charity_royall_331 's review for:

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
3.0

Because of my wide reading in the history of the civil rights movement, I've been interested in reading this for many years -- but I found it somewhat disappointing. It's a sweet family story, but I felt it took too long getting started -- the first half of it hammers away at the same points. And I didn't feel there was quite enough contrast in the second half. But it's worth reading, especially for young readers, as a way to introduce the civil rights movement and begin the conversation about the history of segregation. Curtis's author's note at the end presents some excellent opportunities for discussion.