In my first book review post, I mentioned that I have started reading to my kids while they eat breakfast each day. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is our most recent read. I bought it from a school book order years ago because the little blurb sounded interesting, and it’s a Newberry Honor book. I figure you can’t really go wrong with a Newberry book, and I was right. This book had us all hooked from the beginning.
This is the story of Turner Buckminster, one of the newest residents of Phippsburg, Maine. Turner’s father has been recruited by the First Congregational Church to be their new minister, and the story begins as the Buckminsters step off the boat that carried them from their previous home in Boston. Things are rough for Turner from the very beginning. While the adults of the town make every effort to welcome the new minister and his wife, the kids are not as accommodating. Turner must earn the respect of his peers, and over the first few days in residence, fails miserably. He just doesn’t fit in, and the other kids let him know it. On his own, Turner decides to use his time to explore his new surroundings. In doing so, he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from Malaga Island. The residents of Malaga are the descendants of former slaves, and are the bane of Phippsburg’s leaders. Turner’s dad gets wrapped up in their plans to rid the island of its undesirable residents. In the meantime, Turner and Lizzie strike up a friendship. Together, they explore the world that is their home on the coast of Maine.
In addition to building a “forbidden” friendship, Turner finds himself in many uncomfortably awkward situations. This story pulls at your heart strings, fills you with gratitude for the beauty of the world around you, and will make you laugh out loud. I won’t ruin the ending, just know that the unexpected is possible, and good can come out of horrible situations.
