The Madman of Piney Woods

This powerful middle-grade novel, a companion to *Elijah of Buxton*, follows Benji and Red, two spirited boys in a Canadian settlement founded by runaway slaves. Through their alternating first-person narratives, readers witness their adventures and their gradual understanding of the deep scars carried by their elders, including an Irish famine survivor and a Black Canadian Civil War veteran. The book masterfully blends humor with poignant historical truths, offering a nuanced look at resilience, community, and the lasting impact of historical trauma, making it a rich read for ages 10-14.

Acclaimed Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis delivers a powerful companion to his multiple award-winning Elijah of Buxton. Hailed as a modern-day Mark Twain, Christopher Paul Curtis introduces two clever, funny, brave, utterly authentic kids. Benji and Red are boys young readers will want to run around in the woods with, play pranks on, and entrust with their deepest secrets. Set in Buxton, Ontario, a settlement of runaway slaves, forty years after the events of Elijah of Buxton, the story unfolds through Benji and Red's alternating first-person narratives. hrough their eyes, we meet two different, yet equally damaged, individuals: an Irish immigrant woman whose journey to Canada proves as devastating as the famine she's escaping, and a Black Canadian soldier who barely survives the American Civil War only to find he no longer fits in back home. As the boys discover that their elders have been forever scarred by their pasts, so do we readers come to understand more than we could learn from any history lesson. Here is a novel that will break your heart -- and expand it, too.