The Watsons Go To Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Watsons Go To Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis ☆☆☆☆

Yet another book read as a class assignment. However, this was also a recommendation in the youth section of my local public library. And I can see why.

It follows the story of a young boy and his voice is ever present. He jumps from topic to topic as any kid voicing his direct train of thought would. You end up learning more about his family and the things going on in his life than you would think were necessary.

At first glance, with 1963 and an African-American family you're expecting a wide variety of racial disputes. However, the disputes found in the beginning follow a class and economic status dispute more. He makes friends with two extremely poor boys that my teacher and most of my class believed were white. I assumed otherwise, but there is no real answer to the question.

The racial disputes and real drama aren't until the end of the story. And I just have to say I was in tears. Sure I cry reading quite a few books, but never like this. I was crying so hard I had to put the book down and walk away until I calmed down. And that took a while. This book moved me in ways I hadn't expected it to. It became more than just a class assignment to me and it is a worthy read for anyone even slightly interested in this time period, or in the strong voice of a young 10-year old boy and how his life and mental state warp and change.