Elijah of Buxton

Bibliography

Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780439023443

Plot

Elijah Buxton is the first born free child in Buxton, Canada. Buxton is a settlement that was started as a safe place for former slaves in 1849. Elijah learns about the burdens of those that are stuck in slavery as he hears tales from every one of the adults living in Buxton who had physical and emotional scars from their past. When Elijah is forced to accompany Mr. Leroy to Michagan in an effort to save his family Elijah is face to face with the terrible condition of the slaves and is forced to make a decision most eleven year olds would never have to make.

Critical Ananlysis

In Elijah of Buxton we are introduced to an eleven year old that is much like every eleven year we have ever met. He has a sense of humor, a skill that some would find useless (chunking rocks), is a magnet to mischeif and a pro at finding a way to not have to be responsible. He's very different from the eleven year olds of today though because he is the first born free child in a community estabolished for former slaves just over the Michigan border in Canada. While Elijah has grown up hearing tales of slavery, and in turn the reader hears them too, it isn't until he, and the reader, experience the terror themselves that the freedom he has is really appreciated.

Christopher Paul Curtis introduces the reader to a setting that is filled with hope and warmth within the members of the Buxton Community as they welcome in newcomers to the community. Family ties are strong and community members work together to create a support system, helping to overcome the battles the adults have all faced in their pasts. While the community is tight knit, they must deal with the threats of those that are ignorant and still believe in the ideas of slavery.

While hope and family are a central theme in the book, perhaps the most important theme, and the theme that educates the reader is that of racism and slavery. Elijah, who is aware of the struggles those around him faced, grows up in front of the reader as he steps up to the plate to do what is right for Mr. Leroy and his family, making a decision most eleven year olds would never even dream of. The authenticity of the the novel, from the stereotypes to the forming of such settlements gives the reader a history lesson they are sure to enjoy.

Review Excerpts

Awards:

-A Newbery Honor Book

-Coretta Scott King Award Winner

-A School Library Journal Best Book

-Parent's Choice Gold Award Winner

-NAACP Image Award Nominee

Reviews:

"Inexperienced and prone to mistakes, yet kind, courageous, and understanding, Elijah has the distinction of being the first child born in the Buxton Settlement, which was founded in Ontario in 1849 as a haven for former slaves. Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story that builds a broad picture of Buxton's residents before plunging into the dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his depth. In the author's note, Curtis relates the difficulty of tackling the subject of slavery realistically through a child's first-person perspective. Here, readers learn about conditions in slavery at a distance, though the horrors become increasingly apparent. Among the more memorable scenes are those in which Elijah meets escaped slaves—first, those who have made it to Canada and, later, those who have been retaken by slave catchers. Central to the story, these scenes show an emotional range and a subtlety unusual in children's fiction. 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." - Booklist

"Christopher Paul Curtis knows how to write characters so engaging and believable you want to meet them in person. In fact, after reading his books, you feel like you have...Readers will slip into the story as they, along with eleven-year-old Elijah, assume a life of freedom, but this is the 1850's and slavery still exists in America, alarmingly close to the freed slave community of Buxton, Canada...Elijah's heroism is believable, growing from almost accidental, to faltering, to determined, albeit limited, saving one tiny soul rather than a whole group, which is all that can be expected of a child. Indeed, giving a child the opportunity to learn the horrors of the past but understand the hope of the future is the most we can ask of a character—and of an author." -Children's Literature

Connections

Other books by Christopher Paul Curtis:

-The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963

-Bud, Not Buddy

-Mr. Chikee's Funny Money

-Bucking the Sarge

Discussion guide for Elijah of Buxton

Literature Unit including games, vocabulary puzzles and quizes

-Have students research other notable figures from slave backgrounds

-Track the underground railroad and other routes slaves would take to freedom

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Bibliography

Choldenko, Gennifer. 2004. Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0439674328

Plot Summary

Al Capone Does My Shirts introduces us to Mosse Flanagan, a twelve year old boy growing up in the 1930's who has just found him living on the island of Alcatraz. As if life on a rock that houses some of the country's biggest criminals isn't hard enough, Moose has a sister that adds to the difficulty of life. While balancing annoying children sharing space on The Rock with him and trying to make new friends at his school, he is expected to babysit his 16 year old autistic sister while their mother works to get Natalie into a special school for autistic children. Through some twists and turns in the story, Moose finds that Al Capone could possibly play an important role in the lives of Moose and Natalie.

