As far as Turner Buckminster is concerned, his family's relocation to Phippsburg, Maine is a bust, and he can't seem to escape being viewed through the narrow lenses of the townspeople as the minister's son. Bold, intelligent Lizzie Bright Griffin, from a minute society of previously enslaved people on tiny neighboring Malaga Island, arrives in his utterly friendless existence and causes a social uproar. Lizzie teaches Turner the quirks of the ocean, as well as the finer subtleties of local baseball idiosyncrasies. The two also unearth a ruinous town plan bent on relocating the islanders to make way for burgeoning tourist opportunities. Set in the early 20th century, this profoundly moving and sorrowful story of friendship amidst turmoil is based on a true story. A 2005 Newbery Honor Book. A 2005 Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.