Elijah of Buxton

Book

Elijah of Buxton / Christopher Paul Curtis.

Summary:

In 1859, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American south, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom.

"Master storyteller Christopher Paul Curtis lends his trademark humor and vibrant narrative style to the gripping tale of eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman. The first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit, Elijah is best known in his hometown as the boy who threw up on Frederick Douglass. (Not on purpose, of course -- he was just a baby then!) But things change when a former slave calling himself the Right Reverend Zephariah W. Connerly the Third steals money from Elijah's friend Mr. Leroy, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the south. Elijah joins Mr. Leroy on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the disreputable preacher, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled -- a life from which he'll always be free, if he can find the courage to go back home. Exciting, yet evocative, heart-wrenching, yet hilarious, Elijah of Buxton is Christopher Paul Curtis at his very best -- and it's an unforgettable testament to the power of hope."--Publisher's description.

Record details

ISBN: 9780439023443
ISBN: 0439023440
ISBN: 0439023459
ISBN: 9780439023450
ISBN: 9780329643300
ISBN: 0329643304
Physical Description: 341 pages ; 22 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York : Scholastic Press, 2007.

Content descriptions

General Note:: Companion book to: The madman of Piney Woods.
Formatted Contents Note:: Snakes and Ma -- Me and Mr. Frederick Douglass -- Fish head chunking -- Kidnappers and slavers! -- Sharing the fish -- Mr. Travis cheats us out of a great lesson -- Mr. Leroy shows how to really make a lesson stick -- The most exciting night of my life so far -- The mesmerist and Sammy -- Meeting the real MaWee! -- Emma Collins and Birdy -- The secret language of being growned -- Mail from America -- Picnic at Lake Erie! -- Keeping Mr. John Holton alive -- The Preacher comes through -- Bad news from a little village in America -- Kidnapped! -- A ball starts rolling -- The death of Mr. Leroy -- Terrorfied in America! -- Busting free! -- Riding hard back to Buxton -- The revenge of Mr. Frederick Douglass!
Target Audience Note:: 980 Lexile.
Study Program Information Note:: AR 5.4 12.0.

Accelerated Reader Grades 5-8 5.4 12 SD Quiz 117751 English fiction, vocabulary quiz available.
Awards Note:: Newbery Honor Book, 2008.

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2008.

Coretta Scott King Award Author Winner, 2008

A 2008 Michigan Notable Books selection

Canadian Library Association Children's Book of the Year, 2008; TD Canadian Children's Literature Award winner, 2008