Gary D. Schmidt's <em>Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy</em> captures the complexity of racial and social tensions in early 20th-century Maine through compelling characters and evocative prose. Reviews praise its emotional depth and historical accuracy but occasionally critique its slow pacing. Overall, it's a poignant exploration of friendship and prejudice.

Readers who enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson will be captivated by Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. They gravitate towards historical settings, themes of friendship and social justice, and richly developed characters facing moral dilemmas. Ideal for middle-grade to young adult readers.

In 1912, Turner Buckminster moves to Phippsburg, Maine, and befriends Lizzie Bright Griffin, a Black girl from Malaga Island. Despite facing racism and opposition, Turner fights to protect Lizzie and her community from being forcibly removed. As tensions rise, Turner stands up against the town's authorities and his own father, leading to significant personal growth and unexpected alliances.

Contemplative / Emotional / Melancholic / Inspirational / Bittersweet

- <em>Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy</em> was a Newbery Honor book in 2005, an award given to distinguished American children's books.
- The novel is inspired by real historical events surrounding the eviction of the residents of Malaga Island, a racially integrated community in Maine, in the early 1900s.
- Gary D. Schmidt intertwines themes of friendship and societal injustice, drawing from his own experiences as a college professor in Maine.

**Turner Buckminster**  
The 13-year-old protagonist struggling with the expectations of being a pastor's son while seeking his own identity and belonging in Phippsburg.

**Lizzie Bright Griffin**  
Turner's friend who is warm, lively, and confident, bringing humor to their interactions despite facing racial discrimination.

**Reverend Buckminster**  
Turner's father, a pastor who initially opposes Turner's interactions with the Malaga Island residents and grapples with his own rigid views.

**Mr. Stonecrop**  
A powerful and greedy figure in Phippsburg who lacks empathy and prioritizes his own interests over the well-being of the community.

**Mrs. Cobb**  
An initially stern and imposing woman in the community who holds high expectations for Turner but later becomes more understanding.

**Willis Hurd**  
Initially antagonistic to Turner, he experiences personal changes that lead to a friendship with Turner by the novel's end.

Gary D. Schmidt

Middle grade

Novel

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