ELIJAH OF BUXTON by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bibliography

Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439023459

Summary

Elijah, an 11 year old boy, lives in Buxton, Canada, a settlement for runaway slaves that is just across the border from Detroit. Elijah is famous, because he is the first child from this community born into freedom. While most people think of Elijah as a “fra-gile” child, he proves himself when money is stolen from a friend of his – money that he had been keeping to buy his family’s freedom. Elijah journeys into America after thief and witnesses firsthand the horrors that his family bravely escaped. 

Critical Analysis

A combination of humor and suspense make this an enjoyable read for children, if they are able to tackle the realistic, but challenging, dialect that Curtis employs. Elijah is definitely not a modern character, but he is easy to connect to because even if you can’t personally relate to him, you know someone who can. The emotional growth that Elijah undergoes as he encounters the life his parents fled is reason enough to introduce Elijah to students. Curtis does a brilliant job portraying what slavery was like without being overly graphic so that his target audience can understand what this period in time was like from Elijah’s point of view. Using Buxton as the setting and intertwining real people such as Frederick Douglass and Reverend William King set this story in reality. Then providing a description of this place and people at the end in the author’s note help young readers to better understand the world that Elijah lived in. 

Review Excerpts

2007 Coretta Scott King Award winner

2008 ALA Notable Books for Children award winner

2008 Newbery nominee

Booklist – “A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller.” – Carolyn Phelan

School Library Journal – “Curtis's talent for dealing with painful periods of history with grace and sensitivity is as strong as ever.” – Kim Dare

Connections

This is a great book to include in any unit about slavery.

This would be a great fictional connection when studying Frederick Douglass.

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys

Bibliography

Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. Between Shades of Gray. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 014242059X

Summary

Lina, an average Lithuanian teenager and gifted artist, has her life completely turned upside down in a matter of minutes when Soviet police come in and force them out of their homes. They are given moments to gather what they can and are then forced onto a train headed for Siberia, where they will unknowingly spend the next decade of their lives. Lina, brave and determined, finds comfort in her art as she documents the experiences of her and her mother and brother, separated from her father, doing everything they can to survive.

Critical Analysis

This haunting tale of a young girl truly captures what it would have been like to suffer through the harsh Siberian work camps that many were forced into during WWII and Stalin’s cleansing of the Baltic region. Books set in this time period typically are written about Hitler’s regime and the concentration camps spread throughout much of Western Europe, which makes this such an important piece of literature. Sepetys extensively researched this tragic story and has captured many authentic experiences of survivors through Lina and her family. While desperation, fear and sadness are dominant themes that drive the characters and set the tone of the book, love and the bond of family make this a story that readers can relate to. 

Review Excerpts

2011 ALA Notable Books for Children award winner

2011 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year award winner

Publishers Weekly – A Harrowing page-turner, made all the more so for its basis in historical fact, the novel illuminates the persecution suffered by Stalin's victims (20 million were killed), while presenting memorable characters who retain their will to survive even after more than a decade in exile.

School Library Journal - Moving, edifying, and quietly beautiful, Sepetys's well-researched novel is an exquisite look at a devastating atrocity. 

Connections

This is a great book to include in any study of WWII.

This book uses a variety of literary features such as foreshadowing and flashbacks that would be great to study.

This would make a great book to include when studying about Stalin and his regime. 

LILY'S CROSSING by Patricia Reilly Giff

Bibliography

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. Lily's Crossing. New York: Random House Children's Books. ISBN 0440414539

Summary

Lily Mollahan is a young girl with a wild imagination who is looking forward to spending another summer at her Gram’s house in Rockaway, NY with Gram and her dad. However, the year is 1944 and the U.S.A. needs help as WWII continues. Lily’s father joins the fight and Lily’s only friend Margaret and her family move across the country to help in a factory. Then Albert, a young Hungarian boy, moves in with her neighbors. As Lily and Albert become friends, Lily learns of Albert’s sister Ruth and his desire to get back to Europe and find her. In an effort to comfort Albert, Lily tells a lie that ultimately puts Albert’s life in danger. What will do for her friend and what will she learn about true friendship?

Critical Analysis

Giff transports us into 1940s New York and creates an atmosphere that will help young readers understand what it was like to live in America at the peak of WWII. Food shortages and communities coming together to support each other are seamlessly woven into the backdrop of the story that create the atmosphere of what it would have felt like during that time. Today’s readers will be able to connect to the families who have loved ones fighting to protect their country as that is similar to the environment they are being raised in now. The most important part of the story is friendship and what friendship means as friends move away and new ones are made. Anyone can connect with Lily and what she learns about true friendship.

At the end of the book, Giff relates a portion of her story and what she remembers as a child in 1944. While this isn't her story, Lily could have been her, one child who felt both the fear and the friendship of the age.

Review Excerpts

1998 ALA Notable Books for Children award winner

1998 Newbery award nominee

School Library Journal – "An excellent choice for all collections serving middle school students." - Veronica Schwartz

Connections

This is a great book to include in any study of WWII.

This is a great book to study character development.