The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 -- Christopher Paul Curtis, Paperback

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree about an unforgettable family on a road-trip during one of the most important times in the civil rights movement.

When the Watson family--ten-year-old Kenny, Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron--sets out on a trip south to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, they don't realize that they're heading toward one of the darkest moments in America's history. The Watsons' journey reminds us that even in the hardest times, laughter and family can help us get through anything.

A modern classic. --NPR

"Marvelous . . . both comic and deeply moving." --The New York Times

One of the best novels EVER. --Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor and National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming

Bonus Content
- New foreword and afterword from the author
- Map of the Watsons' journey
- Original manuscript pages and letter from the Newbery committee
- Personal essays celebrating the book's legacy by award-winning authors: Elizabeth Acevedo, Chris Crutcher, Kate DiCamillo, Varian Johnson, David Barclay Moore, Jason Reynolds, Jerry Spinelli, Vince Vawter, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Jacqueline Woodson

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Publisher: Yearling Books
Published: 09/08/1997
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.00w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780440414124
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5
Point Value: 8
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 11552 / Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

Award: Newbery Medal - Honor Book
Award: Coretta Scott King Award - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 02/15/1998 pg. 999
Booklist 06/01/2000 pg. 1875
Publishers Weekly 10/27/1997

About the Author
Christopher Paul Curtis won the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award for his bestselling second novel, Bud, Not Buddy. His first novel, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, was also singled out for many awards, and has been a bestseller in hardcover and paperback. His most recent novels for Random House include The Mighty Miss Malone, Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission, Mr. Chickee's Funny Money, and Bucking the Sarge.

Christopher Paul Curtis grew up in Flint, Michigan. After high school he began working on the assembly line at the Fisher Body Plant No. 1 while attending the Flint branch of the University of Michigan. He is now a full-time writer, and lives with his family in Windsor, Ontario.