The Watsons go to Birmingham
The Watsons go to Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis, is a great example of a historical fiction book for several reasons. The story takes place in 1963, during the height of the civil rights movement in America. The Watson’s, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan decide to take a trip down to Birmingham Alabama where Mrs. Watson grew up. During their trip to the south, they experience the violent actions that resulted from the racism that existed within southern communities. Joey, the youngest of the three Watson children goes to a church, primarily made up of a black congregation. The church is bombed by a racist group, and although Joey is safe, it was a traumatic experience for the Watson family that made them grateful for the safer environment that they can return to in Michigan. This story is written as an account of life during the civil rights movement and provides a firsthand perspective of an actual church bombing that occurred in 1963 in Alabama that killed 3 young African American girls.
I think that this book would be a well written book to read in a classroom because of its accuracy with the setting, characters, as well as language and style. The setting of this book takes place in both Detroit, Michigan and Birmingham, Alabama. These places were both crucial settings during the civil rights movement in the United States and both cities had very different populations that held different beliefs. I think that the author’s use of these two cities as the setting of the story adds credibility and depth to the story and the events that happened in each setting. For example, the bombing of the church in the book took place in Birmingham because in the south, there was more individuals with racial prejudices, as opposed to Detroit, which was a safe place for the Watson’s to live. I also think that the characters of the story were very unique, yet believable and relatable for many young children. This book is told through the eyes of a young protagonist and gives the perspective of a person living in that time period, as opposed to simply providing informative facts like a history textbook. Also, the Watson children get in several fights and quarrels throughout the book, but in the end, they all love each other and look out for one another. This makes the three of them very likable, relatable, and appealing to the reader’s emotions. Lastly, I think that this is a well written book because the author uses creative language and style in order to bring the historical period and setting to life. For example, the dialogue from the characters is written in a way that brings out the accent that Mrs. Watson has from growing up in the south. When Mrs. Watson speaks, her accent comes out when she uses words such as “y’all” and “he-uh”, instead of ‘you all’ and ‘here’. This type of writing and use of language sheds light for children on the different ways people spoke during a different time period compared to the way that is accepted in the world today. Overall, I though this book would be a good book to read in a class of 5th or 6th grade students because it is somewhat easy to follow, yet contains deeper meanings and representations of true historical events. |