Summary-
The book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, is about an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, in 1963. The main characters are Kenny, Byron, Joetta (Joey), Momma, and Dad Watson. Kenny, who is ten years old and the middle child of the family, narrates the story. throughout the beginning of the book, he describes meeting his Arkansan friend, Rufus, and tells a few stories about his family and the personalities of the members, especially his juvenile delinquent brother, Byron, or By. The story really starts to pick up when Kenny's parents announce that the family is going on a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit Momma's family in hopes of straightening Byron out. When they get to Alabama, they finally meet their grandmother, who is notorious for being extremely strict. When the three kids go swimming, Grandma Sands warns them not to swim at Collier's landing because of a whirlpool that had taken at least one other boy. Kenny wanted to be cool so he started off towards Collier's landing, despite Byron's warnings. Byron had said that there was a creature in there called the "Wool Pooh" instead of the Whirlpool. He said that it was Winnie the Pooh's evil twin brother to scare them. Kenny swims alone over there, and nearly drowns, thinking that he had seen the Wool Pooh, but Byron saves him. They don't tell anyone. One morning, Joetta goes to Sunday school, as usual. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes at the church. Two unnamed white men bomb Joey's church. Everyone runs to the church, hoping and praying that Joey is okay. Kenny sees a shoe that looks like Joey's and grabs it from the wreckage, but when he sees what he thinks is the Wool Pooh coming to get him, he runs away to the house. Joey comes home and has no idea what happened at the church. She claims that she saw Kenny and he ran away for her to chase her, which he didn't. It must have been part of him, like a guardian angel. When they get back home, no one tells Joey what happened at the church. Kenny feels ashamed of running away and confused about why anyone could hate black people so much that they would bomb a church filled with little kids. He stays behind the couch all the time, and when Byron finds out where he is, he tried to get him to do things with him outside of the couch. Finally, Byron has a talk with Kenny and tells him that the couch won't help him. He needs to get over it. Joey is okay, so he shouldn't worry. Kenny bursts into tears and cries for a long time, finally letting it all out. Byron stays with him and they have a brotherly moment.
The book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, is about an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, in 1963. The main characters are Kenny, Byron, Joetta (Joey), Momma, and Dad Watson. Kenny, who is ten years old and the middle child of the family, narrates the story. throughout the beginning of the book, he describes meeting his Arkansan friend, Rufus, and tells a few stories about his family and the personalities of the members, especially his juvenile delinquent brother, Byron, or By. The story really starts to pick up when Kenny's parents announce that the family is going on a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit Momma's family in hopes of straightening Byron out. When they get to Alabama, they finally meet their grandmother, who is notorious for being extremely strict. When the three kids go swimming, Grandma Sands warns them not to swim at Collier's landing because of a whirlpool that had taken at least one other boy. Kenny wanted to be cool so he started off towards Collier's landing, despite Byron's warnings. Byron had said that there was a creature in there called the "Wool Pooh" instead of the Whirlpool. He said that it was Winnie the Pooh's evil twin brother to scare them. Kenny swims alone over there, and nearly drowns, thinking that he had seen the Wool Pooh, but Byron saves him. They don't tell anyone. One morning, Joetta goes to Sunday school, as usual. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes at the church. Two unnamed white men bomb Joey's church. Everyone runs to the church, hoping and praying that Joey is okay. Kenny sees a shoe that looks like Joey's and grabs it from the wreckage, but when he sees what he thinks is the Wool Pooh coming to get him, he runs away to the house. Joey comes home and has no idea what happened at the church. She claims that she saw Kenny and he ran away for her to chase her, which he didn't. It must have been part of him, like a guardian angel. When they get back home, no one tells Joey what happened at the church. Kenny feels ashamed of running away and confused about why anyone could hate black people so much that they would bomb a church filled with little kids. He stays behind the couch all the time, and when Byron finds out where he is, he tried to get him to do things with him outside of the couch. Finally, Byron has a talk with Kenny and tells him that the couch won't help him. He needs to get over it. Joey is okay, so he shouldn't worry. Kenny bursts into tears and cries for a long time, finally letting it all out. Byron stays with him and they have a brotherly moment.