TWGTB is set in Flint, Michigan in the winter of 1962 and the fall of 1963. It follows the Watson family from Flint to Birmingham on a journey that brushes against the bombing of a church much like that of the tragic attack on Birmingham, Alabama’s 16th Street Baptist Church.
What is the setting at the beginning of The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
Flint, Michigan
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 takes place in Flint, Michigan; Birmingham, Alabama; and along Interstate I-75, which is the route the Watsons take on their trip to Alabama.
Where do the Watsons live?
Flint, Michigan
The Watsons are an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan (way up North), but they decide to take a road trip to Birmingham, Alabama (deep South).
Where Is The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
Birmingham, Alabama
When the Watson family—ten-year-old Kenny, Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron—sets out on a trip south to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, they don’t realize that they’re heading toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history.
What is the setting on Chapter 8 in The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
Lesson Summary
In chapter 8 of The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, Dad fixes up the Brown Bomber, their old car. He brings home a big surprise: an ”Ultra-Glide” record player, which was installed in the car.
Who banned the Watsons Go to Birmingham?
The Watsons Go to Birmingham was challenged in 2002 — 7 years after its publication — by a parent in the Stafford County, Virginia school district.
Where do the Watsons live at beginning of story?
Curtis takes the Watsons, a Black family, from their home in Flint, Michigan, to Grandma’s house in Birmingham, Alabama, a city that at the time separated Black and White people.
How did The Watsons Go to Birmingham died?
That’s a tough set of lessons for anyone, right? Especially for a ten-year-old. But unfortunately, that’s just what Kenny and the rest of the Watsons are in for. First the mourning dove dies, then Kenny nearly drowns, then the bomb at the church kills four little girls.
What is Watsons last name?
Watson is a patronymic surname of English and Scottish origin. It means “son of Walter”: the popular Old English given names “Wat” or “Watt” were diminutive forms of the name “Walter”.
How old is Kenny from the Watsons?
Kenneth (Kenny) Watson
A 10-year-old boy who is the narrator and protagonist of the novel, and the middle child of the Watson family. Kenny is a smart and empathetic fourth grader who sometimes gets picked on because of his love of reading, and his lazy eye.
Is the Watsons a true story?
While the Watson family is fictional, characters and events in the novel are based on Curtis’ childhood in Flint. Like the narrator of the story, Curtis was also ten years old in 1963, and he remembers his parents’ involvement in civil rights demonstrations during that time.
What do the Watsons call their car?
When we read the words Brown Bomber, the first thing we think of sure isn’t a car. After all, Shmoop’s car is just named Wendy.
What are the 5 main events in The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
Match
- The Watsons live in Flint during a miserably cold winter.
- Byron’s lips are stuck and frozen to the Brown Bomber’s mirror.
- Kenny reads poetry to Byron’s class.
- Kenny befriends Rufus Fry.
- Byron is caught playing with fire in the bathroom, kills the mourning dove, and gets a “conk.”
What happens in chapter 7 of The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
In chapter 7 of The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Byron learns that he can’t pull one over on his parents. He gets his hair straightened, which they also call a process, a do, a butter, and a conk. Byron had it done because his friend Buphead had one and he wanted to look like a Mexican.
What happens on chapter 9 in the Watsons?
In chapter 9 of The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, the Watson family sets out on their trip to Birmingham, Alabama in the Brown Bomber, taking Byron to Alabama to stay with Grandma Sands. Momma and Dad had to keep Byron with them the night before the trip to keep him from running away.
What happens in chapter 5 the Watsons?
Summary: 5. Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death. Byron gets caught lighting matches in the house, and Momma warns him that if he does it again, she will burn him.
Who dies in The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
Answer and Explanation: No major character dies in Curtis’ The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963. However, both Kenny and Joetta come close to death at different points in the novel.
Did Kenny almost drown in The Watsons Go to Birmingham?
In Birmingham, the Watson kids go swimming in the lake, but Grandma Sands reminds them to stay away from Collier’s Landing where there’s a dangerous whirl pool. Kenny ignores this and nearly drowns in the whirl pool. Luckily, Byron is there to save him.
Why was worm loves worm banned?
About the book: Two worms in love decide to get married, and with help from Cricket, Beetle, Spider, and the Bees they have everything they need and more, but which one will be the bride and which the groom? About the ban: This book has been challenged for LGBTQIA+ content.
What does Kenny think Birmingham looks like?
Kenny is surprised that Birmingham looks so much like Flint, with regular houses and great big trees. It’s been ten years since the Watsons last visited Birmingham, so Kenny and Joey have never actually met Grandma Sands. There’s lots of hugging and crying and laughing all around.
Who is the oldest in the Watsons Go to Birmingham?
Byron
Byron is the oldest of the Watson children, and Kenny introduces him: “Byron has just turned thirteen so he was officially a teenage juvenile delinquent” (Curtis, 1995, p. 2).