Parent reviews for Elijah of Buxton

First recommendation... use the listening version. It allows you to understand the dialect, and it builds up suspense and understanding by allowing the book to be read to you at a slower pace. My 13 year old daughter and I had great discussions about this fabulous book, while we studied slavery in US history. This was an eye awakening first exposure to slavery- as the boy, Elijah, ( read by a man, which makes it a good book for older kids, too) the first "born free" Black baby in Buxton, Canada, discovers with you how slavery exists in the the county called America.

THE BOOK: Is about 11 year old Elijah, who lives with a non-slave family durinh the times of slavery at a settlement in Canada. His good life is interupted when his friend Mr.Leroy's money is stolen by "Preacher" and Elijah feels obligated to get the money back for him. THE RATING: The book is funny and historically significant at the same time. Books like these are hard to find. Its light tone prevents it from becoming too depressing. Thinking back, there is not one thing wrong with this book. It is a masterpiece! AGE: While it is funny, it IS about slavery. Rated ON 11 and up for: violence, blood, infrequent nudity, and strong subject matter.

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.

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

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.

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.