Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan, on May 10, 1953, to Dr. Herman Elmer Curtis, a chiropodist and factory worker/supervisor, and Leslie Jane Curtis, an educator.He has set many of his books in Flint. Curtis is a product of the Flint school system.e appeared on The Today Show Book Club in 2007. 1  The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 (1996) – When Kenny's 13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble, the Watsons head from Flint, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama, to visit Grandma Sands, the one person who can shape Byron up.