Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, try Bud, Not Buddy, Elijah of Buxton, One Crazy Summer, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Brown Girl Dreaming and The Rock and the River. Each one is a funny, moving historical story about families, growing up and the civil rights era.
Christopher Paul Curtis's 1995 Newbery Honor novel is narrated by ten-year-old Kenny Watson, whose family, “the Weird Watsons”, live in Flint, Michigan. When his older brother Byron keeps getting into trouble, the family drives to Birmingham, Alabama, to stay with Grandma Sands. There they witness the 1963 bombing in Birmingham, which changes Kenny forever. Readers love its humor and its heart. These books share its family and history.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | 9-12 | readers who want more Curtis |
| Elijah of Buxton | Christopher Paul Curtis | 10+ | readers who want another Curtis |
| One Crazy Summer | Rita Williams-Garcia | 9-12 | readers who like 1960s families |
| Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry | Mildred D. Taylor | 10-13 | readers who like civil rights stories |
| Brown Girl Dreaming | Jacqueline Woodson | 10+ | readers who like memoirs in verse |
| The Rock and the River | Kekla Magoon | 12+ | readers who like 1968 Chicago |
| March: Book One | John Lewis | 12+ | readers who like graphic memoirs |
| Ruby Bridges Goes to School | Ruby Bridges | 5-8 | younger readers |
| Holes | Louis Sachar | 9-12 | readers who like humor and history |
| Freedom Summer | Deborah Wiles | 5-8 | younger readers |
| Countdown | Deborah Wiles | 10-13 | readers who like 1962 |
| Stella by Starlight | Sharon M. Draper | 9-12 | readers who like small-town courage |
| The Lions of Little Rock | Kristin Levine | 10-13 | readers who like school integration |
| Ghost Boys | Jewell Parker Rhodes | 10+ | readers who like history and today |
| Revolution | Deborah Wiles | 11+ | readers who like Freedom Summer |
1. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
An orphan searches for his father.
Best for: readers who want more Curtis.
2. Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
A boy in a Canadian settlement of formerly enslaved people.
Best for: readers who want another Curtis.
3. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Sisters visit their mother in Oakland.
Best for: readers who like 1960s families.
4. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
A Black family in Mississippi.
Best for: readers who like civil rights stories.
5. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Woodson's childhood in the 1960s.
Best for: readers who like memoirs in verse.
6. The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
A boy between civil rights and the Black Panthers.
Best for: readers who like 1968 Chicago.
7. March: Book One by John Lewis
John Lewis's civil rights story.
Best for: readers who like graphic memoirs.
8. Ruby Bridges Goes to School by Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges's true story.
Best for: younger readers.
9. Holes by Louis Sachar
A boy digs holes at a camp.
Best for: readers who like humor and history.
10. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Two friends during desegregation.
Best for: younger readers.
11. Countdown by Deborah Wiles
A girl lives through the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Best for: readers who like 1962.
12. Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
A girl in 1930s North Carolina.
Best for: readers who like small-town courage.
13. The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
Two girls in 1958 Little Rock.
Best for: readers who like school integration.
14. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
A boy's ghost meets Emmett Till.
Best for: readers who like history and today.
15. Revolution by Deborah Wiles
A girl in 1964 Mississippi.
Best for: readers who like Freedom Summer.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For more Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy and Elijah of Buxton are excellent. For civil rights stories, One Crazy Summer, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Lions of Little Rock are favorites. March tells the real story in graphic form.
Related: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Watsons Go to Birmingham about?
A family from Michigan visits Birmingham in 1963 and witnesses a tragic bombing.
Did it win awards?
It was a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor book.
What age is it for?
It suits readers about 9 to 13.
Is it funny?
Yes, for much of the book, before it turns serious.
Is it based on real events?
Yes. The 1963 Birmingham bombing that killed four girls was real.
Is there a movie?
Yes. A 2013 TV film.
What should I read next?
Bud, Not Buddy.