Christopher Paul Curtis’ novel Elijah of Buxton received the Scott O’Dell Award for historical fiction. I started this book last week and have been so busy with teaching and other things that many pages remain. I know what must happen this weekend! 
I adore Curtis’ other novels: The Watsons go to Birimingham–1963 (winner of a Newbery Honor in 1995) and Bud, Not Buddy(winner of the Newbery Medal in 1999).
Book Description:
Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit. He’s best known in his hometown as the boy who made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass. But things change when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled—a life from which he’ll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home.
This is a great book! I finished it today.