Elijah of Buxton

Written by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0-439-02344-0.

SUMMARY
Elijah of Buxton, Canada, was the first child born into freedom. Knowing no other life than to be free, the story takes eleven year old Elijah through his daily life on the settlement. From school, to chores, to rock fishing, Elijah’s life is filled with love, family, and neighbors; all until the day the preacher steals the very same money Elijah’s friend, Mr. Leroy, is saving to buy his family from slavery in the South. Determined to help his friend get the money back, Elijah leaves the only life he knows behind and ventures out on a perilous journey to America. What he discovers is a life told many times by his parents yet, unbelievable until he became a witness for himself. Elijah returns back to Buxton without his friend’s money however; he brings back with him a new found respect for freedom and hope in the form and name of a little soul.

The characters in this story are as real and believable as the very same image, which stares back at you in the mirror. Although young readers today may be not fully comprehend the institution of slavery and the appreciation of freedom; they can relate to the daily life patterns of an eleven year old boy, who is free. The author stays true to a youthful point of view by doing just that. He does a tremendous job of recreating Elijah’s pattern of daily life. His daily life consists, amongst other things, of rock fishing, chores, friends, pranks, church, and going to school. The author dramatically recreates that time in history by playing on the reader’s emotions and thoroughly describing the settlement and area at that time all the way down to the weather conditions common to the area.

All the characters within the story remain true in the clothing, the attitude, and what I found even more compelling; in the language of the time. “Well, Elijah, seem to me what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.” The author uses a dialect within the story that brings authenticity. There is a reasonably good amount of dialogue within the story however; it works as an advantage by capturing the speech patterns of the era. The author’s style brings each character to life through the use of mannerisms and the language and idioms appropriate to the time. All these elements work in unison to bring authenticity to the story.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Booklist Top of the List: Best of Editor’s Choice, 2007
TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, 2008
Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, 2008
CLA Book of the Year, 2008
Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist
Newbery Award Honor Book, 2008
Red Maple Nominee
Coretta Scott King Award, 2008
Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, 2008
ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2008
Michigan Notable Books, 2008
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2007
Great Lakes Book Award Finalist (Children’s Chapter Books, 2008)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 2007
Odyssey Award Nominee (2009, Listening Library, Narrated by MirronWillis)

EDITORIAL REVIEWS
After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile." Inexperienced and prone to mistakes, yet kind, courageous, and understanding, Elijah has the distinction of being the first child born in the Buxton Settlement, which was founded in Ontario in 1849 as a haven for former slaves. Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story that builds a broad picture of Buxton's residents before plunging into the dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his depth. In the author's note, Curtis relates the difficulty of tackling the subject of slavery realistically through a child's first-person perspective. Here, readers learn about conditions in slavery at a distance, though the horrors become increasingly apparent. Among the more memorable scenes are those in which Elijah meets escaped slaves—first, those who have made it to Canada and, later, those who have been retaken by slave catchers. Central to the story, these scenes show an emotional range and a subtlety unusual in children's fiction. Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense and, at other moments, moved to tears. A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller. --Booklist

Floating up like a bubble through layers of history, buoyed with hope and comic energy…Elijah of Buxton tells the story of Elijah Freeman, the first freeborn child in the historic Elgin Settlement, a village of escaped slaves in Canada…As in his previous novels, Curtis is a master at balancing the serious and the lighthearted: as Langston Hughes said of the blues, "not softened with tears, but hardened with laughter." He has already received a Newbery medal and an honor for two novels rooted in the experience of black Americans: "The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 and Bud, Not Buddy. His latest book is another natural award candidate and makes an excellent case, in a story positively brimming with both truth and sense, for the ability of historical fiction to bring history to life. --The New York Times

Set in 1860, 11-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway and freed slaves, in Christopher Paul Curtis's Newbery Honor book (Scholastic, 2007). When money that Elijah's friend has been saving to send to America to buy his family's freedom is stolen, Elijah crosses the border into Detroit on a dangerous mission to help recover it. Narrated by Elijah, the horrors of slavery are revealed. This engrossing tale is read by Mirron Willis who effortlessly varies his rich, textured voice to make each character unique. This story will captivate listeners. --School Library Journal

CONNECTIONS-Activities:
1) Have a discussion about why Chloe gave her baby to Elijah? Follow up with thoughts about how the baby’s life will be different in Buxton.
2) Discuss the “underground railroad”. If possible, review with students the following National Geographic website, which takes users on a journey through the Underground Railroad. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/

CONNECTIONS-Reading:
1) Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008