Corretta Scott King Award "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, Christopher P. Elijah of Buxton. Scholastic Press, 2007.


This is one of the best children's novels that I have ever read! I would pick it up now and easily read it once again! Elijah of Buxton is historical fiction that is set in 1860. The story revolves around an eleven year old boy named Elijah Freeman. He lives in Buxton, Canada, a town where slaves from the south are fleeing to for safety as they travel in the Underground Railroad. At the end of the book, the author even includes a brief summary about the actual Buxton settlement that was started in 1849 by Rev. William King.



I loved that this story kept me in suspense throughout the entire book. I couldn't put it down! I also loved the imagery and details that Curtis used to describe the slave treatment. At one point Elijah witnesses slaves hanging and secured to a wall in another town. You can almost close your eyes and see exactly what Elijah is seeing. The southern-style dialect that the author incorporates helps to establish an accurate representation of the culture. It brings such life to the story, but did slow down the reading process slightly. Sometimes I had to go back and read sentences a second time to decipher exactly what the words were suppose to be. That was actually the only downfall I had to the story.

I have read quite a few books and watched many movies depicting African American slavery. Many memories and images from these works flooded my mind as I read this book. It was almost as if I recognized Elijah and was familiar with the African American culture from this time period. The horrible slave treatment described in this book were very similiar to descriptions I had read and heard before.

I have read one other book by Curtis, which was Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963. It also addressed African American history, but focused on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. However, both stories were written around main characters that were young African American boys.

Elijah of Buxton is for older children. I would recommend it for 5th grade and above. It is a story of hope and determination to surpass the most difficult obstacles that one may face. Elijah faces death, dishonest people, and the realities of slavery. This work helped me understand that children's literature can tackle difficult situations, such as slavery, and present it in a way that a child's mind can grasp.

I think this book was very deserving of the Corretta Scott King Award in 2008 and the Newbery Honor Award in 2008. It addresses diversity by helping the reader understand the horrors and difficulties that slaves faced in America. Elijah is a symbol of freedom to his town and helps readers realize that freedom is not something we should take for granted. This is a wonderful story to show children the importance of the Underground Railroad.