Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 (4 Cassettes)

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The year is 1963, and self-important Byron Watson is the bane of his younger brother Kenny's existence. Constantly in trouble for one thing or another, from straightening his hair into a "conk" to lighting fires to freezing his lips to the mirror of the new family car, Byron finally pushes his family too far. Before this "official juvenile delinquent" can cut school or steal change one more time, Momma and Dad finally make good on their threat to send him to the deep south to spend the summer with his tiny, strict grandmother. Soon the whole family is packed up, ready to make the drive from Flint, Michigan, straight into one of the most chilling moments in America's history: the burning of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church with four little girls inside.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Enter the hilarious world of 10-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, Kenny, and Byron, who's 13 and an official "juvenile delinquent. " When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading south. They're going to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in American history.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde

This is our favorite read-aloud this year. Humor and drama light up history as the Weird Watsons, an African-American family from Flint, Michigan, seek to rehabilitate Byron, who is thirteen and an "official juvenile delinquent," by taking him "down South." The book is seen through the eyes of his ten-year-old brother, Kenny, who admires and is terrified by his brother's daring exploits and chooses a comic voice to tell about these adventures. The characters are so real that they propel you through the story. They compel you to laugh when Bryon kisses a mirror in Michigan's freezing temperatures and gets his lips stuck to the glass, to feel an overpowering horror as Kenny is nearly drowned in a whirlpool and to fear when youngest sister Joetta just escapes the Birmingham bombings. The ups and downs of the story's mood lend a feeling of real life to these real characters who make the Civil Rights Era seem very real. Never have I read a book in which comedy and drama meld so seamlessly.

Children's Literature - Victoria Crenson

The story of the Weird Watson family of Flint, Michigan, as told by ten-year-old Kenny Watson, is achingly funny. Kenny's is a middle-child's view-wrapped in the warm presence of his quirky family and yet in many ways, feeling like an alien. The escapades of older brother Byron, the tormenter, also known as the Lipless Wonder after he kisses his reflection in a frozen car mirror and must be forcibly unstuck, will have readers rolling on the floor. (The author clearly understands the edgy, love-hate feelings that tie siblings to each other for a lifetime.) Kenny's story is also a heartbreaking look at one child's attempt to cope with a crisis of spirit after a shattering event in Birmingham. In his first novel, Curtis has created a voice of extraordinary force.

Children's Literature - Jan Lieberman

The author has created a story with so many rich, tender, and hilarious moments that it is easy to believe that the family and events are real. Kenny, 10, tells the story. Kenny's description of brother Byron's antics leaves little doubt that this 13-year-old is on his way to being an "official delinquent." He is the cause of the family's decision to visit Birmingham to leave him with his maternal grandmother. The trip itself is a hoot as Dad decides to save money by making it a non-stop trip from Flint, Michigan. In Birmingham they are soon caught in the maelstrom of events of the emerging Civil Rights Movement. The spectrum of emotions from comedy to tragedy make this a worthy Newbery Honor Book, 1996.

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-Kenny's family is known in Flint, Michigan, as the Weird Watsons, for lots of good reasons. Younger sister Joetta has been led to believe she has to be overdressed in the winter because Southern folks (their mother is from Alabama) freeze solid and have to be picked up by the city garbage trucks. Kenny, the narrator, does well in school and tries to meet his hard-working parents' expectations. After a string of misdeeds, Mr. and Mrs. Watson decide that tough guy, older brother Byron must be removed from the bad influences of the city and his gang. They feel that his maternal grandmother and a different way of life in Birmingham might make him appreciate what he has. Since the story is set in 1963, the family must make careful preparations for their trip, for they cannot count on food or housing being available on the road once they cross into the South. The slow, sultry pace of life has a beneficial effect on all of the children until the fateful day when a local church is bombed, and Kenny runs to look for his sister. Written in a full-throated, hearty voice, this is a perfectly described piece of past imperfect. Curtis's ability to switch from fun and funky to pinpoint-accurate psychological imagery works unusually well. Although the horrific Birmingham Sunday throws Kenny into temporary withdrawl, this story is really about the strength of family love and endurance. Ribald humor, sly sibling digs, and a totally believable child's view of the world will make this book an instant hit.-Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY

AudioFile - Robin F. Whitten