Kenny feels bad and hides behind the couch every day. Momma insists that people in the South are more respectful of their parents. Alums is known as the toughest teacher in the school, but he visits the house to find out why Byron has missed so much school. Kenny discovers Byron eating cookies bought on account without their parents’ approval. She attempts to punish him by burning his fingers but is foiled by Joetta. Name-calling occurs frequently. Kenny, who witnessed what happened, sinks into depression and believes that only magic can heal him. CCPA: Protect your family's data privacy under new California law. Funny, powerful tale of formerly enslaved in Canada. Thank you for your support. Kenny goes anyway. This book is in my reading class for a project and it is awesome! In the book when Kenny, Joetta,and By went swimming Joey, and Byron listened to Grandma Sands, and stayed away from Collier’s Landing. It’s a school year like no other. Up until now she has only listened to fairy tales but she loves the characters in the book and the “beautiful accent” of the narrator. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, See all details for The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. He says he learned about getting saved there, but describes being saved as being rescued from feeling bad and having a personal “saver” sent by God to protect and help. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. Byron tells Kenny that he will be OK; then Byron leaves. All the Watsons appealed to me, because they were all fully-fleshed, multi-dimensional characters. Kenny starts sleeping behind the sofa and won’t come out. Parents and caregivers: Set limits for violence and more with Plus. Bullying is shown in the form of teasing and through kids’ actions. There are some too silly parts, like an older brother who gets his tongue stuck on a frozen rear view mirror, and installing a record player in a car. Byron throws snow in Kenny’s face. Larry steals Kenny’s second pair of gloves, but Byron gets them back and beats up Larry. He sees what he thinks is a vision of Joetta and talks to her. Little did I know that when I began to read the book, I would feel as if I, myself was living through the Watsons. Under the water Kenny thought Byron was the Wool Pooh, and started trying to fight him off. Momma asks about the relationship, and Grandma responds that Robert is her oldest friend. It also talked about magazines with nude ladies which was uncalled for in my opinion. Byron steals, plays with matches, and is disrespectful. He also talks about the angry white people in the South, but Grandma Sands says they have not disturbed her area. He is 13. He perceived quickly that it was a story about civil rights and he asked me if I knew anything about 1963. Through Kenny's eyes we are able to uncover what his feelings and fears are towards every day life, his brother and the incidents in Birmingham, Alabama. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. Kenny, on the other hand, did not. Momma sends Byron and Kenny to the store, and they sign for the groceries instead of paying cash. comes to his rescue -- so love and family strength in the end wins out, Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2015. She gives Joetta a shake to make her stop crying and yells at Kenny not to slam the door. Byron has his hair straightened. The experience is surreal for Kenny, who walks quickly past other horrors at the church and back to Grandma’s house. Byron refuses to go and keeps Joetta with him. We had a good discussion and he was very impressed when he learned that two important things had happened in the summer of 1963 in addition to the Birmingham church bombing. Coarse language, such as butt and turd, are used. Kenny nearly drowns, and his sister is believed to have died in a bombing. The details of reality and the children’s understanding of the situation become confused, but Joetta and Kenny are both safe. Rufus sits next to Kenny on the bus and in class. Realistic dialogue and events throughout this highly readable classic that should be required in all 5th/6th grade classrooms. C.P Curtis is now a favorite author of my 10 year old grand-daughter and myself (a retired teacher & elem. Kenny would have been beaten up by bullies more often if not for Byron’s protection. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. A funny novel with a devastating emotional punch. Joetta goes to Sunday school, according to Kenny, several times a week. I especially don’t appreciate sexual references that have no relevance to the story like his father touching his mother’s breasts or book with naked ladies. We are seeing the play in the spring so I bought the ebook and audiobook. He follows Kenny to lunch. He looks in the church through the smoke and sees socks and shoes that look like Joetta’s on the floor. The kids decide to go swimming. Byron kisses his image in the car mirror. Byron and his friends play violent pranks on Kenny. Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2017. For example, Byron is a juvenile delinquent, but a softie at heart. The story itself was ok but the language it used occasionally was unnecessary. Kenny laughs and opens the door. They’re there to witness the devastating church bombing that killed four young girls, and the novel takes a somber turn as Kenny copes with the trauma of what he witnessed. Adult readers might find the resolution a bit rushed, but younger readers will likely be inspired by Kenny’s resilience and the Watsons’ love and support for each other. Join now. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. My grandson was assigned this book to read in his fifth grade work. It's told from the perspective of a boy about my son's age. I just recently read the book in my seventh grade reading class. Four times when Momma moves the match to Byron’s skin, Joetta blows out the match. Kenny cries when Momma asks him where Rufus has been, so Kenny admits to how he hurt Rufus’ feelings. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. When Larry Dunn, a bully, makes fun of Rufus and his brother, Cody, Kenny laughs with the other kids. The mother threatens to burn the older brother who is caught playing with matches again. Families can talk about coping with terrible events. Kenny and Byron decide to throw cookies at nearby birds. God’s name is taken in vain several times. Momma asks Byron if straight hair is better than the hair God gave him. Grandma Sands warns them to avoid one pond because it has a whirlpool. Teachers recognize Kenny as an exemplary student. But when his parents don't know how to help him, he finds comfort in the words of the person he least expected. This is a wonderful story to introduce kids t tough subjects. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2016. 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