Elijah of Buxton

Eleven-year-old Elijah lives in Buxton, a settlement of runaway slaves in Canada, near the American border. He’s the fi rst child in town to be born free, and he ought to be famous just for that. Unfortunately, all that most people see is a ‘fragile’ boy who’s scared of snakes and talks too much. But everything changes when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in America’s South. Now it’s up to Elijah to track down the thief — and his dangerous journey just might make a hero out of him, if only he can fi nd the courage to get back home.

Ages 9-12