Sometimes 10-year-old Kenny can't believe his own family. Sometimes they act so crazy he thinks they should be known as the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. Between trying to understand his parents' humor and dealing with his too-cool older brother and crybaby-tattletale little sister, Kenny never has a dull moment.

So, Kenny wonders, how will this wacky bunch survive when Momma and Dad load the whole family into the "Brown Bomber" for the long drive down to Birmingham, Alabama to visit Grandma Sands? With only a few brief rest stops along the way, the Watsons finally arrive in Birmingham, greeted by stifling heat and Grandma's strong hugs.

Just when the family starts to settle into a comfortable Southern rhythm, tragedy strikes in Birmingham and changes all their lives forever. A bomb, planted by white racists, explodes in a local church, killing four African-American girls and injuring many others. At first Kenny thinks his sister Joey might be among those who were hurt. Even though she turns out to be safe, Kenny can't shake the image of the crumbled, burning church and the screaming people gathered around it. The family packs up and heads out of town that night.

Back home in Flint, the Watsons struggle to understand how anyone could be hateful enough to commit such a horrible crime. But through the sadness and confusion, Kenny comes to understand something else. He gains a new appreciation for the strong love that makes the Watsons not so weird, but very, very special.

   --- Shannon Maughan

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