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Dear Christopher Paul Curtis,

I read Elijah of Buxton. This book taught me to be thankful for everything new that I get. When this book takes place Elijah Didn’t get to use his parents money to go out and buy new clothes, shoes, ect. He had to raise the money or just do helpful things just to be nice. Now days, kids just say I need some money and they get money so it taught me to not just say I need money, I need to earn it.

It also made me proud to be an American because I am free to go and do whatever I want. It made me really stop and think about all that I get to have and do, because Elijah was the first child bon into freedom, so he was lucky just like me. So we have some in common. It just makes me feel good to think that I am like a character in one of my favorite books. A lot of people feel that they need to go everywhere and do everything, so I think Elijah should make them think that they don’t need everything.

It reflected me as a person because it showed me how much I have and how lucky I am. I am lucky because my parents work for me so that I can have food, a home, and everything I need to survive. Just like Elijah. This book was like one of my life experiences because it taught me how to live without electricity. I had to live with out electricity during and ice storm in Northeast Kansas. We had now electricity for about a week. When I stared to get cold I thought what would Elijah do?

In this book Elijah was very fragile. He was scared of snakes. So it taught me to not be so scared of everything because when you are scared it takes up your whole lifetime. So you have no time to do anything fun. It made me think that I need to stop being so scared of everything and get out there and have some fun, because before I know it my life will be over. I don’t want to be inside scared of everything all day long every day. So I thought about it and I told my self quit being scared and I did. So I think that beings cared is just mind over matter. These are some ways the book reflects on me and how it changed me as a person.

Maddie Foster
5th grade, Central Elementary School
Holton, KS

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