Elijah of Buxton

Elijah of Buxton

Christopher Paul Curtis

2008 Coretta Scott King Award

2008 Newbery Honor Medal

Published by: Scholastic

Copyright 2007

341 Pages

Historical Fiction, Journey, Determination, Slavery, Freedom

Elijah of Buxton explores the life of runaway slaves in Canada in the 1860’s. Elijah is the first child born free in the community of Buxton. Being the first freeborn child comes with a certain level of responsibility towards the rest of the community that Elijah has no problem living up to. Throughout the story Elijah’s mother tries to rid him of being “fragile” by encouring him to take chances while also thinking about his actions. When the Preacher steals Mr. Leroy’s money, Elijah realizes he is the only one who can help get the money back. The story follows Elijah on his journey from Buxton to Detroit where he comes across the harsh realities of the life he was privileged enough to escape.

Reading Level

Ages 8-12, Lexile Measure: 1070L

(Teachers beware! The Vernacular in this story may be challenging to some readers)

Suggested Delivery

Independent Reading, Group Reading

Electronic Resources

Introduce this novel by showing your students this interview with the author Christopher Paul Curtis. He explains his mindset for writing the story, as well as how he came up with the main character Elijah.

The Buxton Museum website is a great resource to use to expand knowledge about the settlement of Buxton. The page found here includes a timeline that students can use in unison with the novel to gain perspective on how the community was developed.

Key Vocabulary

·      Abolitionist – A person who is against slavery

·      Slavers – A person who buys and sells slaves

·      Plantation – Land where crops are grown by resident labor (historically slaves)

·      Haint – A ghost or lost soul

·      Shackles – Device used to bind something or someone from moving

Teaching Strategies

            Before – Use a KWL to have students come up with everything they know about slavery in the United States. This can be used to guide further discussions on the topic as well as to garner interest in the novel. Another strategy to aid in comprehension is using vocabulary cards. Use key vocabulary terms (see above) to create notecards so that students have a quick reference to tricky words.

            During – Creating literature circles is a great way to have students engage with the text as well as each other. Have students use the KWL that they completed before the reading to create questions for discussion. Students can also describe two or three items that they learned while reading the text as well as providing an opinion that is backed up with evidence from the text.

            After – The end of the novel provides ample opportunities to assess students inferential comprehension. Teachers can prompt students by having them answer questions such as “Why do you think Elijah makes up the story about his mother losing a child when he is talking to Ms. Chloe?” Students can also explore the meaning of freedom by examining just how “free” Elijah is .

Writing

Upon completing the novel, students can write their own “Letter from Elijah” where students create their own story of an event or character in Elijah’s life. This writing strategy requires students tap into their schema as well as finding evidence from the story to complete a well-developed letter. Students can also take the point of view of Cooter or Mr. Leroy to expand their viewpoints.