The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963

A key historical reference in the story is the church bombing, which strongly alludes to the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham (September 15, 1963). What are five or six other mentions of historical details, events, allusions, or imagery in the novel? In what way or ways does each serve to flavor the setting or contribute to the plot or a theme?

For each member of the Watson family and Grandma Sands, choose the best adjective to highlight their key personality trait. Support each choice with two to three details from the story.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 is slightly non-traditional in plot structure, in that the inciting incident for the family’s road trip (Byron’s new hairstyle) doesn’t appear until Chapter 7 (typically, an inciting incident for a traditional plotline appears much earlier). Make a list of Byron’s actions before the trip is planned and a list of Byron’s actions once the family arrives in Birmingham. Include seven to eight actions on each list. Compare your lists and discuss the nature of his “before” actions compared to his “after” actions.