Elijah of Buxton

Being fragile has nothing to do with
 being a man or a grown-up --
Having emotions is a wonderful
 human characteristic~~

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Curtis, Christopher Elijah of Buxton. New York: Random House. 2008.

ISBN 9780739364154

Christopher Paul Curtis

PLOT SUMMARY:

Eleven year-old Elijah Freeman is famous for two things: being the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada and for throwing-up on Frederick Douglass as a baby. A sweet natured boy who is "too fragile for his age" according to his mother and according to himself, he can "throws chunking stones at most any fish and brings home nuff fer his family and mores." As the story progresses, Elijah learns through personal experiences that life is difficult and grown-ups are even more "troublesome to tries and figures out why they says what they says and does what they does." Elijah and Buxton are both unique.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Christopher Paul Curtis creates a tale so believable and heartfelt that readers will find themselves smiling and crying as the main character, Elijah of Buxton, a young black boy in the mid-1800s, goes through life and struggles trying to understand and overcome the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery and racial injustice. Because of Mr. Curtis's linguistic cleverness, Elijah and the other authentic characters found through out the book are colorful and lively with personalities that capture the reader's interest  as easily as Elijah's "chunking stones captures the fish." Through his skillful writing, Christopher Curtis is able to transport readers back in time to Buxton,Canada -- a place that is both heaven and a haven for slaves fleeing the American south. Elijah's parents want him to have a better life and future than them; therefore, he attends school regularly and it is here he "realizes that he isn't the brightest bulb in Mr. Travis's class" but he is "lots brighter than others" --- A few things set Elijah apart from his "best friend Cooter, ... Cooter pays less attention to his studies than" Elijah and Elijah gives far more attention to the "growned-up folks around him and what theys be sayin" and most importantly he thinks before he acts. Christopher Curtis uses his literary skills in creating the characters -- it is quickly and vividly apparent that Elijah Freeman respects and honors his parents -- by his actions and words. As the narrator, Elijah takes the readers through his experiences, it is these thoughts we hear through out the book; as he goes from one tale to another story to another adventure. Elijah is thrust into the "growned-up world" by Mr. Leroy, a "growned-up friend," who is willing to risk everything to buy his wife and children out of slavery. As the story unfolds, it is left up to Elijah to safe himself and another -- along with using his wits and skills to survive he must put his knowledge  of “growned-up peoples and how theys says things backwards and what they really means to says they don’t says and yous gots to figures out whats theys really meaning” -- he must do all of this in order to make it back north to Buxton. 

While the book seems a little slow and disjointed at times the reader still finds themselves turning the pages -- that is what reading is all about -- getting caught-up and lost in the story. Mrs. Curtis is truly a great storyteller.

REVIEW EXCERPT:

Booklist: "After his mother rebuke him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that 'there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile.' Inexperienced and prone to mistakes, yet kind, courageous, and understanding, Elijah has the distinction of being the first child born in the Buxton Settlement. Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story that builds a broad picture of Buxton's residents before plunging into the dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his depth."

CONNECTIONS:

* Using a map of North America locate and label states, cities, and settlements mentioned in the book

* Elijah's ma sees him as 'fra-gile' -- What are the characteristics of a 'fra-gile' person?

* Draw your most memorable scene from the book

* Image, if Ms. Chloe could have written a letter to Hope, what she would tell her

* List emotional and physical scares slavery left on the residents of Buxton