[.ca] Elijah of Buxton (ISBN 0439936470)

An Emotional Book:
This book tells a tale of pioneer life in Ontario during the year 1859. But these are not your ordinary pioneers. Buxton is a Black Settlement, inhabited mostly by escaped slaves from the Southern United States. This is a warm, touching and humorous look at the day-to-day life of these people as they adjust and learn to lead a life of freedom. The escapades of the main character, Elijah, reminded me of the "Great Brain" books and I laughed out loud many times. But alongside this new life of freedom we also witness the horrors of slavery and the mind boggles at the reality of it. I cried with tears of joy when newly escaped slaves arrived to the settlement. I was stupefied at the inhumanity as free-born Elijah travels to Michigan and witnesses slaves in chains. I felt proud of my country when I learned that Canada was once called the 'land of milk and honey' and 'the land of the free'. This is an emotional book. I highly recommend this book to both Canadians and Americans as a part of our combined history.

What an outstanding writer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:
Adults would do well to read this award winning children's author's works.......he consistently creates memorable characters and stories and he has singlehandedly added to the body of black literature with his award winning junior/intermediate level novels. Curtis has an uncanny sense of the history, the language and the speech patterns of the blacks who were enslaved and those who may have sought freedom in Canada via the underground railroad. Elijah of Buxton indeed has hints of John D. Fitzgerald's "Great Brain" series but this is more gripping-it reminded me of Paula Fox's heartbreaker, The Slave Dancer-I actually was flipping ahead to find out how a particular adventure turned out. It's not often a writer this gifted comes along-winning two Newberry awards for his previous fiction as well as as a Newberry "Honor" award for this one. Read his three fine books in conjunction with The Slave Dancer and then another fine Canadian author's debut novel, Rush Home Road by Lori Larsens, and you will have a wholly satisfying experience. You'll develop a greater respect for children's literature and a greater awareness of the horror and effects of slavery. Most of all you'll want to read more about the brave champions of freedom, those who risked all for the underground railroad.