FINISHED:

Curtis, Christopher Paul. (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic.

[WOW. Why THIS didn't win the Newbery this year... I'm not quite sure. Although I have yet to read this year's winner (I've got it on order from Amazon), I doubt that it is half as enjoyable and moving as this one. It starts out very quirky, funny, episodic and Mark Twain-y and then gets kind of heavy halfway through. Elijah is the first born into freedom at a small town of ex-slaves which have escaped to Canada. Eventually, he has to go into the US to see what happened to a "preacher" who took money that was to be spent on buying another town resident's family out of slavery. The kid grows up, while still remaining a hint of his "fragile"-ness, and ends up in a situation which will just break your heart wide open. I would have no qualms handing this one to EVERY child that walked through the library doors. What a brilliant way to introduce kids to an unbelievable time in US history. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.]

STARTED (again):
Prevost, Guillaume. (2006, 2007). The book of time. New York: Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic.

[Got so caught up in reading stuff that I want to read that I forgot that the next ACL meeting is next Friday. I've got to get on the ball and read and review this one and 3 others...]

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