1. Picture Copyright © 2004 Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Christopher Paul Curtis and His Books: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 and Bud, Not Buddy Delete this text box and insert a scanned picture of Curtis from a book jacket or download one from the Internet. An Internet resource page is attached to the lesson and this slideshow.

2. In 2000, he was the first African-American to win both the Newbery and the Coretta Scott King awards for his book Bud, Not Buddy. He was born May 10, 1953. After high school he worked in a automobile factory while going to college. He wrote a book on his breaks from the automobile assembly line. He now lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and two children.

3. 1. Basketball 2. Collecting old record albums Christopher Paul Curtiss Hobbies

4. Awards for his book published in 1995. 1995 - Runner-up for the Coretta Scott King award for excellence by an African-American writer 1995 – Runner-up for the Newbery award Winner 2000 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults Winner 2000 - ALA Notable Children's Books Winner 2000 - California Young Reader Medal Delete this box and insert a scanned picture of the cover of the novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963. Be sure to cite all sources for images.

5. The Watsons Go to Birmingham ---1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis Kenny Watson is ten years old and thinks his family should be called The Weird Watsons of Flint. His family decides to leave Flint, Michigan, and go to visit their Grandmother Sands in Birmingham, Alabama. The book is set in the year 1963. Many things are happening in the United States related to Civil Rights during this time. Kennys family consists of his older, bully of a brother called Byron and his younger, pesky sister Joey.

6. During the Watsons visit to Birmingham, there was a church bombing---a bomb exploded in the 16 th Street Baptist Church 4 little girls were killed in the church bombing--------------- Oh no, where is Joey, Kennys little sister, after the bomb went off. She had gone to that very church! Delete this text box and insert a picture of the church.

7. Winner of the 2000 Newbery award http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newbe rymedal/newberymedal.htm and the 2000 Coretta Scott King Award for Excellence by an African-American writer http://www.ala.org/ala/srrt/corettascottking/abouttheaward/ab outaward.htm Delete the text box and insert a picture of the cover of Bud, Not Buddy from http://63.225.140.21/Curtis/ bud.htm or scan the book cover and insert. http://63.225.140.21/Curtis/ bud.htm Delete this text box and insert a picture of the medal. Insert an image of the award here.

8. The book is set in 1936 during the Great Depression in the United States. Bud is 10 years old. His mother has died and left him with only a few memories of his father and a flyer about a jazz and big band musician. Bud cant stand living with his cruel foster family. Bud decides to run away and find his father. He believes the flyer he has is a clue his mother left him. He thinks that Herman E. Calloway is his father.

9. The one thing that helps Bud through his wild search for his father is the book he is writing about things in life that he learns and that he knows he will need to remember for the futurethis is the name of his book: Bud Caldwells Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself One example of a rule in Buds book: RULES AND THINGS NUMBER 83 (Insert here the quoted rule from the novel.)

10. Works Cited Christopher Paul Curtis Bio informat. -1 Aug. 2003.. 10 Jun. 2004.. Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Delacorte, 1999. Christopher Paul Curtis - Teacher Resource P. -1 Aug. 2002.. 10 Jun. 2004.. Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963. New York: Delacorte, 1995. Kidsreads.com - Christopher Paul Cur. -1 Aug. 2003.. 10 Jun. 2004.. Magazine arti. -1 Aug. 2003.. 10 Jun. 2004.. Powells.com Interviews - Christopher Paul Cur. -1 Aug. 2003.. 10 Jun. 2004.. Transcript of NYPL's chat with Christopher Paul Cur. -1 Aug. 2003.. 10 Jun. 2004..