2008 Coretta Scott King Award Books-Author and Illustrator

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Elijah of Buxton is the 2008 Coretta Scott King award winner for best author. Elijah is an 11 year old boy who is famous for being the first African American born free in Buxton, Canada. Elijah is also known for the time when he was an infant and threw up all over Frederick Douglas in front of the whole town. Elijah’s mother tells him he is to fragile because he has a tendency to believe what ever anyone tells him even if he knows that it could not possibly be the truth. Mr. Leroy, a friend of Elijah’s, has worked and saved money to but the freedom of his family and bring them to Buxton. Mr. Leroy gives his money to the “preacher” to bring his family to Buxton, however, the man steals the money. Elijah and Mr. Leroy take off for America to hunt down the preacher, get the money back and buy the family’s freedom. On his trip to America Elijah learns first hand some of the horrors slavery offered and wonder if his parents suffered any of these. He ends up in a barn of slave traders where he sees slaves hanging form chains. He tries to free them but is unable and one of the female slaves gives him her baby girl and asks for her because she wants her to be raised in a free country and get an education. This journey helped Elijah learn about himself and that he is not as fragile as his mother had said. This historical fiction is written in a way that will keep students engaged because it is authentic, using dialect the slaves would have used and it is told from the eyes of a child. Christopher Paul Curtis is an author who is now on my radar and I will be getting my hands on other books written by him.
















Let it Shine-Three Favorite Spirituals by Ashley Bryan
Let it Shine is the 2008 Coretta Scott King award winner for best illustrator. The illustrations of the book eye catching with its bright colors and curved lines. The first spiritual is “This Little Light of Mine” and all the children hat are in the illustrations do not have descript facial features but are of all different colors which will show diversity of cultural. The second spiritual, “Oh, When The Saints Go Marching In” the illustrator used different shading techniques on the pages to shoe the different feelings felt throughout the song, lighter colors were for the happier verse and darker colors in the background for the part that mentions the stars disappeared. And finally, for He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands” the illustrator uses the size of the contrasting size of the animals the hands as they holding the seas, mountains, valleys, flowers and trees as large. The collage type illustrations will draw the readers’ attention to the detail based on the words of the songs. This is one audio book I would love to listen to!