Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. Have you ever had a best friend? I mean a REALLY good best friend? A friend who is willing to show you new wonders, will be your friend no matter what others say, and can still play a good game of baseball. Turner has such a friend and her name is Lizzie Bright. When Turner’s father, a minister, moves the family from Boston to a small town on the coast of Maine, Turner’s world is turned up-side-down. Turner has no friends, his father doesn’t have time for him, his father wants him to behave like a “proper” son of a minister, and his father doesn’t approve of baseball. Worse yet, the other boys don’t want to play baseball with Turner because he doesn’t know how to play “Maine” baseball. But his world changes for the better when he meets Lizzie Bright and he can be himself around her. Lizzie and her family live on Malaga Island but this is a HUGE problem. Malaga Island is the home for many poor families who are the descendents of former slaves. In Turner’s town “good” boys are not friends with children from Malaga Island. Town leaders tell his father Turner MUST NOT be friends with Lizzie Bright. So, here’s the problem. If Turner remains friends with Lizzie his father could loose his job. But if Turner denies his friendship then Lizzie’s life could be put in danger. To learn what life may have been like for Lizzie visit http://www.visibleblackhistory.com/19th_century.htm .
Fic Sch