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Gr 6-9 From the sad and shameful actual destruction of an island community in 1912, Schmidt weaves an evocative novel. When Turner Buckminster arrives in Phippsburg, ME, it takes him only a few hours to start hating his new home. Friendless and feeling the burden of being the new preacher's son, the 13-year-old is miserable until he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, the first African American he has ever met and a resident of Malaga Island, an impoverished community settled by freed or possibly escaped slaves. Despite his father's and the town's stern disapproval, Turner spends ti...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In 1911, Maine officials ejected the African-American, Native-American, and foreign-born residents from Malaga Island because they feared their presence would inhibit a projected tourist business. This historical incident ignites a rich novel that introduces Turner Buckminster III, son of a Congregational minister, and Lizzie Bright Griffin, granddaughter of Malaga's preacher. Reverend Buckminster in...Log In or Sign Up to Read More