Bibliography
Weatherford, Carole
Boston. 2007. Birmingham, 1963. Honedale,
Pa.: Wordsong. ISBN 978-1590784402.
Brief plot summary
In 1963, Birmingham,
Alabama was one of the most segregated cities in the United States. On Sunday,
September 15, 1963 members of the Ku Klux Klan planted dynamite under the back
steps of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a known meeting place for civil
rights organizers. The ensuing explosion resulted in the deaths of four innocent
young girls. Birmingham, 1963 pays
tribute to the victims of this act of terrorism. It is written in free verse and illustrated with documentary
photographs. It tells of the events leading up to the bombing through the eyes
of a fictional 10-year-old witness.
Critical analysis
Birmingham, 1963 is historical fiction written in free verse. With a
few well-chosen words and powerful images Weatherford tells the tragic story of
this heartbreaking event evoking an emotional explosion in the reader. While
reading this book I felt myself being drawn back to when I was ten years old
and thinking about how sheltered and protected I was from life’s tragedies and
human hatred. In particular I found such power in the text paired with the
picture of the stained glass window – “The clock stopped, and Jesus’ face / Was
blown out of the only stained-glass window / Left standing–the one where He
stands at the door.” (pp. 22-23) This serves as such a strong metaphor for the state of the
fight for civil rights along with its importance.
The book design plays a
significant part in the storytelling. Each double-page spread includes a few
lines of poetry along with images related to childhood set opposite of a carefully
selected archival black and white photograph. The somber colors used
throughout the book and on the cover set the tone for the story to follow. The
only color used in the book is for the red geometric shapes that are repeated
in different positions on the text pages; the mystery of their meaning only
adds to the power of their use. Through the words and images the author paints
a vivid picture of the horrors of racism.
In addition to the main
text, the book includes a brief biography and photograph of each of the four
girls who died in the bombing along with notes by the author that add factual
historic information referenced in the poem and accompanying photographs. Birmingham, 1963, should inspire readers
to want to learn more about the civil rights movement—especially from the
perspective of children and histories about the role of children in the
struggle for equality.
Review excerpts
"Exquisitely
understated design lends visual potency to a searing poetic evocation of the
Birmingham church bombing of 1963....It's a gorgeous memorial to the four
killed on that horrible day, and to the thousands of children who braved violence
to help change the world." – Kirkus
Reviews, Starred Review
"The format of the
book is small, and it makes the reading experience of an enormously tragic
event an intimate experience….An emotional read, made even more accessible and
powerful by the viewpoint of the child narrator." – School Library Journal, Starred Review
“The quiet yet arresting
book design will inspire readers, who may want to go on to Christopher Paul
Curtis' novel The Watsons Go to
Birmingham 1963 (1995) and to histories about the role of children in the
civil rights struggle.” – Booklist
“This is a testament to
the four young girls whose deaths brought about positive changes to a city that
was racially divided. This is a reminder of a time when ordinary people became
involved in extraordinary situations in the cause of freedom. This is a book
that should be in every library collection.”– Library Media Connection, Starred Review
"Weatherford has
taken a compelling and touching look at a tragedy that took 39 years to
solve." – Multicultural Review
Awards / Best Books
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry
Award Winner for 2008
Jefferson Cup Award
Winner, 2008
Jane Addams Children’s
Book Award Honor Book
Lion and the Unicorn Award
for Excellence in North American Poetry Honor Book
Kirkus Best Children’s
Books, 2007
Choices, 2008 (Cooperative
Children’s Book Center)
Christian Science Monitor
Best Children’s Books, 2008
Classroom Connections
This book can be used in
conjunction with Christopher Paul Curtis’s novel, The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, to provide background knowledge
and interest prior to its reading or as an aside to the novel when the plot
focuses on the Birmingham church bombing.
Pair it with Spike Lee’s
1997 documentary, 4 Little Girls.
Students can compare and contrast the film and the book of poetry.
Include Birmingham, 1963 as part of a unit on the
Civil Rights Movement. Students can research and learn about the other events
during this time period. Students could make a timeline of important events
that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement.
Read Birmingham, 1963 along with The
Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 and Campbell Bartoletti’s They Called Themselves the K.K.K. Students can look for the relationship between the terrorism
of the K.K.K. with bullying.
Other books and films
related to Birmingham, 1963:
- Birmingham Sunday by Larry Dane Brimner – ISBN 978-1590786130
- One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia – ISBN 978-0060760885
- The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles – ISBN 978-0590572811
- The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis – ISBN 978-0780777330
- They Called Themselves the K.K.K. by Campbell Bartoletti – ISBN 978-0618440337
- Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader – ISBN 978-0448447230
- 4 Little Girls a film by Spike Lee (HBO Home Video)
- Disney’s Ruby Bridges (Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
- The Rosa Parks Story directed by Julie Dash (Xenon Entertainment)
