The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963 By Christopher Paul Curtis

Novel Information The novel is historical fiction. This characters are fictional, but the events are real. The novel was first published in 1995. Although the Watson family is fictional, the characters are based on members of the author’s family. He based the events on those of his childhood, especially in the first part of the book.

Background Information Events in the story center on the historic 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, soon after the civil rights protests had gained negotiation with white city leaders for integration. Integration is when everyone is allowed to use the same facilities or work in the same places. The bombing increased activity for the Civil Rights Movement and work on voter registration in Mississippi.

Summary The story is based in Flint, Michigan, and focuses on narrator Kenny Watson and his family. His family includes his parents, his older brother Byron (who is an official juvenile deliquent), and his little sister Joetta. Bryon is caught by his mother playing with matches in the house. His parents decide that Byron should go and live with his Grandma Sands in Birmingham for the summer and possibly the next school year. The family beings a roadtrip to Alabama.

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Summary Soona after arriving, Kenny witnesses the bombing of their grandmother’s church. The family decides to return to Michigan so that the parents will not have to explain what has happened to the children. Kenny ran to the church because he thought his sister was still in the building. He saw all of the destruction of the church.

Summary The bombing took the lives of four girls. One girl was completely blind because of the bombing, and another lost an eye. Several other people are also seriously injured. The KKK was responsible for the bombing.

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Setting The book takes place from January to September 1963 a turbulent time during the Civil Rights Movement. The bombing took place on September 15, 1963. John F. Kennedy was president of the United States. He was the 35th president.

Themes Racism Family Prejudice Friendship Society and Class Guilt and Blame Mortality Coming of age

Quiz Get out your code for Grade Cam for a short quiz over this power point.