Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt

Bibliography 

Schmidt, Gary D. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster boy. Random House LLC, 2008.

ISBN: 978-0544022799

Plot
At the start of the 20th century, Turner Buckminster and his family move from Boston to Maine. Turner can't help getting into trouble with his minister Father, and starts off on a bad foot with the boys of the town due to differences in baseball technique. Lizzie Bright lives with her grandfather and other African Americans on Malaga Island off the coast of the town. When Turner goes adventuring by himself, they meet and instantly form a friendship. Lizzie and Turner's separate worlds further collide when the town decides to force the islanders off, uprooting their homes and lives. Turner is a strong, vocal advocate against the proposition, and has to work to overcome prejudice and stereotyping, even in his own home.

Critical Analysis

In Lizzie and Turner's story, readers are able to identify with two strong children who, against the odds, hold onto hope for their world. The theme of hope, with all of its uncertainties, is prominent through Lizzie's befriending of Turner, the adventures they share on the water and playing organ with Mrs. Cobb, and Turner's insistence to find Lizzie when they are eventually separated. Schmidt brings the setting alive with descriptive language. The reader will be able to feel the seaside breeze, and the cold as winter sets in with despair to the people of Malaga.

The plot is based significantly on the true events of what happened on Malaga Island, and brings historical authenticity through the painful words and feelings of the townspeople. In the struggle over the Island and its population, the reader is able to see the reality that most people have good and bad struggling within them, such as is shown by the characters of Will and Pastor Buckminster. Each person has to decide what will motivate them; and their motivations will always lead them to the eventual conclusion, whether for good or evil. Schmidt weaves together a tale that is moving towards the plight of humans in a story which is historically accurate to the setting and events.

Personal Response

II found myself drawn into this story due to both the words themselves, and the events that occurred. Knowing that the story was based on a true event made the lives of the two young people come alive as if they had actually existed. One of them, Lizzie, did exist, although perhaps not in the exact personality. Gary Schmidt has a way with words that made me see everyday occurrences in a new way. I found myself staring at sunrises, noticing small breezes, and experiencing nature around me in new ways after reading phrases such as:

"The sea breeze found him and twisted around him like a cat asking for a bowl of milk" (Page 213 Kindle edition).

"And the pines! The pines threw their roots around the shore's boulders, grappling with the living rocks and wrestling them into position" (Page 58 Kindle edition).

I could almost feel the ending coming; a person could know it before they read the actual words on the page, merely because they knew how life often happens outside of regular fairy tales. Schmidt pulls the reader into the climax so that they anticipate this ending while holding vigorously to the hope that it will not end so badly, that Lizzie will end up living with the Buckminsters, and that perhaps, not so many people would have died. Death, as in our own reality, hits the reader in the face like the wind of the coast, and leaves you feeling quite stunned that it happened.

Excerpts of Reviews

"From the sad and shameful actual destruction of an island community in 1912, Schmidt weaves an evocative novel... Although the story is hauntingly sad, there is much humor, too. Schmidt's writing is infused with feeling and rich in imagery. With fully developed, memorable characters and a fascinating, little-known piece of history, this novel will leave a powerful impression on readers."

School Library Journal

"But the removal of the Malaga community really happened, and Schmidt weaves that history into a powerful tale of friendship and coming-of-age, adding a lyrical sense of the coastal landscape. Characters are drawn without reverence in this haunting combination of fact and fiction that has a powerful and tragic climax."

Booklist

Connections 

1. Learn more about African American history with books such as the ones below.  

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights by Carole Boston Weatherford

2. Read more historical fiction set in the early 1900's which include African American protagonists. 

Words by Heart by Ouida Sebestyen.

The Well: David's Story by Mildrid Taylor 

Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine 

3. Use the Maine State Museum (http://www.mainestatemuseum.org) and Maine Memory Project (http://www.mainememory.net) to introduce primary sources about Malaga Island to students. Compare the material in Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy to the primary sources.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

Bibliography
Klages, Ellen. The green glass sea. Penguin, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0142411490

Plot
Dewey Kerrigan, an inventor of gadgets and gizmos, takes the train to Los Alamos, where her father is stationed with the army as a mathematician working on a secret gadget. Dewey does not fit in at school, with her introverted behavior and constant work with tools and parts. An inquisitive and inventive girl, she chooses to hang out with boys discussing radios or other technologies. Suze, another young girl on "the Hill", the base on Los Alamos, is bossy and brave, making her an outcast at school as well. When Dewey's father is sent to Washington for work, Dewey and Suze must live together and learn to understand the other. Then, when tragedy strikes, they must learn to move forward, relying on each other as World War II moves to a close. Set amidst the creation of the Atomic Bomb in Los Alamos, the story centers around the girls' relationship and the work their parents do to end the war.

