FICTION

THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. (Delacorte: $14.95; 210 pp.) The best young adult novels are those that don’t feel young adult-like but rather are filled with characters and conflicts containing real weight. Christopher Paul Curtis’ first novel is an excellent example of that, although it does occasionally suffer from an attack of cuteness.

Ten-year-old Kenny Watson has a dislike/hate relationship with his older brother, Byron, who is quickly turning into an “official juvenile delinquent.” Increasingly unable to handle him, Kenny’s parents decide it is time for Byron to go live with Grandma Sands, so the Watson family piles into its old car and make the drive from Michigan to Alabama. This is a novel not only about family but about racial hatred as well (the Watsons are black). It is by turns funny and sad, and although Kenny’s voice doesn’t always ring true, “The Watsons Go To Birmingham--1963,” is still an enjoyable book.