Elijah of Buxton

My children's literature class discussed Newbery winner Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, and after the discussion, I just had to read the book. However, as so often happens with me, when a book (or movie or restaurant or anything else for that matter) gets a lot of buildup, I found I was disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, there was so much to like about this book! But, I really wish I had read it before the big buildup.

So what's to like? Elijah is a "fragile", humor boy at the beginning this book who grows into a responsible young man through the course of the book. Elijah is the crux of this book, and few books have such a solid core.

I found learning a bit of Elgin Settlement's history fascinating. I had heard of towns made up of former slaves, particularly in Kansas, but these started only after the Civil War. Elgin was in Canada and was a safe haven for runaway slaves.

I won't give away the ending, but I thought it was fitting, believable and poignant.

So, I don't know why I was disappointed, but as I said, sometimes too much anticipation is a bad thing. Hopefully, I haven't ruined someone else's enjoyment of this book.