ELIJAH OF BUXTON

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, Christopher Paul and read by Mirron Willis. 2008. ELIJAH OF BUXTON. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780739367193. (Unabridged CD audiobook – 8 disks)

Plot Summary:

This is an historical fiction story set in 1859 during the time of slavery in the United States told through the narration of the protagonist, Elijah Freeman. Elijah is a young boy who was the first child to be born free in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. The tale weaves through Elijah’s adventures as a sheltered and innocent boy faced with the horrific realities of slavery, deceit, hatred, while developing his own courage, kindness, and resolve. A humorously written story in the beginning of the book turns dark, dramatic and suspenseful in its end. An excellent glimpse of how the horrible realities of slavery and hatred were overcome by the few courageous individuals who would create their own society embracing freedom and justice. This book is an excellent story of courage and justice for readers from Middle to High School.

Critical Analysis:

Setting: This story is set in 1859 within the community of Buxton, Canada. The protagonist is the first free born child in Buxton, which is a sanctuary for runaway slaves. The author has taken great effort to hold true to the historical facts about Buxton, its inhabitants and notable events, such as the visit by Fredrick Douglas, abolitionist John Brown and reference to the settlement’s Liberty Bell.

The story takes place during the time of slavery in the United States and showed the horrors that runaway slaves had to endure during their captivity and courageous escapes to freedom. The story shows how a young boy grows from a frightened boy to a courageous young man who believes that justice should be served.

The book was written using colloquial language of the time and is best captured by the audiobook rendering. Through the audiobook the listener can hear the slang words said by the characters as they were intended to be spoken in an exciting and revealing fashion. The audiobook greatly enhances the listener’s experience of the story and allow them to be fully immersed in the action.   

The author included an acknowledgment at the beginning of the book and author’s notes at the end to help readers realize that the historical fiction was based on factual events. The author’s notes give factual details to the reader about Buxton and famous people and events that took place there.  

Even though no research sources were specifically cited by the author, he does acknowledge the help of the Buxton National Historical Site and Museum, Shannon Prince, and Spencer Alexander for their assistance with the research needed for the accuracy of the book.

Audiobook analysis:

The CDs were of excellent sound quality and Mirron Willis personified each of the character’s voices in a very distinguishing way. Each chapter was specified which helped the listener know at what point in the novel he was at.

No background effects were used in the sound recording, but this did not diminish the excitement and enthusiasm that was portrayed by Mr. Willis’ reading of the book. Mr. Willis is the reader of the entire book, but he does an excellent job of using different voices for the many characters in the story. Each character has their unique style of speaking and the talent of Mr. Willis to capture each voice distinctly helps the listener to understand who is speaking at any given time in the story. The use of colloquial language is much better experienced in hearing the story than it would have in reading it.

Review Excerpt:

Winner of 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’s Awards by the Canadian Library Association.

AudioFile magazine stated, “Mirron Willis delivers depth of emotion as he shapes the story's rhythms and pacing. He successfully shifts from a light comedic tone of much of the story to a tone of chilling determination when Elijah becomes involved in a dangerous mission to free a group of slaves.” 

Carolyn Phelan wrote the Booklist Starred Review of the book and said, “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:

Readers who enjoy the historical value of the book ELIJAH OF BUXTON may also find reading CHAINS (SEEDS OF AMERICA) by Laurie H. Anderson to be similarly interesting and enlightening. Both historical fiction novels deal with the injustice of slavery and the desire of freedom. Each novel is written for Middle School aged children and can be used to teach them of one of the most unjust times in our country’s history and the courage of those who wanted to be released from their chains of bondage.      

Personal Response:

I enjoyed listening to the novel because I was able to hear the spoken language of each character as it was intended to be heard. I reviewed the text version of the novel and found that these nuances in speech did not convey as well as when they were heard. Some children may have difficulty understanding why some words have been misspelled in order to simulate the colloquial speech of the characters, so allowing them to hear the audiobook version may aid in the understanding. 

References:

ALSC, (2013). Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal

ALSC, (2013). Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal

Audio Editions, (n.d.). ELIJAH OF BUXTON audiobook cover. Retrieved from http://www.audioeditions.com/products/Elijah-of-Buxton-Christopher-Paul-Curtis-310165.aspx

AudioFile, (2008). ELIJAH OF BUXTON audiobook review. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Elijah-Buxton-Christopher-Paul-Curtis/dp/product-description/0439023459/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Booklist, (n.d.) ELIJAH OF BUXTON Starred Book Review. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Elijah-Buxton-Christopher-Paul-Curtis/dp/product-description/0439023459/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Canadian Library Association, (2013). Book of the Year for Children Awards. Retrieved from http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Book_of_the_Year_for_Children_Award&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2501

Scott O’Dell, (2013). Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Retrieved from http://www.scottodell.com/pages/ScottO'DellAwardforHistoricalFiction.aspx