The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Characters

Meet the Cast

Kenny Watson

Kenny seems like a pretty typical fourth grader. He gets picked on by older kids and hassled by his big brother. He's kind, a little shy, but a good friend once you get to know him, and he loves to...

Byron Watson

Kenny tells us right off the bat that Byron is a juvenile delinquent, and that seems like a pretty accurate assessment for most of the novel. This kid is definitely trouble, and there are some mome...

Joetta Watson (Joey)

Oh, little Joey. We just want to snatch her up, give her a hug, and put her in our pocket.Joey is the youngest Watson, and she's definitely the sensitive one of the bunch. She feels bad for everyon...

Wilona Watson (Momma)

Momma: the only one of the Weird Watsons not born and raised in Flint. Nope, this lady's from Birmingham, Alabama, and we get the feeling she kind of wishes she still lived there. First of all, it'...

Daniel Watson (Dad)

Dad is the jokester of Watson clan, and he performs for the family every chance he gets. We're guessing this is where Byron gets his sense of humor—but definitely not his mean streak. Here are ju...

Rufus Fry

When Rufus comes on the scene, Kenny expects the other kids to tear him to pieces in two seconds flat: I knew they weren't going to waste any time with this new guy, it was going to be real easy an...

Minor Characters

Larry DunnAt first glance, Larry Dunn is a bully, plain and simple. Most fourth-graders at Clark Elementary hate and fear him, and with good reason. Larry is famous for something he calls "Maytag w...