Elijah of Buxton

Newbery winner. An inspiring coming-of-age story set in a settlement of runaway slaves who have escaped to Canada.

Eleven-year-old Elijah is the town's first child to be born free. But instead of feeling like a brave beacon for freedom, Elijah just feels like a "fra-gile" boy who is scared of snakes. When duty calls, however, Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey that might make a hero of him yet. A powerful story of a boy grappling with the harsh realities of racial injustice.