Review of Elijah of Buxton

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. ELIJAH OF BUXTON. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023459

PLOT SUMMARY
In the community of Buxton, in Canada reside both freed and runaway slaves. 11 year old Elijah was the first free child born there and he is considered fragile by some. But he proves himself to be less than fragile when he takes it upon himself to help when a slick preacher steals money meant to purchase a slave family and bring them to freedom in Canada.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Written in first person, this lively, entertaining tale of a young boy is both comical and, at times, heart-wrenching. Elijah Freeman is known for being able to catch fish by chunking rocks at their heads. People considered him fragile for many reasons; he's afraid of riding horses, and snakes. Curtis' use of casual register is possibly accurate, but at times borders on the stereotypical. Elijah is tested and is able prove himself in this coming of age novel when a freed man in town sends another trusted man to buy his family's freedom and he turns out to be crooked. Things go wrong and Elijah attempts to right the wrong, taking him across the border and perhaps into great danger. A book that is sure to win the hearts of many a reader.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2008 Newbery Honor Book
Corretta Scott King Award Winner
KIRKUS REVIEWS: "This is Curtis' best novel yet, and no doubt many readers, young and old, will finish and say, "This is one of the best books I have ever read." "
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "...demonstrating how Elijah, the "fra-gile" child has become sturdy, capable of stealing across the border in pursuit of the crooked preacher, and strong enough to withstand a confrontation with the horrors of slavery. The powerful ending is violent and unsettling, yet also manages to be uplifting."

CONNECTIONS
Have students visit the web site for the Buxton Settlement and research more about the real place where the fictional characters lived.
http://www.buxtonmuseum.com/history/hist-SETTLEMENT.html

National Geographic's site for the Underground Railroad:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/j1.html

Visit the University of Virginia's site for American Slave Narratives and have students listen to and read what they had to say about their enslavement:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/wpahome.html

Other books about the Underground Railroad:
Monjo, F.N.. THE DRINKING GOURD:A STORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. ISBN 0064440427
Pearsall, Shelley. TROUBLE DON'T LAST. ISBN 04440418119
Polacco, Patricia. JANUARY'S SPARROW. ISBN 0399250778
Porter, Connie Rose. MEET ADDY: AN AMERICAN GIRL (AMERICAN GIRLS COLLECTION SERIES: ADDY #1). ISBN 1562470752
Hopkinson, Deborah. UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHT. ISBN 0689877005