Lidia Bissell- Elijah of Buxton

HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK REVIEW

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. ELIJAH OF BUXTON. Scholastic Press. New York, NY. ISBN 9780439023443

2. PLOT
Christopher Curtis puts the reader in suspense, stress and sadness when he puts an eleven-year-old Black young boy out of his comfort zone of Buxton, Canada, a city founded by the arrival of slaves. Elijah goes from a worry free life to finding slaves in a barn in Detroit. This young scary and “fra-gile” boy was struck with the full blown reality of slavery. This happens when he goes to Detroit with Mr. Leroy is looking for the preacher that stole Mr. Leroy’s money to buy Mr. Leroy’s family out of slavery. The reader is completely at awe about how the author developed a scary eleven-year-old youth. He takes the character out of his known lifestylr in Baxton into Detroit to face the risk to be capture into slavery and never see his family again. Buxton, Canada has the reputation of welcoming and helping slaves to make it in to their town by rescuing them in the woods prior to entering town. Wow! This historical fiction story is one of finding the courage within us to do the right thing, just as Elijah finds the courage to go back to the barn where the slaves are for Ms. Chloe’s baby girl and takes her in to free territory where the Liberty Bell will ring because of the arrival of one more life to live free.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Christopher Curtis Newbery Honor Book Award crafts the historical fiction story by creating a solid setting in Buxton Canada where slaves that had escaped slavery had come to Buxton to live as free. The story is told by the first person point of view from Elijah an 11- year- old. He seems to be popular amongst friends because he is the first Black person to be born free. The author develops the character by what others think, and say about him. He is depicted as one who is scared of anything such as “rope shaped cookies.” However the characters actions contradict what others think about him. This is a character that one wants to get close because he is funny, witty, and has courage to do what is right. Elijah put himself in danger by crossing the Canada border in to Detroit and to risk being captured as a slave. He discovers slaves in a barn. He leaves the barn, slaves, and a baby girl behind. He puts himself at greater risk by going back for the baby and takes her to free territory founded by slaves that had escaped. Christopher Curtis protagonist builds suspense and emotion in the way he develops the character and tying this to history.
It is obvious that the author spent a great deal of time researching prior to writing this book. He spends lots of time talking about the setting where the character and its citizens live. I enjoy the way he creates this closed neat community who rings the Liberty Bell anytime a slave comes to their slave free territory created by their ancestors. However, it is amazing and brilliant the way he develops the protagonist Elijah.
This is literature that needs to be brought in the classrooms to show students that they can overcome difficult challenges. Students must find the courage inside them to do the right thing in their lives. This novel can be taught in a way of a timeline to unite, show, compare and contrast the past in the lives of slaves to know.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
RSchool Library Journal: Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman has two claims to fame: he was the first free black to have been born in Buxton, an actual settlement in Canada established in 1849 by the abolitionist Reverend William King; and, during his infancy, he threw up all over the visiting Frederick Douglass. Elijah is an engaging protagonist, and whether he is completing his chores or lamenting his Latin studies or experiencing his first traveling carnival, his descriptions are full of charm and wonder. Although his colloquial language may prove challenging for some readers, it brings an authenticity and richness to the story that is well worth the extra effort that it might require. While some of the neighbors believe Elijah to be rather simple, and even his mother tends to overprotect her "fra-gile" boy, his true character shines out when a disaster occurs in the close community. Elijah's neighbor, Mr. Leroy, has been saving money for years to buy freedom for his wife and children who are still in the U.S. When this money is stolen, Elijah blames himself for inadvertently helping the thief and, risking capture by slave catchers, crosses the border into Detroit to get it back. His guileless recounting of the people he meets and the horrors he sees will allow readers to understand the dangers of the Underground Railroad without being overwhelmed by them. Elijah's decisions along the way are not easy ones, but ultimately lead to a satisfying conclusion. Curtis's talent for dealing with painful periods of history with grace and sensitivity is as strong as ever.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA School Library Journal, A Reed Business Information Publication
Publishers Weekly: Elijah Freeman, 11, has two claims to fame. He was the first child “born free” to former slaves in Buxton, a (real) haven established in 1849 in Canada by an American abolitionist. The rest of his celebrity, Elijah reports in his folksy vernacular, stems from a “tragical” event. When Frederick Douglass, the “famousest, smartest man who ever escaped from slavery,” visited Buxton, he held baby Elijah aloft, declaring him a “shining bacon of light and hope,” tossing him up and down until the jostled baby threw up—on Douglass. The arresting historical setting and physical comedy signal classic Curtis (Bud, Not Buddy ), but while Elijah's boyish voice represents the Newbery Medalist at his finest, the story unspools at so leisurely a pace that kids might easily lose interest. Readers meet Buxton's citizens, people who have known great cruelty and yet are uncommonly polite and welcoming to strangers. Humor abounds: Elijah's best friend puzzles over the phrase “familiarity breeds contempt” and decides it's about sexual reproduction. There's a rapscallion of a villain in the Right Reverend Deacon Doctor Zephariah Connerly the Third, a smart-talking preacher no one trusts, and, after 200 pages, a riveting plot: Zephariah makes off with a fortune meant to buy a family of slaves their freedom. Curtis brings the story full-circle, demonstrating how Elijah the “fra-gile” child has become sturdy, capable of stealing across the border in pursuit of the crooked preacher, and strong enough to withstand a confrontation with the horrors of slavery. The powerful ending is violent and unsettling, yet also manages to be uplifting.
Kirkus Reviews: Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman is known for two things: being the first child born free in Buxton, Canada, and throwing up on the great Frederick Douglass. It's 1859, in Buxton, a settlement for slaves making it to freedom in Canada, a setting so thoroughly evoked, with characters so real, that readers will live the story, not just read it. This is not a zip-ahead-and-see-what-happens-next novel. It's for settling into and savoring the rich, masterful storytelling, for getting to know Elijah, Cooter and the Preacher, for laughing at stories of hoop snakes, toady-frogs and fish-head chunking and crying when Leroy finally gets money to buy back his wife and children, but has the money stolen. Then Elijah journeys to America and risks his life to do what's right. This is Curtis's best novel yet, and no doubt many readers, young and old, will finish and say, "This is one of the best books I have ever read."


