Elijah of Buxton

The boys picked to read Elijah of Buxton for this month’s discussion. The librarian asked me how I tricked them into reading an historical novel. I told her it was my wit and good looks. I think it has more to do with the cover. Anyhow, some have loved it, and some have struggled. Third graders are......more

An exciting historical fiction read. Even if you're well past your childhood, if you've never read this, it's worth a try; don't let the "juvenile" label stop you.......more

I laughed and cried. Elijah became flesh and blood to me, and of course, I learned a little more about slavery and what it means to be free. It took a page or two for me to get accustomed to the dialect. I kept waiting for the library copy to come in, but went ahead and bought it. It's one worth own......more

Oh, Christopher Paul Curtis, you had me at this description of hoopsnake poisoning: You swell so much that after exactly seven and a half days the pressure in your body becomes too great and you explode like an overheated steam boiler! In seconds your stomach and your lungs and your other entrails ar......more

I mistakenly thought that this was the author's Newbery medal-winning book. Did I "waste" time reading this when I had intended it to be credited towards my project of reading all the Newbery medal books? I don't think so! I enjoyed every page.......more