Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy Summary
Gary D. Schmidt

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy Overview

This novel for young people, inspired by historical events and situations, is the story of how the life of a young white boy is changed by his friendship with a young black (“colored”) girl of the same age. As Turner Buckminster and Lizzie “Bright” Griffin get to know each other, their friendship becomes the trigger for a series of racism-defined confrontations. Meanwhile, as the narrative chronicles these confrontations, it explores themes related to the power of nature, the power of connection, and the tension between freedom and imprisonment.