Review: Elijah of Buxton

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007.  ISBN-13 978-0-439-02344-3

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Elijah is the first freeborn child of Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves. He has got a good head on his shoulders, helps others whenever he can, does his chores, attends schools and shows the utmost respect for his parents and other adults, though he can be a bit too trusting. Elijah finds himself in an unfortunate situation when he believes he is to blame for a thief stealing a friends’ money, that was to be used to buy his family’s freedom, and tries to make it right.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Elijah of Buxton takes place at the Elgin Settlement and Buxton Mission of Raleigh in the 1860’s. The portrayal of separation between the North and the South is present throughout the story, as characters share their dark past of enslavement down south in the United States and how they knew to head north to find freedom, acceptance and a new life in Canada. The authenticity of Buxton, the liberty bell being rung to celebrate new arrivals to the settlement and other landmarks is confirmed through the Author’s Note in the back of the book. In addition, Curtis shares that Buxton was self-sufficient and had everything it needed for those looking to make it on their own. Furthermore, the author goes on to add that “while I fictionalized some aspect of Elijah of Buxton, much of the story is based on fact."

The character’s dialect set an appropriate tone for the story – “Ma! I thought we were trying to make it so’s I wouldn’t be so fra-gile! Look at me, I cain’t quit shaking!” In addition, it serves to show the respect that was given to all adults with simple answers of “yes, ma’am/sir” and a lesson to be learned at the use of racial slur. Curtis powerfully connects readers to the horrors of slavery through the vivid imagery of the beating that killed Mrs. Holton’s husband, Mr. Leroy working from sun up to sun down to buy his family’s freedom, and Chloe and the other slaves Elijah meets who are chained, and rather give up a child to a total stranger so that she may know freedom, rather than the horrible fate that awaits her. On the other hand, it shows a tight community that supports one another like a family, because all its members share a past that no one could ever explain, unless they had experienced it first-hand.  

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2008 John Newbery Honor

2008 Scott O’Dell Award

2008 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Nominee for Older Children

2008 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award

From School Library Journal: “Curtis is as consistent in this as he is in producing quality children’s literature that’s a heckuva lot of fun. “Elijah of Buxton” stands to grow in popularity and presence. A great book and well deserving of any buzz it happens to achieve.”

From Booklist: “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.”
From Kirkus Reviews: "This is Curtis’s 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.”.

5.     CONNECTIONS

Gather other Best Children’s Historical Fiction books to read such as:

• Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. ISBN-10 0451528824

• Alcott, Louisa. Little Women. ISBN-10 0451529308

Gather other Karen Cushman books to read such as:

• Bud, Not Buddy. ISBN-10 0553494104

• The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. ISBN-10 044022800X

• The Mighty Miss Malone. ISBN 0440422140

Use to explore dialect and slang within novels set in different times and places

Use in conjunction with a study on slavery