It was always cold in Flint, Michigan and Byron Watson was always getting into trouble. Kenny, Byron’s little brother, wasn’t the most popular kid in school and often suffered the wrath of bullies, his brother being one of them. Despite all the warnings and punishments, Byron just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. As a last resort, his mom and dad decided to drive across the country to Birmingham, Alabama to leave Byron with his grandmother in hopes that he could find the straight and narrow. But, with the South reeling from the strain of segregation and racism, their trip is rocked by an act of anger and evil that nearly destroys the Watson family and forces Kenny to deal with the ugliness of the world at this time.
Curtis, C. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
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Assignment #4 - Historical Fiction Reviews
It was always cold in Flint, Michigan and Byron Watson was always getting into trouble. Kenny, Byron’s little brother, wasn’t the most popular kid in school and often suffered the wrath of bullies, his brother being one of them. Despite all the warnings and punishments, Byron just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. As a last resort, his mom and dad decided to drive across the country to Birmingham, Alabama to leave Byron with his grandmother in hopes that he could find the straight and narrow. In 1963, the United States was being torn at the seams by segregation and racism. Until the Watsons arrived there, Byron, Kenny, and their younger sister Joetta, had never experienced the level of hate present in the South. Before they can even get accustomed to the heat in Birmingham, their family is rocked by an act of terror at the local church on a Sunday morning. This story will resonate with younger audiences as they see a reflection of their own family's ups and downs, as well as the anger and confusion of experiencing something that they cannot truly understand. Readers of historical fiction will appreciate the true depiction of family life during this tumultuous time period of American history, as well as the ugliness of segregation in the South.
Trailer for the movie adaptation.
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