Critical Analysis
The Green Glass Sea is built around strong characters in the two main girl protagonists, as well as detailed characterization in their families and the people who live on the base. Dewey and Suze's unique personalities each show how difficult it was to live inside a secret base, with parents who constantly worked for their country. The plot mingles laughter and tragedy; through each circumstance that Dewey faces, it builds upon her previous life experience, much like a real person. This brings authenticity to the novel, starting in 1943 and as Dewey grows up through the war years. Klages has researched both the time and place well, for the setting is easy to conjure as a lone desert army base, and the events that occur demonstrate the difficulty of war on citizens. The book's theme is also about the American people binding together through the difficulty. This is seen in the Gordon's acceptance and love for Dewey, as she faces the loss of her family and constant change. Klages has written not only a peek inside a secret Army project base, but a touching account of growing up and staying true to who you are.

Personal Response


Klages' story of the army life, and also of girls who enjoy "not-so-girly" subjects, was incredibly touching. As I read and got to know both Suze and Dewey's families, I grew to admire them both for the challenges that they faced. The characterization of each girl, while demonstrated differently, resonated with the feeling of wanting to fit in, to find your place, and to have a certainty about your family. As the girls separate stories wove together, each learned to respond with kindness towards the other, and I found they grew more well rounded as characters. Through Dewey, I knew of Suze's sensitive and artistic feeling; through Suze, Dewey's need for friendship and ability to be inclusive shone through. The adults in the story are portrayed as loving parents, a characteristic I enjoyed thoroughly. The historical world of a secret place is not undone by the narrative; the science and work are still shrouded in mystery, even to the end of the story when the radio is cut off mid-sentence of revealing the bomb's effect. Klages brought the time period and place alive to me through the inside perspective of children.
 

Excerpts of Reviews
“Klages makes an impressive debut with an ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII. Writing from the points of view of two displaced children, she successfully recreates life at Los Alamos Camp, where scientists and mathematicians converge with their families to construct and test the first nuclear bomb.”
Publishers Weekly 

"Klages evokes both the big-sky landscape of the Southwest and a community where "everything is secret" with inviting ease and the right details, focusing particularly on the society of the children who live there... Cameo appearances are made by such famous names as Richard Feynman (he helps Dewey build a radio) and Robert Oppenheimer, but the story, an intense but accessible page-turner, firmly belongs to the girls and their families; history and story are drawn together with confidence."
The Horn Book 

 "Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way."
School Library Journal


Connections 
1. Read more about the science and math behind the atomic bomb. 
Nuclear Fission Reactors by James A. Mahaffey 
How to Split the Atom by Hazel Richardson

2. Read more about the place of Los Alamos. Hold a discussion on what it would have been like to grow up in the secret communities which built the bomb. Children may try their own hand at writing a narrative of the place and time from their perspective as children.
The Gadget by Paul Zindel
Oral History Series: Children of Los Alamos: An Oral History of the Town Where the Atomic Bomb Began (Twayne's Oral History Series) by Katrina R. Mason  
Children of Usher: Growing Up in Los Alamos by Glenn Fishbine

3. Discuss the importance of historical accuracy when writing historical fiction. Read portions of the primary source book, Tales of Los Alamos: Life on the Mesa, 1943 1945 by Bernice Brode, and contrast this with the information given in The Green Glass Sea. 




4. Research with more detail the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, with these books: 
J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Brain Behind the Bomb by Glenn Scherer
Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Political Science of the Atomic Bomb by Janine Johnston, Jeffrey Jones, Chris Kemple, and Jim Ottaviani


5. Discuss the idea of inclusion inside circles of friends. Ask students at various parts of the story, such as when Suze has to decide to make fun of Dewey with the other girls or stand up for her, what they would have done. Hold a conversation about why we should be inclusive and outgoing, and some of the positive ramifications. Talk about how being a friend creates friendships.

Alchemy and Meggie Swann by Karen Cushman

Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. Alchemy and Meggy Swann. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.

