Review: Elijah of Buxton

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher P. 2007. ELIJAH OF BUXTON. New York, Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023440.

PLOT SUMMARY
Elijah is the first free child born of runaway slaves in Buxton, Canada. Labeled “fragile” for his tendency to cry, Elijah once made quite the impression on one Frederick Douglas, by vomiting on him—a fact that his friends and family are quick to remind him of. Elijah lives something of a charmed life in Canada, until the theft of his friend Mr. Leroy’s freedom fund, which is intended to buy passage for his family back in the United States, is stolen. This kicks off a journey to the States for Elijah, and into the former lives of his parents, as he pursues the thief. There, he is subject to the rigors of life as a second-class citizen, as he comes to know first-hand why he was born in Buxton, and how not to be “fragile.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Elijah narrates his own story, and in doing so, will immediately form a close bond with most readers. A charming, endearing, and deceptively brave lead character, he forms the perfect lens through which to observe a seldom talked-about period in history; the lives of free former slaves across the Canadian border. Curtis manages to find the inner voice of a character in Elijah who, despite his fictitious origins, seems real, and is entirely too easy to become attached to. The world of Buxton is fully-realized, and demands further inquiry, perhaps even its own series. Additionally, Elijah’s philosophy and Buxton-style witticisms are welcome, refreshing, and charming diversions from the main plotline, serving to lighten the mood and provide additional characterization. While the book may be criticized by some for its flighty narrative, one must keep in mind that the inner thoughts of a young boy are seldom linear.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Honor Book
BOOKLIST starred review: “Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense...”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “many readers, young and old, will finish and say, "This is one of the best books I have ever read."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “The powerful ending is violent and unsettling, yet also manages to be uplifting.”

CONNECTIONS:
* This title’s first-person narrative is an ideal lead-in to journal writing as a class. Make Elijah’s life observations teachable by asking students to record some of their own after each session.
*Other books dealing with slavery and the Civil War
Hopkinson, Deborah. FROM SLAVE TO SOLDIER: BASED ON A TRUE CIVIL WAR STORY. ISBN 0689839669
Allen, Thomas. HARRIET TUBMAN, SECRET AGENT: HOW DARING SLAVES AND FREE BLACKS SPIED FOR THE UNION DURING THE CIVIL WAR. ISBN 0792278895
Murphy, Jim. THE BOYS WAR: CONFEDERATE AND UNION SOLDIERS TALK ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR. ISBN 0395664128