BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. ELIJAH OF BUXTON. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439023459
PLOT SUMMARY
Eleven-year-old Elijah is proud to be known as the first free child born in Buxton, Canada West, a community of runaway slaves. Although he has heard stories from the "growned-up" folks about their lives as slaves and has seen the tired, starving faces of new slaves as they arrive in the settlement, Elijah knows very little about the cruel realities of slavery that lie just across the border in America. During a perilous journey to Detroit to help a friend, Elijah risks his own freedom to set things right and witnesses firsthand the horrible injustices done to people who are just like him.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The four most memorable characters in this book are Elijah, the Preacher, Mr. Leroy, and Mrs. Chloe. These characters are more developed than others and as such seem much more realistic. The young protagonist, Elijah, stands on the cusp of manhood trying desperately to shake what his Ma refers to as his “fra-gile” ways of “screaming and running off at the littlest nonsense.” An innocent in the ways of the world, he’s been raised free in the safety of Buxton far from the atrocities of racial injustice. His life is idyllic - a loving home with two parents, “toady frog” pranks with his best friend, Cooter, and plenty of time to go “fish head chunking.” Mr. Leroy, the steadfast family friend, works long hours to earn the money needed to buy his family’s freedom and bring them to Buxton. As the local con man, the Preacher constantly looks for someone to scam whether it’s with hoop snake stories, convincing Elijah to tithe four of his freshly caught fish to him as the Lord’s “servant here on earth,” or “promising” to safeguard Mr. Leroy’s money. Finally, there’s Mrs. Chloe, one of the slaves that Elijah finds in the stable when he goes looking for the Preacher. This encounter transforms Elijah into a young man willing to risk everything in order to do the right thing.
Although the story begins with an entertaining chapter about the Preacher scaring the boys with tales of hoop snakes, Elijah’s toady-frog prank on his Ma, and her delightful revenge with a snake in the cookie jar, the plot moves forward sluggishly. Along the way some readers may lose interest because the chapters are lengthy. Many of them, while interesting, do not seem to be leading anywhere. For example, Elijah’s late-night trip to the carnival with the Preacher is interesting, but it also takes up more than forty pages. The Preacher plans to use the unwitting Elijah (and his rock chunking skills) to make some money “for the settlement.” But suddenly, the Preacher decides to leave the carnival when he sees the sign that reads “The Jungles of Darkest Africa!! Help Madame Sabbar Capture MaWee, the Chief of the Pickaninnys.” The Preacher never explains their abrupt departure which leaves Elijah confused and thinking, “that don’t make no sense, it don’t make no sense at all.” Readers unfamiliar with the derogatory nature of the word “pickaninny” will also be left feeling the same way. The most captivating part of the book begins at Chapter 16 in which Mr. Leroy suddenly obtains enough money to buy his family’s freedom. The plot becomes intense as the true natures of Mr. Leroy, the Preacher, and Elijah are revealed and their unforgettable actions propel the story toward its gut-wrenching, but ultimately satisfying climax.
Curtis immediately sets the stage for the story on the very first page as Elijah says, “I was sitting on the stoop of our home trying to think what to do. It was that time of day when the birds were getting ready to be quiet and the toady-frogs were starting to get louder with that chirpity sound they make most of the night. I wondered if it would be worth it to go fishing for a hour afore it got dark.” Throughout the rest of the book, Curtis uses the activities of the characters to define a setting rather than use vivid descriptions. He mentions their chores such as barn raking, tree chopping, or traveling down the road by horseback to pick up the mail. To this he adds tidbits about their pastimes of whittling, fishing, or knitting. When Elijah shares his humiliating story about throwing up on Frederick Douglas, readers discover that he lives in Buxton, a free slave settlement deep in the forests of Canada. The time period is pre-Emancipation as Elijah shares in the joy of ringing the Liberty Bell when new runaways are welcomed into the community.
The predominant theme in this story is that of growing up. As the narrator, Elijah shares his innermost thoughts and emotions. His biggest problem is his inability to outgrow what his Ma refers to as being “fra-gile.” According to her, he needs to “start thinking things through” and to stop “running and screaming off at the littlest nonsense.” As the story progresses, Elijah struggles to overcome these fra-gile behaviors. This is evident when he reads the letter to Mrs. Holton informing her of her husband’s demise. Afterwards, he says, “Whilst me and Ma were walking home I was ‘bout to bust waiting on her to tell me how I did. I hadn’t cried nor let my voice get shake-ity nor even sniffled whilst I was reading the letter to Mrs. Holton.” He feels very proud when Ma finally says, “What you done was real growned, son! Wait ‘til I tell your daddy!” During that moment of pride Elijah notices “that same stuff in my nose commenced to loosening up and slopping ‘round all over again.” This really confuses him since he thought he was finally on his way to being “growned up.”
Curtis’ writing style is as easy and casual as a conversation. Indeed, the book is comprised mainly of conversations – no lengthy descriptions of places or people. He lets the characters speak for themselves. This is what makes the characters so engaging and memorable. His use of the Negro dialect is very effective is bringing to life the world of runaway slaves - those who have made it to freedom and those who sadly, will not. Following this unique dialect may be challenging for some readers. The audio version, however, which is skillfully narrated by Mirron Willis, demonstrates the liveliness of this particular dialect and how it should be read. Using distinct voices, Willis adds extra personality to each of Curtis’ already well-developed characters. Masterfully weaving history into the plot to ensure the story’s authenticity, Curtis includes a visit from Frederick Douglas and John Brown, the famous abolitionists; Ma’s personal story about her time as a child slave; and the heartbreaking descriptions of Mrs. Chloe and the other slaves who have been captured by “pattyrollers.” On a somewhat lighter note, he incorporates the Carnival of Oddities to show the kinds of entertainment that people enjoyed during this time period such as “freaks of nature,” games of chance, and so-called “Mesmerists.”
REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Author Award
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
From Kirkus Reviews: (Ages 9 and up) "This is Curtis’s best novel yet, and no doubt many readers, young and old, will finish and say, “This is one of the best books I have ever read.”
Starred review from Booklist: "Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense and, at other moments, moved to tears. A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller."
CONNECTIONS - Social Studies
Yes! Buxton was REAL! Learn more about it at the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum website. I highly recommend the following:
1) The interesting YouTube video tour of the museum and photos of the school and log cabins. http://www.buxtonmuseum.com/exhibits/exhibits.html
2) An brief overview of the history of Buxton and its people:
http://www.buxtonmuseum.com/history/hist-ELGIN.html
3) Who was this Reverend King that Elijah mentions? Learn more about this man who dared to make a difference. http://www.presbyterianarchives.ca/williamkingexhibit.html
Explore the PBS website entitled "Slavery and the Making of America"
You can access a variety of subjects including: a timeline, slave memories, living conditions, the family, responses to enslavement, and freedom. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/index.html
Related Books:
Woodson, Jacqueline, and Hudson Talbott. Show Way. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2005.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008.
Hart, Alison. Gabriel's Horses. (Racing to Freedom Trilogy, Book 1). Atlanta: Peachtree, 2007.
Fox, Paula. The Slave Dancer. Laurel-Leaf Books, 1997.
Hamilton, Virginia. Many Thousands Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom. Knopf, 1993.
Lester, Julius. To Be a Slave. Puffin Books, 2000.
Paulsen, Gary. Sarney: A Life Remembered. Laurel Leaf, 1999.
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