Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Illustrator: NA
Genre: non-fiction
Sub genre: historical
Theme: Travel, family, friendship,
Primary and secondary characters: Kenny and his family ( the Watsons)
Awards: Newberry and Coretta Scott King
Publication Date: 2006
Publishing Company: Harper Collins
The Watsons are not your typical family, each person has their own unique personality from sweet Joetta to mean Byron. The Watsons decide to take a trip after the oldest son, Byron, keeps getting into trouble. On and before their journey the Watsons have a lot of hysterical moments such as when Byron's lips get frozen to something and he is stuck there. On their trip Kenny gets attacked by the horrible Wool Pooh, Winnie the Pooh's evil brother. Although their are some funny parts, this book is quite serious. When Joetta goes to church one morning, Kenny is never the same after he hears of his sister's church being bombed. He searches for her, yet even when he discovers she survived he is still shaken. This book is an excellent balance of humor, history, and good moral lessons.
This book could be used in multiple different ways in the classroom. This website offers a variety of different ideas to have students complete after they have read the book. One idea would be to have students compare and contrast the different characters using a diagram or short essays. If the teacher wanted to focus historical content of the book then the students could do a research project on the bombing of the church and how life was for an African American family in the time the Watsons went on their journeys.
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