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Christopher Paul Curtis

クリストファー・ポール・カーティス

Christopher Paul Curtis

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1953-05-10 （Flint, Michigan, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
Writer, Speaker
Active Years
1995-
Influenced By
Toni Morrison, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Dudley Randall, Harper Lee, James A. Michener

Education

University of Michigan–Flint
Period: 夜間・パートタイム（在籍年は断続的）
Year of Graduation: 2000
Country: United States
Attended part-time while working; received degree in 2000

Awards

Newbery Medal
2000
Work: Bud, Not Buddy
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞
Coretta Scott King Award (Author)
2000
Work: Bud, Not Buddy
Organization: Coretta Scott King Book Awards (ALA)
Result: 受賞
Coretta Scott King Award (Author)
2008
Work: Elijah of Buxton
Organization: Coretta Scott King Book Awards (ALA)
Result: 受賞
Newbery Honor
Work: The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 名誉賞（Honor Book）
Jane Addams Peace Award (Honor)
Work: The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
Organization: Jane Addams Peace Association
Result: 名誉
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
2008
Work: Elijah of Buxton
Organization: Scott O'Dell Award
Result: 受賞
Canadian Library Association Book of the Year
Work: Elijah of Buxton
Organization: Canadian Library Association
Result: 受賞
Parent's Choice Gold Award
Work: Mr. Chickee's Funny Money
Organization: Parent's Choice
Result: 受賞
Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
2024
Organization: American Library Association (Coretta Scott King/ALS Interpretive)
Result: 受賞（功績賞）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963

1995 Children's literature, Historical fiction

The Watson family from Flint take a trip to Birmingham in the summer of 1963 to visit Grandma Sands; events tied to the Civil Rights era profoundly affect young Kenny.

familyracismcoming-of-age1960s history
Adaptations
  • [TV movie] The Watsons Go to Birmingham (TV movie) (2013)

Bud, Not Buddy

1999 Children's literature, Historical fiction

Set in 1936, ten-year-old Bud, an orphan, sets out to find the man he believes is his father; a humorous and moving historical adventure.

search for familyGreat Depressionfriendshipself-discovery

Bucking the Sarge

2004 Children's literature

Luther T. Farrell tries to get out of Flint and escape his domineering mother, 'The Sarge'; a humorous coming-of-age story.

familypovertyindependence

Mr. Chickee's Funny Money

2005 Children's literature

A genial blind man in the neighborhood gives young Steven a mysterious bill with an outrageous face and lots of zeros, launching a comic adventure.

humoradventurecommunity

Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission

2007 Children's literature

When Russell's dog jumps into a mural and disappears, the Flint Future Detectives investigate in this children's mystery.

mysteryfriendshiphumor

Elijah of Buxton

2007 Children's literature, Historical fiction

Set in Buxton, Ontario, a settlement of freed Black people, it follows Elijah, a boy born free, as he grows and faces challenges.

freedom and emancipationcommunitycoming-of-age

The Mighty Miss Malone

2012 Children's literature, Historical fiction

A spin-off of Bud, Not Buddy set in Depression-era Gary, Indiana and Flint, Michigan, following the Malone family's struggles.

Great Depressionfamilyadversity and hope

The Madman of Piney Woods

2014 Children's literature, Historical fiction

Set in 1901 Buxton and nearby Chatham, told in alternating chapters by two twelve-year-old boys; a historical tale related to Elijah of Buxton.

historyfriendshiprace and society

The Journey of Little Charlie

2018 Children's literature, Historical fiction

A Buxton Trilogy installment beginning in 1858 on a South Carolina plantation; deals with slave pursuit, resistance, and events in Buxton, Canada.

slaveryresistancehistorical education

Bibliography

  • The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
  • Bud, Not Buddy
  • Bucking the Sarge
  • Mr. Chickee's Funny Money
  • Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission
  • Elijah of Buxton
  • The Mighty Miss Malone
  • The Madman of Piney Woods
  • The Journey of Little Charlie
  • Bites: Scary Stories to Sink Your Teeth Into (editor)

Adaptations

  • The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 (TV movie)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
humorous narrative voiceintimate first-person perspectiveuse of historical facts in children's fiction
Recurring Motifs
family and bondsracism and historical educationsocial observation from a child's perspective

Legacy

Widely taught in schools for bringing African American history and issues of racism to young readers; highly regarded for award-winning works and literacy-promoting activities through his foundation.

Academic Societies

  • American Library Association (related)

Archives

  • Library of Congress catalog records

In Popular Culture

  • TV movie adaptation of The Watsons Go to Birmingham and frequent use in school curricula

Quotes

  • My four rules to becoming a writer: Write every day, Have fun with your writing, Be patient with your writing, Ignore all rules.
    Source: Interviews (various published interviews) (2000)

Trivia

  • Worked 13 years on an assembly line at General Motors (Fisher Body) after high school.
  • Attended University of Michigan–Flint part-time and graduated in 2000.
  • Founded the Nobody but Curtis Foundation to improve literacy and provide educational support.