Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Schmidt, Gary. 2004.  LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 0553494953

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Turner is the son of a minister who has just gotten transferred to a new location in Maine. Turner struggles fitting in. He cannot seem to do anything right, even in his dad’s eyes. He views his dad as the minister, not his father. He is teased and beaten up by the other boys because he doesn’t fight, doesn’t jump off the ledge into the water, and doesn’t hit the ball in baseball games. When he comes home bloody, he gets into trouble. For a punishment, he is required to play the organ for Mrs. Cobb.   Mrs. Cobb is very concerned about what her last words might be because she is convinced that she will die at any moment.  She has Turner write her words down every day. Turner meets a girl that lives on Malaga Island who is named Lizzie Bright.  She is the first black person that he has ever met.  Lizzie teaches him how to hit a baseball, row, and most importantly, how to be confident in himself and embrace life.  Lizzie and her family, the Easons, are confined to the island and are not given any rights or respect.  Mrs. Cobb and Turner, however, sneak Lizzie into a room to hear Turner play the organ by letting her in through a back door.  The friendship of Turner and Lizzie is discovered when she gets injured and he attempts to row her to her grandfather.   He struggles with the tide.  He is forbidden to ever see her again; however, they eventually still do.  When the church tries to get rid of Malaga Island, the Easons and Lizzie make a house on a boat before heading to Pownal.   Mrs. Cobb dies and wills her house to Turner.  Turner wants to give the house to Lizzie which causes an uproar. The townspeople try to destroy that opportunity by taking possession of the house while Turner is there. Turner’s father sees the sheriff with a shotgun pointed at his son.  He stands up for his son, which causes him to get pushed off a ledge and he dies from the fall.  However, he had looked into the eyes of a whale and Turner saw that this had calmed him before the fall.  Turner seeks out Lizzie after his dad’s funeral and discovers that Pownal is an asylum.  Lizzie died after she had spent only ten days there.  Turner then seeks out whales to find the same peace of mind that his father had found and learns that connecting with another individual’s soul is a most important thing.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The character of Turner is someone that is endearing. He does not have any confidence. He would rather take punches then protect himself. He wants to be good at tying knots and swimming and baseball, but he does not have any real experience or aptitude for it.  That is until Lizzie Bright, who has unlimited energy, and is positive and witty. Both young people captivate the reader. The plot about how boys would pick on Turner and exclude him is very authentic. The issues that are faced when their friendship is discovered is also an accurate portrayal of the time. The setting of Maine is very elaborate with details about knotting, tides, and clamming. The style fits the time appropriately. There are several themes in this book including the importance of standing up for what you believe in and learning that friends come in unexpected places and we should be open to them and to new experiences.  We can make friends of all types and backgrounds, as demonstrated by Mrs. Cobb also becoming a friend.  Being kind to others will encourage them to be kind to you. Turner helped Willis paint the shutters, even though Willis bullied him, and Willis then helped him later with the boat. There is also the theme of interracial couples. All of these are common and actual themes that affect students today.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Newberry Honor Book

Michael L. Printz Honor Book

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Children’s Notable Book

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Schmidt’s writing is infused with feeling and rich in imagery. With fully developed, memorable characters…this novel will leave a powerful impression on readers.” Starred review in KIRKUS: "The telling is both beautiful and emotionally honest, both funny and piercingly sad.”

Starred review in BOOKLIST: "A powerful tale of friendship and coming-of-age, adding a lyrical sense of the coastal landscape.”Starred review in THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE: "Multiple conflicts, between all manner of the powerful and the powerless, create a drama that examines the best and worst of humanity.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*It would be great to use in conjunction with a lesson about acceptance.

*It would be great to use in conjunction with an author study.

Other books that are by Gary Schmidt:

Schmidt, Gary.  THE WEDNESDAY WARS.  ISBN 0618724834.

Schmidt, Gary.  OKAY FOR NOW.  ISBN 0547152604.

Schmidt, Gary.  FIRST BOY.  ISBN 0312371497.

Schmidt, Gary.  TROUBLE.  ISBN 0618927662.