Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt

In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers–and Turner’s–want to change into a tourist spot.

Liz says:

“This is one of those examples of a book that adults love but is a harder sell for kids. Kids who enjoy historical fiction with lots of descriptive language will love it. The story is based on a real incident that Schmidt portrays with tremendous accuracy and compassion.”