| Elijah of Buxton | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Christopher Paul Curtis |
| Genre(s) | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | 2007 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 341 |
| ISBN | 0439023440 |
| OCLC Number | 86090238 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.C94137 El 2007 |
Elijah of Buxton is a 2007 novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. It is his fourth book. It won the 00001Coretta Scott King Award[1], the 2008 Newbery Honor[2], the 2008 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction[3], and the 2008 Book of the Year for Children Award of the Canadian Library Association[4]
Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada West (now Ontario), a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit. He’s best known in his hometown as the boy who made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass. But things change when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, 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 get back home.[5]
Elijah of Buxton was nominated for several awards. It won the 2008 Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Book of the Year for Children Award of the Canadian Library Association. Common Sense Media called it a "humorous, powerful, masterful escape-slave tale," awarding it five stars.