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As the minister's son, all eyes are on Turner Buckminster. It's hard enough moving to a new town without everyone expecting you to set an example and be perfectly behaved - especially if you're not sure what some of the town's older residents consider "good behavior," and they take great joy in getting you in trouble. Even the other kids don't help. On his first day in town, his beloved game of baseball betrays him when he's not used to the Maine way of playing. He's soundly mocked, cementing his status as an outsider.
Until Turner meets Lizzie Bright. She's the first person in his new home who truly accepts him, and he comes to life playing on the beach with her and visiting the nearby island where she lives. However, Turner is about to learn he has misbehaved again, because Lizzie is black, and in this small town near the turn of the twentieth century, it's not acceptable for the minister's son to play with a black girl.
Even worse, the residents of Lizzie's home, Malaga Island, are at the center of a growing conflict in the town. The community wants the black residents of the island to leave so they can turn it into a tourist resort, and Reverend Buckminster is a part of the effort to evict them. With Turner and his father on opposite sides of the issue, will this problem tear apart the family along with the town?
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is a poignant story of one boy finding the strength to stand up for what he knows is right. An author's note describes the historical facts behind the novel, making some aspects of the story even more touching. It can't be said in all honesty that this is a story with a happy ending, but it is definitely a story with a hopeful ending. It was a Newbery and Printz Honor Book, awards for children's and young adult literature respectively, attesting to its appeal for readers of all ages.
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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy