Our Review

                        Hello and thank you for your time. My name is Nia, my name s Isabel, i'm Nancy, and I am Jenae. We think that you should read this book because it has an interesting plot, the characters are relatable, and the theme can be very touching. 
                        The Watson's Go to Birmingham is about a family that goes down to Birmingham in order to get closer and bond. The oldest of three, Byron, is a Juvenile Delinquent who just doesn't like to follow the rules. Further more, the book sort of drags the beginning, but it soon turns into a big great adventure. But either way it is still an addicting book.
                         In conclusion, we give The Watson's Go to Birmingham a 3.5 out of 5. It is a powerful and addictive theme. It will keep you wanting more, especially when the climax comes you will be on the edge of your seat.

Nancy's Review

Nancy Valladares

Ms.baer

ELA7

October 12 2012                       

                                    The Watsons Go to Birmingham

In this story “The Watsons go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis, is amazing. The Watsons go to Birmingham is about a family who lives in Flint, Alabama     

where it’s really cold(below zero). They decide to go to Birmingham where its really hot. A lot of bad things start happening in Birmingham, Alabama.

The setting takes place in Flint, Alabama. The main characters in this story are Kenny Watson, Byron Watson, Joey Watson, Wilona(mother), and Daniel(father). The conflict in this story is that mother and father are having trouble with Byron’s mean behavior.

Some of the complications in this story is that Kenny gets bullied by his brother Byron and Buphead(Byron’s friend). Also Mother and Father don't know what to do with their son Byron. Mother and Father want to leave their son Byron with his grandma in Birmingham for the whole summer, maybe even a year. The climax is when these awful people bombed the church. The resolution in this story is when Kenny finally expresses out his feeling with the help of Byron.

The plot was strong because it gave a lot of details, it explained very well what happened in the story. The complications were interesting, they were also believable, it made me feel like if the whole scene was really happening, It was logical, and it made me keep on reading. It was so exciting that i didn't want to put the book done at all.

To be honest i didn't think the climax was exciting, it was really interesting, it wasn't all that satisfying. I didn't really like the end it was so dry, didn't really have enough details. I think the main character was well-characterized. I can't relate to Kenny because i don't have a brother. All the characters were well-characterized. I can relate to little Joey because i also have a  little sister who is irritating at times and tells my mom  everything i do.

I think the author was trying to tell us that good things don't always happen in life. I think you guys should read this book because it tells us about a family's past life. They lived in the time when the Civil Rights were still going on. Also it funny, interesting, and realistic.

Jenae's Review

Jenae Liaiga
Ms. Bear
ELA 7 Block 2
12 October 2012
                                Final Review- The Watson's Go to Birmingham
The story, The Watson's Go to Birmingham, by, Christopher Paul Curtis, was like an adventure. The whole story is written in the youngest son, Kenny’s point of view. Although this story is fiction, it is such a realistic story you’ll find yourself loving it more and more. It is such a well described story, it becomes more and more addicting. Join their crazy and funny world on their way to Birmingham.
In The Watson's Go to Birmingham, you follow Kenny and his family, Mom, Dad, little sister Joetta and big brother Byron on a crazy ride to Birmingham from Flint to visit Grandma Sands. Since Byron is  officially a ‘Juvenile Delinquent’, throughout the whole story Byron is, well, a typical teen. He doesn’t listen to his parents and picks on poor little Kenny. But do you think it’s okay if somebody else picks on him? Nope, and Larry Dunn, one of the school bullies had to learn that the hard way. When time comes though, the climax will have you standing on your feet. Sitting on the edge of your seat. Whichever one it is, you’ll still be excited. Especially since they go to Birmingham, which is in the South, at the wrong time in history. The time when blacks weren’t considered ‘equal’ or ‘clean’. The time when whites didn’t want anything to do with the blacks.
But, when time comes, and problems are too much, will Byron drop the ‘cool guy’ act and help a brother out? This plot will grab your attention. Although it isn’t the best story I’ve read, I personally think it’s still good. It is still interesting, but it does lack a few things. I honestly liked how the story ended; it ended on a touching note. I truly loved it because of how the things turned out so different from the beginning.
In what I could really tell, the author definitely hinted how Kenny is different. He also  hints out a lot of how Kenny’s friend Rufus and his little brother Cody live different from everybody too. In Kenny’s life, he get’s picked on by his big brother Byron and the big kids at school too. A lot of kid’s can relate because some of them have older brothers or sisters who like to mess with them, or some people even know what it feels like to get picked on by bigger kids.
All in all, though this story has it’s imperfections, it is a really good book. It is a complex story with many complications making it more and more fun to read. I really suggest this book if you tend to like reading about these times in history. Even if it isn’t a lot of detail in the story.

