The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 is a historical fictional novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. It is set in the 1960s when segregation was still common in the Southern states, and the Civil Rights Movement was rising. The protagonist of the story, 10-year-old Kenny, finds himself in the middle of a traumatizing experience once he and his family drive from Flint, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama to pay Grandma Sands a visit. For those who like realistic fiction books, I think you’ll enjoy this novel, though I do have some likes and dislikes about this book.

Reading the synopsis at the back of the book, I thought that there was going to be more action—action like the riots that arose when peaceful protesters were attacked, or more racist actions against Kenny and his family. Kenny does live in Michigan, though, so there was less racism up there than down in the south. When the synopsis said, “toward one of the darkest moments in history,” I did think it was going to be more dramatic, leading to some slight disappointment that it was over so quick. And with the title being, The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 alsokind of surprised me that most of the book was spent in Flint.

Overall, the book had a really good story and plot to it. Christopher Paul Curtis keeps the book realistic and tangible. The reader can relate to and understand Kenny. He’s the underdog in Flint, tailing his older brother, and he does have some more adventures in Alabama. Though I thought the climax was a little dry, the experience did traumatize Kenny, which led to him having to develop strong character traits. All in all, I think this novel was well-written and enjoyable despite some minor disappointments.