ISBN: 9780547231846


Plot
Meggy Swann is a girl whose mother has sent her to live with her father. Her two main characteristics are her crippled legs and her sharp tongue. Her father is an alchemist who is trying to find the transformation of immortality. While at first he rejects Meggy, eventually he allows her to help him and they work together. Meggy meets Roger, the previous apprentice, and makes friends with a printer and his family, along with the neighboring cobbler and his son. When Meggy overhears a plot to kill a Baron, which her father is intricately involved in, she decides to attempt to stop it. Meggy and Roger, along with the printers help, attempt to save the Baron from death. At the end of the story, her father remains selfish, but Meggy has taken steps to grow out of her own selfishness.


Critical Analysis
The story of Meggy Swann succeeds in its authenticity to the time period, involving the mannerisms, customs, and language of the people at the time. The reader will be thrown into London at the time of Queen Elizabeth, with all its grime and busyness. This accurate setting sets the stage for the plot, involving a well researched occupation of alchemy and the tensions between the rich and poor during the time period. Cushman, writing through Meggy's perspective, brings to life the various personalities that create character in the story, and draw Meggy out of her shell. The theme of selflessness and gratitude peek through the plot line, but rarely make a full appearance due to the abrupt and slight change in Meggy at the very end of the novel. The ending was not well set up by the attitudes displayed in Meggy through the rest of the text. The style of writing was one of the true lacking aspects of the novel; Cushman dwells inside of Meggy's negative and cynical perspective alone, and while it presents the negative aspects of language and dialogue at the time, it rarely sheds light on the more understanding and kind personas that must have lived in the Elizabethean period. The novel does justice to the historical fiction in providing a view into the time period, but the story itself lacks substantive depth to really delight in the characters.


Personal Response
"Toads and Vipers!" this was a long, drawn out story. I chose to listen to this via audiobook. I personally did not enjoy the story; the constant bickering, arguing, name-calling, insulting, and repeating of the phrase "toads and vipers" left me feeling worn out. I almost chose another book when Meggy was going to kill her only friend, the goose; the resigned despondency was quite deep. The main character was sharp and cynical, crippled in spirit as well as the legs it seemed. Not to be too harsh, the author did paint Elizabethean London well; I found myself drawn into the age with all of its sad realities and language. The reading was very well done, the author taking the time to change into the various voices for clarity in what was happening and who was speaking. I recognize that the time period was hard, and do not belittle the circumstances of the book; I only wish that the main character were less negative. And, perhaps, that a different "shocked" expression were used occasionally.


Excerpts of Reviews
"Katherine Kellgren's lively reading of Karen Cushman's novel (Clarion, 2010) is flawless, capturing Meggy's feisty temperament in the period language. Her narration of a wide-range of accents if excellent, and she does a wonderful job singing the ballads that Meggy composes and sings. The sights and sounds of the era and the sense of place and time are vividly depicted as Meggy grows in confidence and independence, using available resources and her wit, courage, and determination to forge a place for herself in her new world."
School Library Journal

"Because so many historical novels set in this period feature girls of royal or noble lineage, it’s bracing to meet Meg, who empties her own chamber pot into the ditch outside her door and trades strings of creative Elizabethan insults with Roger, her best friend."
Booklist

"Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time and place so remote and make it live. Readers can hear and see and smell it all as if they are right beside Meggy. She employs the syntax and vocabulary of the period so easily that it is understood as if it’s the most contemporary modern slang."
Kirkus


 
Connections

1. Have children create their own ballad, using Elizabethean language. They can use it to tell a familiar story, or a message such as Meggy did in the book.
Book of Ballads by Charles Vess
A Child's Introduction to Poetry: Listen While You Learn About the Magic Words That Have Moved Mountains, Won Battles, and Made Us Laugh and Cry by Michael Driscoll.


2. Learn more about Elizabethean England through informational books.
Elizabethan England (How'd They Do That in) by Russell Roberts
Shakespeare's London: A Guide to Elizabethan London (Sightseers) by Julie Ferris
The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer
Elizabeth's London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London by Liza Picard


3. Read additional historical fiction set in the 1500-1600's.
Beware Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer
Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease


 
4. Have students research the printing press through these stories:
Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press by Bruce Koscielniak
Johann Gutenberg and the Printing Press (Inventions and Discovery) by Kay Melchisedech Olson
The History of Making Books: From Clay Tablets, Papyrus Rolls, and Illuminated Manuscripts to the Printing Press by Gallimard Jeunesse, Scholastic Books