Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Gary D. Schmidt
This book is set in 1912. Turner Buckminster, the son of Reverend Buckminster (Preacher in Phippsburg, Maine), has just moved from Boston, Massachusetts to Phippsburg, Maine and is constantly being teased for simple misunderstandings, not to mentioned being automatically disliked by the boys of Phippsburg for playing baseball differently. Turner met Lizzie Bright Griffin, and became friends with her. Turner has to save Lizzie's family and friends before they all must leave Malaga Island. But that means standing up to the authorities, including Turner's father.
The book received the Newbery Honor in 2005 and was selected as a Michael L. Printz Honor that same year. The book was based on a real event. In 1912, the government of Maine put the residents of Malaga Island in a mental hospital and razed their homes. *(from wikipedia)
*Please leave your comments on the book when you've read it, or let us know if you know anything else about it...is there a movie or anything else interesting to know about it?
This book was a light read and fine. Not amazing, but interesting and a good distraction from other landscaping things I've been working on recently.
ReplyDeleteThe book shows the ugliness tha can happen when people are selfish and onesided in thinking they know what's best for others and not being open-minded.
I enjoyed this line from the last chapter:
The world turns and the world spins, the tide runs in and the tide runs out, and there is nothing in the world more beautiful and more wonderful in all its evolved forms than two souls who look at each other straight on. And there is nothing more woeful and soul-saddening than when they are parted.
Lesson learned: low maturity - viewing the world from your own perspective and not listening to others. Assuming you know what's happening and what's best and that you have control. High maturity - realizing God is in control and that we need to be open enough to others to listen and try to see from their perspective.
Also, Constancy and equal treatment/kindness to all. I love that turner's Mother forgave the Hurds who had bee completely rude to them and turned their backs on her when she needed the town the most. Yet she was constantly kind and true to everyone--like Turner tried to be.