Professor Jani L. Barker argues that the narrative techniques in The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, specifically the first-person narration from Kenny, allow the novel to truthfully communicate the harsh realities of race-based violence without traumatizing its young, vulnerable audience.
Jani L. Barker, a professor, believes that "The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963" effectively portrays the harsh realities of racial violence through the use of first-person narration from Kenny's perspective, without causing undue distress to young readers.