[ISLMA-Share] 7th grade historical fiction

[Email list for the Illinois School Library Media Association]

I love Christopher Paul Curtis' books - Elijah of Buxton tells the story of
the first child born free of former slaves in the Canadian town of Buxton.
It was a Newbery Honor winner. I copy/pasted the Booklist review below.

Booklist starred (September 1, 2007 (Vol. 104, No. 1))
Grades 6-8. After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes
have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that
“there ain’t nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being
so doggone fra-gile.” Inexperienced and prone to mistakes, yet kind,
courageous, and understanding, Elijah has the distinction of being the
first child born in the Buxton Settlement, which was founded in Ontario in
1849 as a haven for former slaves. Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story
that builds a broad picture of Buxton’s residents before plunging into the
dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his
depth. In the author’s note, Curtis relates the difficulty of tackling the
subject of slavery realistically through a child’s first-person
perspective. Here, readers learn about conditions in slavery at a distance,
though the horrors become increasingly apparent. Among the more memorable
scenes are those in which Elijah meets escaped slaves—first, those who have
made it to Canada and, later, those who have been retaken by slave
catchers. Central to the story, these scenes show an emotional range and a
subtlety unusual in children’s fiction. Many readers drawn to the book by
humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense
and, at other moments, moved to tears. A fine, original novel from a gifted
storyteller.

On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 12:13 PM, Email list for the Illinois School
Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> Here are 2 websites I created a few years ago for a grant we received. You
> might find something helpful here:
>
> Civil Rights Resources
> <https://sites.google.com/a/ttown.k12.il.us/civil-rights-resources/home>
>
> Minorities & Empathy
> <https://sites.google.com/a/ttown.k12.il.us/empathy-grant/>
>
> On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 9:09 AM, Email list for the Illinois School
> Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
>> Our 7th grade LA teachers are looking for historical fiction texts about
>> African-Americans from pre-Civil War moving forward. What titles do you
>> suggest?
>> Thanks for your suggestions.
>>
>> Patti Fleser
>> Library Media Specialist
>> Deer Path Middle School
>> Lake Forest, IL
>> 847-604-7433
>> @DPM_Library
>>
>> President, Illinois School Library Media Association
>>
>> "...a library is more than a collection of dusty old books. It is a place
>> to learn, explore, and grow!” *Escape from Mr. Lemoncello**’s Library*
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> Any communication sent or received by District 67 and/or District 115 is
>> a public record and may be subject to inspection or copying under the
>> Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Susan Yallaly
> District Media Specialist
> Unit 50
> 801 West Main
> Teutopolis IL 62467
> 217-857-3130, ext 235
> 217-369-0580 (cell)
> yallalys at ttown.k12.il.us
>
>
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-- 
Katy Ryan
Library Aide
Mechanics Grove School &
Carl Sandburg Middle School
Mundelein, IL 60060
kryan at d75.org

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