60 pages • 2 hours read
Gary D. SchmidtLizzie Bright And The Buckminster Boy
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In 1912, Turner Buckminster moves to Phippsburg, Maine, and befriends Lizzie Bright Griffin, a Black girl from Malaga Island. Despite facing racism and opposition, Turner fights to protect Lizzie and her community from being forcibly removed. As tensions rise, Turner stands up against the town's authorities and his own father, leading to significant personal growth and unexpected alliances.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Gary D. Schmidt's Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy captures the complexity of racial and social tensions in early 20th-century Maine through compelling characters and evocative prose. Reviews praise its emotional depth and historical accuracy but occasionally critique its slow pacing. Overall, it's a poignant exploration of friendship and prejudice.
Who Should Read Lizzie Bright And The Buckminster Boy?
Readers who enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson will be captivated by Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. They gravitate towards historical settings, themes of friendship and social justice, and richly developed characters facing moral dilemmas. Ideal for middle-grade to young adult readers.
RecommendedReading Age
10-14yearsLexile Level
1000LBook Details
Historical Fiction
American Literature
Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Identity: Race
Grief / Death
Race / Racism
Religion / Spirituality