The Madman of Piney Woods

This is a companion to [b:Elijah of Buxton 638689 Elijah of Buxton Christopher Paul Curtis https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328843610s/638689.jpg 2247514], which I haven't read. I think this book holds its own–Elijah is a minor character in this one. I'm interested now to go back and read his story, though. This is a historical-adventure story with an interesting setting–a black community (and an Irish community) in Canada in 1901. It's a good lens for looking at slavery and the Civil War from a relatively close distance, and Curtis does it well, in an age-appropriate way. It's also rare for kids lit to touch on the shitty treatment Irish immigrants got and how that contributed to racism in its own way.I liked the friendship between Red and Benji, and the gradual reveal of the “Madman” was great. (I wonder how differently that would read if I had read Elijah of Buxton? Not sure.) Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this to middle-grade readers who are interested in historical fiction, but also ones who are interested in science or journalism. (Red and Benji are very interested in science and journalism, respectively.)