-winning middle grade novel went in so many directions. There were laugh-out-loud moments, tender moments between family members, and a surprisingly emotional twist at the end. While I can appreciate this book’s success and appeal, I struggled to find and yearned for a sustained moment of a storyline. I felt like the book hopped around a bit much and took the reader through one extreme emotion to another. In other words, the reading experience lacked fluidity for me.
Nonetheless, I am intrigued and will check out the movie adaptation.
Kenny’s brother needs some good old fashioned discipline from his maternal grandmother. The road trip and arrival is full of adventurous moments, but no one could have anticipated the last and most impactful experience the family would have before heading back home.
This award-winning middle grade novel went in so many directions. There were laugh-out-loud moments, tender moments between family members, and a surprisingly emotional twist at the end. While I can appreciate this book’s success and appeal, I struggled to find and yearned for a sustained moment of a storyline. I felt like the book hopped around a bit much and took the reader through one extreme emotion to another. In other words, the reading experience lacked fluidity for me.
Nonetheless, I am intrigued and will check out the movie adaptation.
jdintr's review against another edition
4.0
I went into this book expecting a straightforward civil rights story, but Watsons is so much more than that.
It's a family drama, set primarily in Flint, Michigan. The primary conflict is side of the Watson's eldest boy, Byron, into delinquency--skipping school, lighting matches, bullying. It's handled with a light touch through the eyes of the middle child, Kenny.
When the Watsons do go to Birmingham, there are shades of the 1960s. The father insists on driving through the night, and the family seems scared in the more remote, "redneck" parts of Tennessee. In Birmingham, the family's visit coincides with the bombing of the 14th Street Baptist Church, and the effects of that attack linger into the final chapter.
Christopher Paul Curtis has written an honest book here--not a preachy one. I recommend this book for middle school students (and their parents). It is a warm, funny look at an American family and a thoughtful insight into an crucial era in American history.
It's a family drama, set primarily in Flint, Michigan. The primary conflict is side of the Watson's eldest boy, Byron, into delinquency--skipping school, lighting matches, bullying. It's handled with a light touch through the eyes of the middle child, Kenny.
When the Watsons do go to Birmingham, there are shades of the 1960s. The father insists on driving through the night, and the family seems scared in the more remote, "redneck" parts of Tennessee. In Birmingham, the family's visit coincides with the bombing of the 14th Street Baptist Church, and the effects of that attack linger into the final chapter.
Christopher Paul Curtis has written an honest book here--not a preachy one. I recommend this book for middle school students (and their parents). It is a warm, funny look at an American family and a thoughtful insight into an crucial era in American history.
julianna_schock's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing. Christopher Paul Curtis did a great job in writing this.