Middle-grade novel · Fiction
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Christopher Paul Curtis
About the book
A funny family road trip from Michigan to Alabama turns serious when the family witnesses the aftermath of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.
Reading notes
Contains depictions of racist violence; strong for discussion of civil-rights history.
This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.
Recognition
- Newbery Honor (1996)
- Coretta Scott King Author Honor (1996)
Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.
Book details
- Author
- Christopher Paul Curtis
- First published
- 1995
- Suggested ages
- Ages 10–14 (editorial estimate — children vary)
- Reading mode
- Independent reader
- Topics
- civil rights, family, humor
- Edition shown
- ISBN 9780440228004 · Dell Laurel Leaf, 2000
- Catalog record
- Open Library work record · edition record
Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.
Not independently confirmed by our AI review: the suggested age range against a publisher range. Treat these details with caution.
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