5. CONNECTIONS
Have students work in small groups to create readers’ theater, write on journal, and have them understand that this story is to bring us together vs. separating us. This story is about what we can learn from the past.

Lidia Bissell- Island of the blue Dolphins

HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK REVIEW

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
O’Dell, Scott. 1960. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0440439884

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is the 1960 Newbery Award winning tale of Karana, “The girl with the long black hair.” The story is based on the real life of Juana Maria who was part of the Nicoleno tribe that was stranded on the small San Nicholas Island after a series of tragic events. The small village of Ghalas gets visited by Aleuts who wished to hunt sea otters. Karana’s father reluctantly agrees to allow them to hunt in exchange for money. Aleuts attempted to leave without paying the tribe, resulting in a fight among the two groups. Karan’s father is killed among many others in the tribe. The new tribe’s chief leaves to seek and bring help to the tribe by taking them out of the island. Years go by and with every sight of a ship she hopes it’s the chief’s return. Finally, a ship sent by the Chief comes to take everyone away; everyone is on the ship except Karana’s brother, Ramo. The ship cannot wait for the boy because of a heavy storm coming their way which leads to Karana jumping off the ship. Karana’s brother later is killed by the dogs that were part of the tribe that have turned vicious. She mourns the loss of her brother, cries herself to sleep at night, and endures harsh weather and later is able to cope and survive. She learns to do jobs men would do that are considered a sin in her religion. However , Karana builds canoes, spears, and knows that her enemies are the Laetus and dogs. During her explorations, she remembers about the death whale’s bones and their location which she later learns to use them creatively and usefully to build a house. Karana discovers a cave that’s she makes a hiding place for water and necessary supplies. After killing some of the dog pack and injuring the leader she becomes at peace with them while nursing them back to health..
After sometime Karana grows and matures into a self reliant woman by keeping a realistic attitude about her situation. Later the Leauts return and bring a young woman servant which lead to a friendship between the two, soon Karana goes unnoticed. After eighteen years, a ship anchors at the island to hunt for otter’s pelt this is were Scott O’ Dell beautifully describes Karana’s thoughts of the white men. She dresses with sea otter pelt and its viewed as inappropriate for the Santa Barbara Civilization so they dress her in there attire,


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Scott O’Dell’s historical fiction book, THE ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, a Newbery award winner gives some detailed information about the female character and history of her ancestors. Scott O’ Dell, provides the readers with “Author’s Notes” or research information at the end of the book by stating that, “The Island of the Blue Dolphins was first settled by indians in about 2000 B.C, but it was not discovered by white men until 1602.” He also estimates that Karana lived in the Island of the Blue Dolphins by herself from “1835-1853.” Scott O’ Dell, begins the story with Karana, the twelve year old girl with long black hair. The author describes the character as caring by doing things for the tribe’s benefit vs. herself. The story is told from the first person point of view. He develops the character with appropriate actions and thoughts of a twelve year old and continues this pattern simultaneously as Karana grows in maturity and age.
The author sets the tone in the first chapter by giving facts congruent with history details about explorers and Indian Tribes. Scott O’Dell provides us with this in chapter 1, when Karana or main character expresses her father’s description of Russians, ‘I had never seen a Russian before, but my father had told me about them and I wondered, seeing the way he stood with his feet set apart and his fists on his hips and looked at the little harbor as though it already belonged to him, if he were one of those men from the north whom our people feared. I was certain of it when the boat slid in to the shore and he jumped out, shouting as he did so." This creates pictures in the readers mind and touches on historical events. Furthermore, the author provides the reader with details about how explorers and Natives exchange goods with each other. In this case, the explorers “Leuts” were to pay money in exchange for permission to kill otters for their pelt. They brake their promise and many tribesmen are killed including Karan’s father.
The author sets the tone to touch on the theme of survival and overcoming barriers with Karana conflict with nature and self due to her religious beliefs. He also brings information that is congruent with historical events. This story is about how a girl made the island her home and used animals and nature her best friends. She learned to utilized death and living things by using the bones of dead whales to build shelter and fishing for food.
The book has author’s notes at the end of the book and provides facts about when the island was “…settled by Indians in 1600B.C., and how this woman Juana of San Nicolas was able to overcome her fears and survive in The Island of the Blue Dolphins for 18 years all by herself.


REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

"A haunting and unusual story based on the fact that in the early 1800s an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone on a rocky island far off the coast of California . . . A quiet acceptance of fate characterizes her ordeal." School Library Journal, Starred

A beautiful Indian girl stranded on an island off California makes her home with her brother while she awaits a rescue which will take years in O'Dell's moving classic story. Tantoo Cardinal's fine reading is enhanced by her background as an actress in this moving story, which comes alive in audio. -- Midwest Book Review
CONNECTIONS
Julie of the Wolves

LS 560321 Lidia Bissell

I hope you receive this post.