Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

By Gary D. Schmidt

A minister's son defies his town to protect a forbidden friendship and an island's future.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 11,095 ratings

256 pages

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Bookroo's summary

Turner Buckminster, a minister's son, feels trapped in Phippsburg, Maine, until he befriends Lizzie Bright Griffin from a nearby island community. As town elders, including his father, plot to evict Lizzie's people for profit, Turner faces a moral battle. Caught in a whirlwind of events, he must choose between loyalty and justice, risking everything to save Lizzie's home. This historical tale of friendship and courage explores the power of standing up against injustice and the journey to self-discovery amidst societal change.

From the publisher

A 2005 Newbery Honor Book It only takes a few hours for Turner Buckminster to start hating Phippsburg, Maine. No one in town will let him forget that he’s a minister’s son, even if he doesn’t act like one. But then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from a poor nearby island community founded by former slaves. Despite his father’s-and the town’s-disapproval of their friendship, Turner spends time with Lizzie, and it opens up a whole new world to him, filled with the mystery and wonder of Maine’s rocky coast. The two soon discover that the town elders, along with Turner’s father, want to force the people to leave Lizzie’s island so that Phippsburg can start a lucrative tourist trade there. Turner gets caught up in a spiral of disasters that alter his life-but also lead him to new levels of acceptance and maturity. This sensitively written historical novel, based on the true story of a community’s destruction, highlights a unique friendship during a time of change. Author’s note.