Elijah of Buxton

Full Bibliographic Data for Elijah of Buxton

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Publisher: Scholastic Canada

Place of Publication: Toronto

Date of Publication: 2007

ISBN: 9780439936477

Summary: Elijah Buxton is a young boy in the settlement of Buxton where slaves had gone to escape the horrors of slavery; a cruelty young Elijah never had to know given the fact that he was first child to be born in the settlement. This story depicts the joys and sorrows of this culture from Elijah’s simple perspective as he learns that not all people can be trusted and embarks on a mission to bring to light the truth of a con artist within his community.

Review: Christopher Paul Curtis has written a story which gently unfolds at a child’s pace. Elijah is a simple child with loving parents and a sense of adventure. As life begins to reveal injustice to this young boy, his innocent naiveté turns out to be wisdom incognito. The choice of dialect employed by Curtis sets the stage for the small, rural, town Elijah inhabits. Without the overt use of physical descriptions, Curtis manages to bring vivid images of the characters in this story through their actions and dialogue. Elijah is cleverly labeled as “Fra-gile” by his mother who is staunch in role and delivers love firmly. The term “fra-gile” turns out to only convey a small part of who this courageous, kind-hearted, character truly is. Elijah of Buxton is a work of historical fiction which has done a fantastic job at teaching its readers about actual events of the past through a story which captivates readers and opens room for much discussion. The author's note following Elijah of Buxton offers insight to the process which led Curtis to tell this candid story and relates details of those who inspired such spirited characters.

Review Excerpts:

“Christopher Paul Curtis shines as a fine storyteller. His compassionate novel is a suitable class read aloud for junior grades and intelligently challenges such an important historical event” (Canadian Children’s Book News, 2008).

“Elijah of Buxton will quite deservedly find a place in every elementary and middle-school library.” (Resource Links, 2007).

Awards:

Best Books for Kids and Teens, 2008 ; Canadian Children's Book Centre; Starred Selection; Canada
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2008 ; National Council for Social Studies; United States

Book of the Year Award for Children, 2008 Winner Canada
Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, 2008 Winner Canada
Governor General's Literary Awards, 2007 Finalist Children's Literature (Text) Canada
IODE (National Chapter of Canada) Violet Downey Book Award, 2008 Short-List Canada
John Newbery Medal, 2008 Honor Book United States
Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, 2008 Shortlist Young Adult/Middle Reader Canada
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, 2008 Finalist Canada
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, 2008 Winner Canada

California Young Reader Medal, 2010-2011 ; Nominee; Middle School; CA
Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award, 2009 ; Nominee; Manitoba
Massachusetts Children's Book Award, 2009-2010 ; Master List; MA
Red Cedar Book Awards, 2009-2010 ; Nominee; Fiction; Canada
Red Maple Award, 2009 ; Nominee; Fiction; Canada
Rocky Mountain Book Award, 2009 ; Nominee; Canada

Related Materials:

Christopher Paul Curtis by Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis/christophercurtis.htm

Web site for the Buxton Museum: http://www.buxtonmuseum.com/history/hist-ELGIN.html

Online biography of Frederick Douglas: http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdfdoug.htm