Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

5 reviews

alphawolfe13's review

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

summerspence's review

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

agatha_hopkins's review

Go to review page

dark emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cyrinw98's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Published: 1995
Page Length: 224
Audiobook Length: 5 hours
Audiobook Narrator: Levar Butler
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 is the debut children’s historical fiction novel written by Flint, Michigan-born author Christopher Paul Curtis and It was published in 1995. This novel focuses on The Weird Watsons of Flint, specifically the three children: 13-year-old Byron, 10-year-old Kenneth aka Kenny, and 5-year-old Joetta aka Joey.
The story is narrated by Kenny and a majority of it focuses on his and Byron’s adventures with Byron’s behavioral problems being the main subject. From bullying to stealing, Byron has done it all. It is then decided by Daniel and Wilona(the parents) that it is time for the family to take a trip to Alabama to visit Grandma Sans where if things don't go well Byron may spend the entire school year.
The book was short, sweet, emotional, and entertaining. The author did a phenomenal job of creating the children’s voices and showcasing their personalities and relationships with each other throughout the novel. I liked the way the author talked about the racism that Black people experienced during this time and I think he wove in the historical event( the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church) well. He showcased Kenny’s grief and emotional turmoil perfectly too. The characters are all pretty well-written, they are very human and even if you don't like some of them you do understand them. Overall, a good book for the specified age group.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nairam1173's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings