Brief Description: 13 yo son of town’s new minister befriends an African American girl who lives outside town on an island inhabited by former slaves.
Geographical Setting: Maine, Malaga Island, North America, Phippsburg, United States
Historical Era: 20th Century
Date Range: 1911-1912
Keywords: African Americans, Malaga Island, racism
Original Publication: 2004
Suitable for Grades: 5-7th
Target Audience: Middle Grade
Librarian's Review
Thirteen-year-old Turner Buckminster (a white boy) is new to the town of Phippsburg, Maine. He befriends Lizzie Bright Griffin, part of a nearby island community of descendants of former slaves. This novel tells the tragic story of the forced eviction of the residents of Malaga Island through Turner’s eyes. Through the use of clever metaphor and simile, the author beautifully depicts the natural world.
I read this book some time ago, before I fully developed my plans for this website. I therefore don’t have a comprehensive list of historical key words. My short review and lack of key word detail in no way reflects my impression of this novel. I highly recommend this read.
A publisher’s Educators Guide from Random House is available, the Maine State Museum has put together information and teacher resources here: Explore Malaga Island, and even more about these historical events can be found here: Malaga Island: An Overview of its Cultural and Natural History.