Nia's Review

Antonia Sta Rosa
Ms. Baer
ELA 7 Block 2
12 October 2012

My Book Review

By: Christopher Paul Curtis

The book The Watson’s Go to Birmingham  By: Christopher Paul Curtis, is like a big

complication. The Watson's don’t want to live in Flint anymore because of the harsh weather. Byron keeps on teasing Kenny . The Brown Bomber needs to get fixed up. And Byron keeps on being rude, bad, and annoying.

Daniel Watson is too busy working on the Brown Bomber. He always asks the kids Kenny and Byron to help fix it up. Also, Byron is being bad and won’t listen so he has a punishment that he doesn’t like. Byron is really mean to Kenny and he doesn’t listen to his parents. While fixing the Brown Bomber some of the styles Daniel Watson adds to, the kids and Willona Watson don’t like it.  The  Watson’s go to Birmingham once they got done fixing the Brown Bomber. When they were there something really sad has happened.  After, Byron comforts Kenny and Kenny  expresses himself in different  ways.

From my opinion I think that the book could’ve been better but overall this book had a good plot and was pretty interesting. The complications in this story made me relate to the book. It  was interesting that Byron kind of made fun of Kenny but it kept me reading cause I wanted to see how Kenny  would react to him being mean and rude. The part that made this story really interesting was so exciting and unbelievable! You didn’t even see it coming. If you read this story you most likely will love it. In this book you’ll find that this ending resolution is so surprising, so sad.

The protagonist in this story was well characterized. He (Kenny) was well explained how his life went and how some events in his life were different and shocking. His life is well relatable. I can really relate to him by the way he is treated towards his family.  And teased by them especially by his older sibling. Everyone with an older brother or sister maybe even younger siblings can well relate to Kenny and how he is treated.

What I think the big idea is about the author’s theme was that the author was trying to give us a message about good times and bad times that you’ll go through in life. Meaning that even though you have been through good and bad things you’ll always have an event in life that you will cherish forever. That one thing that you’ll never forget about. I think that all students can relate to this theme because `everyone goes through this in life.

I think that this book was an okay book. I think it’s okay because it wasn’t that interesting but i still liked it. Personally if I were going to give it my own rating it would be a three. I didn’t like it that much because I thought that Daniel Watson was repeating things about the new additions about the Brown Bomber. Also Byron was really mean and he was calling Kenny really mean names. I like this book because I thought that it was interesting. I thought that it was interesting because it had a lot of detail added to it and it explained things very well. Also I think it was a good book because it  was describing how the family teats each other and how they get along. I think that you should read this book because it is really good and understanding.

 

Isabel's Review

Isabel Gonzalez
Ms. Baer
ELA7
12 October 2012
                              The Watson's Go To Birmingham book Review

In the story of ‘’The Watson’s go to Birmingham’’ By Christopher Paul Curtis, Watson’s Go to Birmingham, is when you enter the hilarious world of a ten-year-old Kenny and his family. There's Mamma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron. When the Mom and Dad decide to visit Grandma. The Watson’s set out on a trip like no other and heading South and heading toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history.

Would you ever drive hundreds and hundreds of miles to any place? In ‘’The Watson’s Go to Birmingham ‘’ by Christopher Paul Curtis They live in a small cold town that people think that they are a weird family. The story tells how they have Byron and his family visit Birmingham.

Before The Watson’s decide to visit their grandma the mother and father are strict parents the father even shaved Byron’s hair all off and Byron is now bald. And the mother does some serious consequences when her children get in trouble.

The craziness but a happy family ,  Byron  thinks hes  a  person who can do whatever he wants and thinks hes cool and where him and his family live they have to wear at least four  layers of shirts and 2 jackets 2 pairs of socks. Their mother makes them wear lots of clothes.

What i think about the book and if i would give it a rate it would be a 4 because it was a good and interesting plot, the characters are relatable, and the theme is very touching.

Jenae, Nancy, Isabel, and Nia