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Elijah of Buxton

(2007, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Written by Christopher Curtis)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.
  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Humorous, powerful, masterful escaped-slave tale.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Elijah is brave and compassionate.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Two men are beaten to death, one with a whip. Slaves are shackled, branded, and starved; a man is shot and badly injured; another is lynched; adults slap and punch children; a dog attacks and wounds a boy; it is implied that a slave will commit murder and suicide; a finger is cut off in a knife fight.
  • Sex:

    Two boys think their teacher is going to have a "family breeding contest" a supposedly hypnotized boy takes off his clothes in front of an audience.
  • Language:

    A boy almost says the N-word.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A boy smokes a cigar.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Elijah of Buxton

Parents need to know that, while this isn't as graphic as some books about slavery, it has its share of horrors, including beating deaths (only the aftermath described), lynching, scars from beatings and brandings, and adults and children shackled, starved, and deprived of water.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Pa's statement regarding escaped slaves: "Don't no one get out of America without paying some terrible cost, without having something bad done permanent to 'em, without having something cut off of 'em or burnt into 'em or et up inside of 'em." What does his statement mean, and do you think it was true? How is it shown in each of the characters in the book?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    My fifth graders LOVE it!

    I am reading this book to my class. They have loved this more than any book I have read so far. Christopher Paul Curtis is a master of children's literature.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Excellent tale of slavery

    The book is illustrated by the character's slave-like dialect that sets the tone for the book. Its plot trails off a little at the end, but while you're reading it you feel as if you were in the slavery times. You gotta read this book.

  3. I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 4.0

    Good discussion and lots of laughs.

    I read this to my daughter (9) and my son (7), and they both loved it. The over all plot is a little weak, but each chapter is almost like a mini story. The author does well mixing the funny with the serious for a well balanced book. It deals with the real horrors of slavery in a very real way for kids this age. The older they are the more they would understand about what the author is writing about.

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Wisconsin
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 4.0

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