Critical Analaysis

Moose is your typical 12 year old which makes this novel and easy one for students to enjoy. He has a mother and father that sometimes expects more from him than he feels that they should and he has a sister who he loves, but is hard to deal with. He plays basketball, is annoyed by the seven year old that constantly shows up unnexpected and a bossy girl named Piper who gets him involved in a scheme to make some money. What kid can't relate to Moose? While he is relateable by children of this generation, he shows the reader the simplicity of his generation.

Throughout the plot of this story Gennifer Choldenko gives us a subtle history lesson on Alcatraz in its hayday and the mobster metality of Al Capone. Perhaps one of the biggest history lessons we learn about in Al Capone Does My Shirt is the lack of knowledge of Autistic children then, something that is diagnosed and dealt with on an everyday basis today. We also become a part of the stuggle Moose faces trying to decide right from wrong when it comes to the care of his sister. Does he stay in the apartment with with his sister like he knows he should, does he take her with him as he explores the ins and outs of Alcatraz with the other children and risk losing track of Natalie. The battle of right from wrong is tested, and he learns some lessons the hard way.

The diary style of writing makes the relationship between Moose and the reader a more intimate relatioship, making the reader want to pour over every page. Without a doubt, the tid bits of history Moose reveals in his entries will make the reader want to absorb even more about the Mobster days of Al Capone.

Review Excerpts

Awards:

-Newbery Honor Book

-2005 CBC-NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People

-ALA Notable Book

-American Literacy Corporation Literary Choice Award

-Best Book for Young Adults

-Book Sense PIck of the List Summer 2004

Reviews:

"Basing her sotry on the actual experience of those who supported the prison in the '30s-when Al Capone was an inmate-Choldenko's pacing is exquisite, balancing the tense family dynamics alongside the often humorous and riviting school story of peer pressure and friendship." -Kirkus

"The Flanagan family is believable...Moose makes a sympathetic main character....the story, told with skill and humor, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island." -School Library Journal

Connections

Other books by Gennifer Choldenko:

-Al Capone Shines my Shoes

-Moonstruck

-No Passengers Beyond This Point

Al Capone Does My Shirt Webquest

Aids for Teachers

-Research other mobsters of the era

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles

Bibliography

Lasky, Kathryn. 2000. Marie Anoinette: Princess of Versailles. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 04390766678

Plot Summary

Marie Antoinette is a 13 year old girl with many more problems than typical teenage girls. She is set to be the queen of France and has much to learn before that happens. Not to mention she has a proposal from Dauphin Louis XVI coming her way. The princess Diaries gives us a peek into Marie's life as she learns everything from reading and writing in English and French to how to dance and gamble. We watch her grow from a young child of 13 to a young woman at the age of 15 as she gets to know her Dauphin and learns the ins and outs of prepping to be a Queen.

Critical Analysis

This tale introduces the reader, intended to be a 5th-9th grader, to a headstrong, independent Marie Antoinette. While Marie grew up in a different time, country and is on track to be a queen, she is a character that the reader can relate to. She argues with her mother, has a love/hate relationship with her siblings, dislikes her lessons and is nervous about meeting the boy she is promised to.

While dealing with the ups and downs she is presented with, Marie grows from a young girl to a young woman. She struggles with the cultural changes she faces while she prepares herself for life in the French Court, a very different atmosphere than that of the Austrian lifestyle she has grown up in. While some of the new adventures excite her, she must deal with those that scare her as well.

Written in the style of a diary, the reader is introduced to the history of the time period in a way that a middle school aged student can understand and enjoy. Terms and situations are broken down and described as to keep the reader from feeling overwhelmed. With this writing style, readers are sure to learn more than expected about 18th century Austria and France and the etiquette of the French Court.

At the end of the novel, the reader will find an epilogue and historical note which gives a peek into Marie's reign as Queen of France. This also helps to feed our appetite for more informationon the decadance of Marie's life. The author has also included a detailed Habsburg-Bourbe Family tree and images of Marie Antoinette throughout her life, including a portrait of her done while being led to the guillotine for her execution.

Review Excerpts

"Lasky takes historical fact and weaves it into a sympathetic account of an adolescent Marie Antoinette." -School Library Journal

"The descriptions of the fantastic hair styles and dresses and the elaborate rituals and etiquette required at the Court of Versailles should fascinate today's young adults. The author's depiction of the political and dynastic reasons for the marriage of the young royals establishes the historical context of the novel that engages young readers learning about this period in history." -VOYA

"This book entertains and teaches at the same time. It's great for a study of the French Revolution, and it's a fun book to read as well." -Parent Council Reviews

Connections:

Other books by Kathryn Lasky:
-Lost Tales of Ga' Hoole
-Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor
-Mary, Queen of Scotts: Queen Without a Country

-Use novel as a jump start on research of Marie Antoinette
-Read other novels in the series to compare and contrast the women