Elijah of Buxton Review

Curtis, Christopher Paul (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic

Elijah is the first free born black person born in Buxton, Canada. Both his parents are runaway slaves who made their way to a black settlement started by Fredrick Douglas. He has heard all the stories about the terrible treatment of slaves in America but has never seen mistreatment or been to America. Then, the Reverend steals money from Elijah’s friend. The money was intended to purchase family members’ freedom.

Elijah feels as though he is responsible for the theft and promises to follow the Reverend and recover the stolen money. Problem is that the Reverend had high-tailed it to America. Elijah goes after him, seeing the trip as an adventure. But the adventure turns deadly, when Elijah encounters a captured group of blacks chained up. He is determined to help them and seeks that help from other blacks in town. They will not endanger their lives and freedom to help free slaves.

For the first time, Elijah understands fear, real fear. Does he have the courage to help them? Can an eleven year old boy save any of them?

Curtis writes Elijah of Buxton in the first person voice. The characters are down-to-earth. Speech is often fractured and rough,, while at other times it is flowery. Elijah is real. We see his fears, dreams, failures, and successes. He speaks of jokes and lessons learned. His story is believable, with vivid descriptions that is not overly graphic in violence.

The setting is significant because there was no slavery in Canada. Buxton was one of the few Black Settlements to not only survive, but to flourish. The author explains that Buxton is a real town, originally a black settlement. When other settlements began to fail, people like Fredrick Douglas set up very specific rules of behavior for Buxton. Those rules worked.

While the Reverend is a thief, I felt the description of the man was stereotyped. He was a flashy dresser, with a oily personality. The children all mistrust him, while the parents are less distrustful. Although he is the only character who seems stereotyped and perhaps that is because he is the antagonist.

From Booklist*Starred Review* 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. Phelan, Carolyn --This text refers to the Hardcover edition

Common Sense says: Humorous, powerful, masterful escaped-slave tale.

This may best be used during Black History Month, compared to books written by or about runaway slaves. Elijah’s father states that no one leaves slavery without losing something important. Is his statement accurate when compared to other books about runaway slaves.
Another way a teacher might use this book is in a unit studying bravery or honor. How do the protagonists find their way. Are there similarities in the character of the protagonists or are their characters different and must change to meet the challenge.