In The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, who are the family members?

We receive an introduction to the Watson family in the first chapter, which presents us with the mother and father, the elder son, Byron, Kenny, the narrator, and his little sister, Joetta. Byron is described as "officially a teenage juvenile delinquent" who is a bully at school but equally shows himself to be incredibly self-absorbed, symbolised most amusingly when he kisses his reflection in the mirror of the car. Momma is from Alabama, and resents the fact that her husband moved them up to the cold north, and the father is a funny man as indicated by his making fun of his wife's former boyfriend and her southern accent, who clearly loves his wife and children greatly. Joetta, as the baby of the family, is doted on by the rest of them, and clearly is a sensitive, loving daughter and sister. Finally Kenny is the narrator of the story who we see growing up through the text. At the beginning of the story we see him trying to understand his older brother, who is capable of showing great kindness to him, but at the same time can also be incredibly cruel. Kenny is also bullied at school and is a lonely, isolated figure without friends.

Who are the characters in The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963?

As answered by a fellow teacher -- text copied from enotes.com: 

Kenny Watson is the protagonist of the story. He is ten years old, and he has a lazy eye that refuses to respond to treatment. He is highly intelligent and suffers a lot of harassment from classmates because of it. He feels uncomfortable at home too, because he is the middle child.

By Watson is thirteen and a handful of trouble. He loves to push the limits of his parents patience, enjoys having a tough image, and is dazzled by the gang lifestyle. By enjoys antagonizing Kenny, as well.

Joella is Kenny's five year old sister. She is playful and imaginative. She loves both of her brothers.

Mr. Watson is a factory worker hoe works hard to provide for his family. He tries to impart his strong moral values and character to his children.

Mrs. Watson is strong and spirited. She is a devoted mother who believes in loving her children, but also using discipline when necessary.

Who undergoes the most change in The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963?

Kenny's older brother, Byron, changes the most in The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963.

When the book begins, Kenny characterizes Byron as a "juvenile delinquent." Byron is constantly in trouble and forever tormenting Kenny. Byron plays with fire, defies his parents' rules about his hair, skips school, joins a gang, and bullies his brother. Frustrated and feeling that they must take drastic measures to intervene in Byron's choices, Momma and Dad decide to send him to Alabama to live with Grandma Sands for a while. They hope that a change of location and Grandma Sands's strict rules will prove to be a positive influence on Byron.

When Kenny first sees his grandmother, he believes that Byron will "destroy [the] poor old woman." Yet Grandma Sands quickly proves to be just as tenacious as her reputation; when Kenny calls Byron "dumb," Grandma Sands quickly replies that perhaps there are "two who should be spending the summer ... with their granny."

Byron initially greets his grandmother with reservation, but after her warm response, he falls into line immediately. Kenny is shocked to hear Byron responding to questions respectfully and thinks that Byron has already "surrendered."

One moment that is pivotal in Byron's transformation is when he saves Kenny from drowning. Just before Kenny surrenders to the dark gray waters, Byron shows up and wrestles Kenny to the surface. As they collapse on dry ground, Kenny is shocked to find his older brother crying "like a kindergarten baby" as he kisses the top of Kenny's head over and over. Even more unbelievable to Kenny is that Byron doesn't take the moment to "make a stupid joke" about the situation.

After the bombing, Kenny is emotionally devastated and has a difficult time assimilating back into normal life in Flint. He isolates himself from everyone and spends a great deal of time hiding behind the family couch, where he believes he will be healed. It is Byron who is able to reach Kenny, counseling him to keep living his life despite the horrors of the world around him. Kenny is able to confide in his brother, admitting that he can't see the justice in a world that allows innocent girls to die in a church. When Kenny tells Byron that he is "ashamed of [him]self," Byron asserts that he "ain't got nothing to be ashamed of."

Byron helps Kenny to realize that he had somehow helped save Joey on the day of the bombing, sending a "part of [himself]" to the church to lead her to safety. His firm position and wise counsel provides the encouragement Kenny needs to heal.

This is a much different Byron than the "juvenile delinquent" at the beginning of the book. Byron has matured, and coping with some serious moments when his family could have been taken from him has proven instrumental in helping Byron find a new perspective. He is no longer simply a tormenter; instead, Byron changes into a caring and empathetic member of the Watson family.

Which character shows courage in The Watsons Go to Birmingham?

Kenny shows courage in the book by keeping his head in the whirlpool and going toward the church fire to see if his sister is okay.

Although Byron does rescue Kenny from the “Wool Poo,” the dangerous water in Collier's Landing, Kenny keeps his head as best he can for one so young.  Kenny is brave enough to go into the water, and even though he is caught in the whirlpool and frightened, he does not lose his cool.

“O.K., Kenny,” I said to myself, “you know you’re going to be all right.  Just get real calm and swim back to land….” (ch 13, p. 176)

Kenny manages to talk himself out of panic, keeping himself alive until his brother is able to come and rescue him.  Even during the rescue he does a good job of keeping both of them alive.

When Kenny finds out that the church has been bombed, it is a difficult time for him already because he is still reeling from his near-death experience.  Nonetheless, all he can think about is his sister’s safety.  He goes after Joey to make sure she’s okay, even though he knows he is headed into another dangerous situation.

At the burnt church, Kenny sees a shoe he thinks belongs to his sister.  When Kenny is trying to remove the shoe from the rubble, he has a vision of the Wool Poo.  Despite his fear and the danger of the situation, he carries on.

Oh, man.  I gave the shoe one more hard tug and it popped loose from a frilly white sock.  I got real scared.  I walked away as slowly and quietly as I could out of the church. (ch 14, p. 185)

Kenny is young and does not fully comprehend what happens, but to him getting the shoe is important because it represents his sister.  In his way, he is trying to save her.

Although Kenny is young and wrenched by fear, he demonstrates great bravery.  Courage is not having no fear, it is continuing to act once you are afraid—and Kenny does this.