Elijah of Buxton By: Christopher Paul Curtis

Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Ontario, a settlement of runaway slaves near the American border. He’s best known in his hometown as the boy who made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass. But things change when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled — a life from which he’ll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home. **Note to Hunter inside the cover** Grades: 4-7 Goodreads: 3.95 Paperback. 2007