Published in 1995, The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1983 was Christopher Paul Curtis's first novel. The novel tells the story of a Black family living in Flint, Michigan, and is told from the perspective of the middle child, Kenny. The first half of the novel develops the characters and familial relationships. The second half is more plot-driven and focuses on the family's vacation down to Birmingham, Alabama where they plan to leave Kenny's troubled older brother Byron over the summer. The novel, written for children, takes place in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. As such, themes of discrimination, segregation, and prejudice are prominent. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing,...
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