The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

by Christopher Paul Curtis
210 pages

Kenny is a nerdy African-American boy in the fourth grade.  He and his zany family live in Flint, Michigan.  Much of this novel tells funny anecdotes about Kenny and his family life.  Kenny's older brother, Byron, is constantly getting in trouble.  One time, Byron crosses the line one too many times, and his parents decide to send him Birmingham to live with his grandmother for awhile.  The whole family packs up in a car to go to Birmingham.  Life is very different there, and it soon becomes clear that conditions are unsafe.

I enjoyed this book.  It was laugh-out-loud funny in many places, but it also had a very serious side.  Kenny grew as a result of his experiences in Birmingham.  I'd definitely recommend this one.