Lizzie and the Buckminster Boy

Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Publisher: Yearling
Copyright Date: 2004
Number of Pages: 217
Reading Level: 9-12






Summary
Turner Buckminster is a minister's son. His family moves to a small town in Maine so that his father can be a minister there. Turner does not get along with the locals. He is seen as a disrespectful young boy that should behave more like a minister's son. He is originally shunned because of his inability to hit a ball with a bat. He continually has a persistent attitude. He wants to prove himself to the neighborhood. He does this by pretending that he knows things when he really doesn't, and acting like a good minister's son is supposed to. However, these things go against who he really is and he ends up making a fool of himself and being untrue to who he really is. He meets a young black girl named Lizzie Bright when he is upset and alone throwing stones up into the air and hitting them with a stick. Lizzie ends up scaring him on accident and a stone that he just threw comes back and hits him in the face. Lizzie has a relentless straightforward and blunt attitude and manner. Turner and Lizzie become close friends as they spend more time together. However, because Lizzie is a black girl Turner's parents and the white community shun the idea of them spending time together. Turner is forbidden from traveling to the island where she lives. Gradually Turner develops more strength and confidence in himself. Towards the end of the book Lizzie and her family are being kicked out of their home by the white community. They end up being sent to the insane asylum. Later Turner goes to save her and discovers that she is dead. He is told that people like her don't survive long in there. Turner's father, who originally was just trying to be accepted by the community, stands up for Turner and ends up getting killed. In the end Turner and his mother are two of the only people that stay in the town later. Throughout the book there is a reoccurring theme of the idea that whales know things and you can see it in their eyes, but if you ever get close enough to touch one, that means that you have come to understand what they know. In the end Turner touches a whale.

Personal Response
I really did not like this book. I thought the message was not worth all of the tragedy that occurs. I also really disliked some of the underlying themes. The writer seemed to be really anti-religion and I did not like that message.

Potential Problems
The language in this novel is questionable at times. Also, there is a great deal of tragedy. Lastly, this book contains an anti-religion point of view which may not be approved of my religious parents or individuals.

Recommended to...
I would not recommend this book to anyone.