Curtis, C. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963.  New York:  Delacorte Press. Kenny is the middle child of the Watsons, he has an older brother Bryon and a younger sister, Joey. They along with their parents live in Flint, Michigan and their Momma who was raised in the South does not like the cold of the area. Bryon is out of control and keeps on getting in trouble in the neighborhood, his parents are unsure on what to do. The fact that Kenny had a lazy eye, smart in school causes bullies to pick on him, and call him names. Bryon does not take up for Kenny and sometimes even caused some of the hassles Kenny has to endure. Rufus Fry is a new kid, he was poor and from the South. Bullies switched from picking on Kenny to Rufus and his brother, the boys become secret friends. Rufus is hurt by Kenny when he believes Kenny is like everyone else making fun of him being poor. Kenny tries to repair and eventually wins Rufus over. Kenny is in charge of taking care of Joey pulling her layers of coats and even helps her put her shoes on during the winter time. Bryon keeps hanging out with the wrong crowd until Kenny's parents decide he is going to stay the summer with Kenny's grandma, Grandma Sands in Alabama. Kenny's parents meticulously save their money and plan the long journey down South. Kenny's Dad tunes up their car, the Brown Bomber, to run smooth and adds a special touch of an Ultra-Glide record player. He has his own plans on how he will drive the route. Once in Alabama with straight talking Grandma Sands, Bryon is not a cocky as he used to be. Momma loves being back with her family and the Watsons settle down for a long visit. The South is different from Flint, blacks are treated poorly. The culture and the places there give Kenny some concerns and Bryon even rescues him from the whirlpool he was warned to stay away from. Joey joins the neighbors as they go to church and Kenny still tired from almost drowning decides to rest under a tree. There is a huge noise and the house is frantic because they heard a bomb went off at the church where Joey was attending. Kenny runs through the wreckage of the bombing and believes he sees Joey's frilly sock and shoe. He sees the carnage of the aftermath of the bomb and believes Joey is dead. He is in a daze and wanders back home to find Joey safe with her parents. Christopher Paul Curtis is a masterful storyteller writing from the perspective of Kenny and the struggles of being a middle child and picked on by a big brother. He shows the kindness and dynamic between Kenny's parents with a familiar feel of life in a family. Curtis intertwines the historical event of the church bombing and deaths of the little girls in 1963. All who read are sure to be touched by the incredibly written story. The author provides an epilogue explaining the environment of the 1960 in the deep South. Curtis has authored many books including the exceptional, Bud, not Buddy.