The Journey of Little Charlie

A characteristically lively and complex addition to the historical fiction of the era from Curtis.

Echoing themes found in Curtis's Newbery Honor-winning Elijah of Buxton, this exceedingly tense novel set in 1858 provides a very different perspective on the business of catching runaway slaves. Eking out a living as South Carolina sharecroppers, the Bobo family knows hard luck. After 12-year-old Charlie's father is killed in a freak accident, Charlie reluctantly agrees to pay off his father's debt by accompanying a plantation overseer, the despicable Captain Buck, on a hunt for three runaways. Charlie's journey takes him north to Detroit and Canada where black people and white people work and live peaceably together. Sickened by the dirty business of rounding up former enslaved men and women, Charlie hatches a risky scheme to steer them to safety. Curtis portrays Charlie as a product of his white Southern upbringing and values, skillfully conveying how his widening view of the world leads to a change in his thinking. Written in persuasive dialect and piloted by a hero who finds the courage to do what he knows is right, Curtis's unsparing novel pulls no punches as it illuminates an ugly chapter of American history. Ages 9-12. (Jan.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 5-8--Oversized like an ox, 12-year-old Charlie Bobo and his sharecropper parents eke out a living on the Tanner Plantation deep in South Carolina in 1858. When an accident takes his father's life, Charlie and his mother must settle a debt with the plantation's sadistic overseer, Cap'n Buck. The despicable overseer forces Charlie to accompany him to Detroit to retrieve $4,000 worth of stolen property. Charlie's journey covers more than miles as he finally realizes the stolen property isn't material but human. Outside his norm of Southern life, he sees his white privilege and the horrors of people claiming ownership of other people. It truly sickens him, but he feels trapped by his father's debt. Cap'n Buck and Charlie venture into Canada to capture their last fugitive slave: Sylvanus, a boy just Charlie's age. When he sees the similarities in their lives despite their different races, Charlie knows he cannot be party to the legal evil of slavery any longer ("I knowed Sylvanus and his ma and pa was gonna be slaves 'gain. And I knowed it would be my doings that caused it."). Charlie alters the course of his journey right then, changing his life forever. His choice shows that no matter one's upbringing--Charlie lived in poverty, racism, and ignorance--a person can choose right. Curtis's use of dialect lends the story authenticity, though it may slow down less confident readers. The violence of slavery is not shied away from and use of historically accurate, derogatory terms for black people are used. Young readers will benefit from discussion during and after reading. VERDICT A thought-provoking book from a master storyteller.--Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Curtis's books occupy that all too rare space in middle grade lit; they're school curriculum standbys that are also crowd pleasers... Curtis's ninth novel is among his most suspenseful... Curtis is also a master at shifting tones — and so for every nail-biting moment, there's a note of goofy joy or slapstick humor... 'Little Charlie' is a keeper: Raised in poverty, ignorance, and racism, Charlie develops his own moral compass — and becomes brave enough to act on it." — New York Times Book Review

* "Curtis portrays Charlie as a product of his white Southern upbringing and values, skillfully conveying how his widening view of the world leads to a change in his thinking. Written in persuasive dialect and piloted by a hero who finds the courage to do what he knows is right, Curtis's unsparing novel pulls no punches as it illuminates an ugly chapter of American history." — Publishers Weekly, starred review 

* "A thought-provoking book from a master storyteller." — School Library Journal, starred review

* "Curtis's ability to intertwine humor and tragedy, change pacing effectively, and find hope in the direst of circumstances is masterful... Readers will be riveted by the conclusion... if they can see the words through their tears." — The Horn Book, starred review

* "This is an old story demanding to be told a new way, and master storyteller Curtis proves just the one to do it." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"Ultimately inspiring, but never simplistic, this should spark plenty of discussion." — Booklist

"Will resonate with readers for its timeless themes of justice, self-awareness and questions of right and wrong... modern parallels abound, offering a clear gateway for discussions that are painfully important today." — BookPage

"This is a compelling and ugly story for middle-grade readers told with genuine care... Christopher Paul Curtis does it again." — Historical Novel Society

"The latest marvelous novel of the African-American experience from acclaimed author Christopher Paul Curtis" — The Buffalo News