During one of the most important times in the civil rights movement, one unforgettable family goes on a road trip in this Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree, from author Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIME

When the Watson family—ten-year-old Kenny, Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron—sets out on a trip south to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, they don’t realize that they’re heading toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history. The Watsons’ journey reminds us that even in the hardest times, laughter and family can help us get through anything.

'A modern classic.' —NPR

“Marvelous . . . both comic and deeply moving.” —The New York Times

'One of the best novels EVER.' —Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor and National Book Award–winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming