The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Reader: Levar Burton

Producer: Listening Library

Production Year: 2005

Most of the listeners will be: 4th through 7th grade boys and girls.

Listener's Advisory: Another book I have loved recently that deals with race issues is The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles.

Summary:

Kenny lives in Flint, Michigan with his parents, older (juvenile delinquent) brother Byron, and younger sister Joetta. Life in Flint seems hard sometimes. In the winter it is so cold his Momma believes folks could just suddenly freeze up, so she bundles Kenny and Joetta in multiple layers of clothes. Kenny gets teased for being smart and having a lazy eye. And Byron has been caught playing with matches so many times, Momma is threatening to burn him to teach him a lesson. Well, the lesson comes not in the form of burning, but in the form of a trip to Birmingham, Momma's hometown. She loves her home, but things are different for African Americans in the South in 1963. Byron and the whole family will learn that their lives in Flint are not so bad. 

My favorite passage:

Kenny remembers a time in second grade when his teacher would take him around to other classrooms to show off his reading skills. She would have him read poetry by Langston Hughes. The teacher told the other students they should be trying to make something of themselves, like Kenny. When he visited Byron's fifth grade class he was terrified that Byron was going to make him miserable. But, after school that day, all Byron said was, "They should at least pay you if they are going to parade you around like that." Byron was secretly proud of Kenny. 

What I really think:

This was exactly what I needed after the disappointment that was Swiss Family Robinson.  I have to admit that historical fiction tends to be the most difficult genera for me to get in to. That is probably the reason I haven't read this book before. But I'm so glad I picked it up. It is awesome. 

First of all, The Watsons go to Birmingham is very funny. The parents like to cut up and joke with the children. Byron's mischief is naughty, but hilarious - like burning Nazi parachutes (made of toilet paper) as they drop into the toilet, and telling his siblings a garbage truck picks up all the folks who freeze solid on the streets during the Michigan winter

This book is real. There are some criticisms on Amazon because of allusions to cursing and rude hand gestures and kids looking at nekkid lady pictures. Kids do those things. This book admits that. I am unmoved by any claims that this is inappropriate. (Especially in context. In the book it makes sense.)

This book is sweet. The whole family loves each other and you can really see it. You can see it in the way the parents talk to each other. You can see it in the small ways juvenile delinquent Byron sticks up for his siblings. You can see it in the way Joetta tries to protect Byron. You can see it in the way Kenny makes a new friend. 

Finally, this book deals with some serious race issues. There are small moments throughout the book that deal with race, but the church bombing at the end really drives it home. Race issues are complicated and unfair, but we all have to find a way to keep moving on. 

And then. AND THEN! As if all that wasn't enough. When I first started listening to the book I thought to myself, "That sounds like Levar Burton." It is! He is the reader. *Swoon*

He doesn't do drastically different voices for each character, but they are different enough so you can tell who is talking during any given conversation. I'm not sure I know what a Michigan accent sounds like, but the Watsons all sounded fine to me. His Southern accents are good.

I'm not sure I can put my finger on it exactly, but he is a pleasure to listen to. Loved this book. Loved the audio. Highly recommended.