Review on Critical Review

I agree with the Horn Book review of The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. This is a review from a section of the publication that reviews new literature that they feel is worthy of writing about. The Horn Book is one of the most popular and well respected magazines focusing on childrens literature.

I enjoyed how this review focused more on the end of the story. It reads more in depth into the last few pages much more than the average reader would. It gives the imagery of death, and the “Wool Pooh” and how to a young persons mind, something so simple as Winnie-the-Pooh’s evil twin brother can be the grim reaper knocking on your door. This book does provide a lot of death imagery at the end with Kenny almost dying from drowning, the thought of Joetta being killed with a bomb in church, and being there while the four little girls were killed in the bombing, death is a very real thing for Kenny at the end of this novel.
The review also mentions something that I also talked about in my review of the novel, and that is Curtis’ ability to move from the somber movements into the humerous sections that make the reader laugh out loud picturing what he is depicting. I defiantly agree, especially for a first time author, this is something that he does seamlessly, and makes the novel more enjoyable to read.

From the way that this review has been written, it seems as if Martha Parravano, the critic enjoyed this story. This review is defiantly a representation of a pre-curser to this novel winning both the Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King awards.

Publication Info: Parravano, Martha. "The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963." The Horn Book Magazine Mar/April 1996: 195