Tandem Team

  • Mindy
    Mindy is a librarian (MLS '01) with a background in working with teens. She loves to read all over the map and has been blogging about books since 2003.
  • Vanessa
    Vanessa is a teacher who is nearing completion of her MS Ed. degree from the University of Minnesota. She especially enjoys humorous picture books.
  • Anne
    Anne is a librarian (MLS '02) who has worked in publishing and libraries for 11 years. She loves YA fantasy, historical fiction, and chick lit.
  • Kelly
    Kelly is a teacher with experience in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and abroad. She is always looking for books with classroom connections!
  • Emily
    Emily is a librarian (MLS '02) who has worked in school libraries and a children’s literature collection at a university. She particularly enjoys realistic fiction and stories about traveling.
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« 88th Annual Children’s Book Week – Rise Up Reading! | Main | First-Time Authors »

November 14, 2007

Book of the Week: Elijah of Buxton

Elijah_of_buxton Middle schoolers studying slavery and the Underground Railroad or just looking for a solid coming-of-age fiction adventure will be glad they picked up Christopher Paul Curtis’ newest gem Elijah of Buxton. 

Set in 1860, Elijah of Buxton is the story of eleven-year-old Elijah who goes from “fra-gile” to “growed-up” in the settlement of Buxton, Canada.  Teachers will appreciate Curtis’ tremendous historical research of Buxton and its original settlers’ lives and may be pleased as I was that the Author’s Note provides more background on Buxton’s history. 

Young and old will take away the very formidable message of how ultimately every person in Buxton has some relationship to a past of slavery and how it is “something inside so strong that it flies forever.”  High-spirited and humorous, engaging and important, Curtis once again makes the grade.

Here's a list of companion MS novels which complement Elijah of Buxton.

Posted at 08:45 AM in Books of the Week - Intermediate, Kelly's posts |