• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt 

• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt 

• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt 

• Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt  

• Okay for Now Book Club 

• The Wednesday Wars Book Club 

• The Biblioguides Online Community

• Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

• The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt 

• A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi 

• Downright Dencey by Caroline Dale Snedeker 

• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear 

• Our Reading Life 

• Around the World with Darwin by Millicent Selsam

• The Voyage of the Beagle by Millicent Selsam 

• Stars, Mosquitoes, and Crocodiles by Millicent Selsam

Kentucky’s Pack Horse Library Project was part of Franklin Roosevelt’s Work Projects Administration (WPA) begun during the Great Depression to help put people to work. The Pack Horse Library Project started in 1935 in two Kentucky counties and lasted until 1943 (having spread to thirty counties), when World War II brought the U.S. economy back to life. 

Companion Picture Books:

Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle

https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/the-red-keep/

In my lending library, Plumfield Living Books Library, I have a young patron who loves the Middle Ages. I reached for The Red Keep to preview before I put it in her “holds” box. I spent two days with my head in this exciting 370-page story of adventure and honor, and I am delighted to be able to recommend it to families. I loved it, and I am sure that my pre-teen and teens will love it as well. As I was reading, I kept saying to my John Flanagan Rangers Apprentice-loving readers: this is the story that Horace deserves! 

Tanya's References:

Sarah's References:

Diane's References

Sara's References

What a gift it is to have Sherry Early as a friend! Sherry has been my librarian “phone-a-friend” more and more of late. As I worked with my patron, I asked Sherry for a list of books suitable for a teen girl with strong morals. She has a particular interest in historical fiction and specifically Westward Expansion. She likes The Virginian, The Girl of the Limberlost, and Bargain Bride. She loves a great number of the classics. And, of late, she has been reading and re-reading Jennifer A. Nielsen because of her carefully researched and exciting wartime fiction. Sherry and I both appreciate Nielsen as well and so Sherry knew what we were after. 

Because I know that you will ask, here is a link to the list that Sherry compiled for me.Please remember that she made this list based on her standards for her library and in consideration of my needs. Please note that wherever either of us has reviewed the book, we have linked to that review and encourage you to read those reviews to determine the appropriateness of the recommendation for your needs. 

This book is utterly compelling. 

In the Author’s Note at the end of the book, Rinaldi explains that her research into the Puritan era revealed that “people went right from childhood into adulthood, with no benefit of an awkward age in between. An orphaned child was allowed to choose his or her own guardians at the age of fourteen; the laws applied to all persons of the age of sixteen, which was also the age at which boys were liable to serve in the military. On the other hand, the average age for marriage was twenty-two for women and twenty-seven for men… They had no amusements or entertainment. Music, dancing, and even the traditional holiday of Christmas were forbidden. Toys were nonexistent. Anyone caught with a doll or “poppet” was suspected of practicing forbidden arts. Meeting on Sunday lasted several hours. Reading consisted of studying the Bible.” 

https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/a-break-with-charity/

I have to say, this is part of why I love Gary D. Schmidt. Because never have I wondered why Rumpelstiltskin wanted the boy prince. Never have I wondered why he was so insistent. Those questions simply would not occur to me. But I sure am glad they worked their way into Schmidt’s imagination, because this is a fairytale re-imagining that I found to be exciting, unpredictable, elegant, and thoughtful. Leave it to Schmidt to turn a fairy tale into 172 pages of a princeling’s coming-of-age story. And to do it in a way that was devoid of tired tropes and modern prejudices. This felt like a fairy tale unto itself, and I delighted in it. 

Just Like That is hard. Not Okay For Now hard, but hard. It is also lovely. And tearful. And sweet. Typical Gary D. Schmidt, it has several key literary influences that are obvious, but it also reminds me of things that are not mentioned in the text. Diane and I both thought that this one had strong roots in Oliver Twist and maybe a little bit of David Copperfield. I also felt like it reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables books and the Kevin Sullivan mini-series – “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel,” specifically the Kingsport Ladies College scenes. While this one can absolutely be read as a standalone, it makes sense to have at least read The Wednesday Wars so that you know who Meryl Lee is. 

As I always try to do in my reviews, I will tell you enough about the story to catch its flavor, but I will try to avoid any real spoilers. That said, in the next paragraph, I need to talk about The Wednesday Wars. Something happens in the first paragraph of this book that is essential to your understanding of the rest of this story. If you do not wish to have any spoilers of any kind, know that this book opens with something shocking, and then Schmidt spends the rest of the book dealing with grief. I still think that Okay for Now is Schmidt’s most powerful work, but this one was very compelling and brilliant. Schmidt’s wife died in 2013, and while this book was published in 2021, I felt as though he let his characters carry his grief with him. Just Like That is tender and beautiful. 

"Of Schmidt’s three companion books, The Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, and Just Like That, I think Okay for Now is the richest. The characters are full and believable and Doug’s growth over the school year is substantial. Doug finds himself surrounded by caring adults who see the best in him and mentor him through hard times." 

https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/show-notes-okay-for-now-book-club/

The title characters of this story are Lizzie Bright, a black American girl who lives with her grandfather on Malaga island, and Turner Buckminster, the son of a New England minister. Their friendship causes scandal and an awakening throughout the town. But, it ends in so much tragedy. This story is not hard, until it is. And once it is, it never gets much better. And it is all the worse because it is true. But, it is told well and is an excellent story to have in our hearts.