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All parent reviews for Elijah of Buxton
AGE
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.
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AGE
good history, good coming-of-age
We read it aloud, and all really liked some of Elijah's quite funny phrases and ways of seeing things. It was a good way to talk about the Underground Railroad, and how buying a slave's freedom was not always the end of the story.
Good discussion of growing up, exploration of the border between brave and reckless, of trying to live up to parent's expectations, and of being true to values even when pushing the boundaries of the actual rules
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AGE
I'd give it a B+
The language can be confusing to young readers, but that is part of the beauty of the book. Symbols abound and the story is interesting and easy to follow.
Parents can talk about the relationship we have with strangers, and teachers can use the book in a unit about slavery.
Both the death and the cigar smoking shouldn't put off any potential buyers.
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AGE
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.
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