A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the WeirdWatsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble,they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, theone person who can shape him up. And they happen tobe in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blownup.

Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan, and grew up there. Bud, Not Buddy, his second novel, winner of the 2000 Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Author Award, is available in a Delacorte hardcover edition.