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Title: Well rendered story of early 1960's African American family life
Review: The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a well written "slice of life" that also works as historical fiction since the novel's time and place are so well realized. As the title indicates the climax of the book occurs when the Watsons, an African American family living in Michigan, journey to Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 to visit relatives. While in Birmingham they experience first hand the church bombing in which four innocent little girls lose their lives. This book would make a good starting point or enrichment book for a middle school class unit on the struggle for civil rights. The book has some truly funny but realistic scenes of family/school life as well as the tragic material it deals with in regard to the church bombing.
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