Curtis, Curtis Paul. Elijah of Buxton

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. Scholastic, 2007 [978-0-439-02344-3 // 0-439-023440]

Elijah is the first child free black child born in Buxton, Canada (a town made up of run-away slaves.) Now eleven, Elijah gets involved with the lying local itinerant preacher who steals money from a resident of Buxton which was meant to buy the rest of his family out of slavery in the United States. This 341 page book tells a story based on a real community of former slaves in Canada who had to live carefully, being so close to slavery in the United States. One frequently hears about the Underground Rail Road going to Canada but I am not aware of other stories for kids about the former slaves after they get to Canada. It is a serious story told with humor. There are some historical notes at the end.