Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: JUST LIKE THAT by Gary Schmidt
Introduction by Heavy Medal Award Committee member Louie Lauer.
Award winner Gary Schmidt returns to the 1960s with a companion to his award winning novels, WEDNESDAY WARS and OKAY FOR NOW. Set during the 1968-1969 school year in a coastal Maine community, JUST LIKE THAT is a story of transition, transformation and what happens when we face our problems head on. Once again, Gary Schmidt showcases his unique ability to create thoroughly engaging and meaningful historical fiction at the highest level, combining complex characters with careful plot development and a style like no other.
Schmidt’s characters are fully fleshed out, believable, and easy to connect with. Meryl Lee, a recent arrival at the St. Elene’s Preparatory Academy For Girls has experienced a traumatic loss and is struggling to cope with overwhelming grief (The Blank) that accompanies it. Matt Coyle finds his way to St. Elene’s merely by accident, as he attempts to escape the OliverTwist-like gang of thieves that threatens his life. Both Matt and Meryl, in addition to a rich cast of supporting characters, are complex and relatable, their struggles are our struggles, just in a different place and time. As in other Schmidt novels, these characters are uniquely voiced, giving the reader an individual perspective on the time period as well as their own situation.
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Careful plot development carries the reader through the story, addressing important current events while also offering a window into personal struggle, growth and transformation. In my second reading, I was much more aware of how effortlessly this story unfolds and how easy it is to get invested in the drama. Much of this is owed to the complex characters that the readers instantly connect with, but it also is in large part due to the story’s structure. Schmidt introduces us to the main conflicts first and then uses multiple perspectives and careful flashbacks to provide background and connect these stories together. The use of humor, tense action and heartbreaking situations keep the reader invested in the story all the way to the nail-biting conclusion.
Most notable, however, is Schmidt’s use of language and style. Careful word choice, rhythmic phrases, and patterning not often seen in middle grade writing, creates almost a magical or folkloric feeling. There is no doubt that this reads like historical fiction, but Schmidt’s use of language draws us in like only the best storyteller can. A mix of literal and figurative language shows great respect for the middle grade reader. After a comical miscommunication between Meryl and Matt over a hatchet, Meryl Lee opens the door to find her not-so-friendly roommate. Meryl Lee comments that at least Jennifer “wasn’t running at her with a hatchet”. When Jennifer asks with implied disdain,“What are you doing here?” Meryl Lee wonders if “maybe she was running at her with a hatchet”. I have always respected Schmidt’s ability to create complex works that respect the reader and tell a yarn at the highest level. This is certainly the case for JUST LIKE THAT a book that will thrill, challenge and inspire its’ readers.
Filed under: Heavy Medal Mock
About Emily Mroczek-Bayci
Emily Mroczek (Bayci) is a freelance children’s librarian in the Chicago suburbs. She served on the 2019 Newbery committee. You can reach her at emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
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Thanks for the intro Louie. I’m with you that characterization was the strongest part of this title. I was particularly impressed with the development of the secondary characters– especially Captain Hurd and Miss Kowalski, I feel like I really got to know them and they were so unique
The supporting cast is also quite a bit more complex that usual. Captain Hurd, Miss MacKnockater, Bettye, etc. I also love that we have met some of these characters before, in previous novels. We got to see Willis Hurd (Captain Hurd) in “Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy”, which was set in the same area of Maine. And I might be wrong here, but I think that minister that married Hurd and MacKnockater was Turner Buckminster, also from Lizzie Bright.
I didn’t really finish my thought here. Whoops. What I meant to say that was even the supporting characters like Hurd or Bettye, all have different facets to their story and character that get revealed throughout the story. The effect is a cast of characters that are all pretty authentic have lots of different connection points for the reader.
I love everything Louie wrote in the introduction, specifically his discussion of the novel’s
“complexity” and “great respect for the middle school reader.” That’s what I meant when I told my friends this book was “old school” writing; it takes its time to develop the plot and characters. Some of the popular, contemporary middle school novels include short chapters, simple sentences and vocabulary. I am not complaining about these books; I enjoy them and recommend them to my students. These books are great for children who do not enjoy reading.
This novel, though, is great for those students who already love to read and would embrace something more challenging, something richer than the usual middle school books. Schmidt did an amazing job of resurrecting details that were mentioned earlier in the novel and showing their importance later. When I finished this book, all I could say was “THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK!” repeatedly.
I agree, Amy, that this was one amazing book and that this is one of those books that has a slower build. But the reward is so sweet when everything comes into place! I have had a couple fifth graders try this one. They both admit that it was hard to get into at first, but that they loved in the end.
I’m not typically a Gary D. Schmidt fan, so I had not planned on reading Just Like That, but I am so glad I did. This was a beautiful story, and honestly it felt like every word was perfectly placed. The growth in characters that we see was inspiring, and it’s so important for children to see that adults can learn from children and make better choices.
The cover of this book is misleading! I expected a light-hearted, humorous story so was surprised to read that the main characters were dealing with trauma. It took awhile for me to get past the mundane details repeated in the beginning but once I did, I fell in love with Matt and Meryl Lee… and the adults who helped them. I realized that the repetition of the mundane details were there to paint the picture of the world that ML was experiencing alongside The Blank.
The phrase, “Sticks down!” quickly became a favorite – I love the image of support and encouragement it creates. I think children will find this book with guidance from adults but worry that many will be tricked by the cover.
The repetition in this book was SO well done, I agree!
I also agree that the cover was absolutely wrong for this book. I think it will be hard to get kids past this cover and into the story, unfortunately. I loved this book with my whole heart and actually cried because it was over. I haven’t felt bereft about a book ending in quite a number of years! Just Like That remains in my thoughts–even six months later.
Louie wrote about “how easy it is to get invested in the drama”, and I wholeheartedly agree! Once you get drawn into the story, it really is a page turner. I also found both Matt and Meryl Lee’s stories to be equally interesting, which doesn’t often happen in books featuring dual narration. Though a boarding school setting is not exactly new territory, I think the author did an excellent job with the setting, describing the big, old buildings, and especially the dining hall and its scenes. The various places that Matt stayed were very vivid to me as well, which made their later destruction all the more difficult to read about.
I’m a sucker for a boarding school sorry, but have not read the other titles in this world or by this author. I really enjoyed it and read it in one day—I think describing Matt’s side as Oliver Twist-like Is a great way to put it. Other than the Vietnam tie in, this could easily be contemporary. But Matt’s side of the story felt even more….historical fiction-y than Meryl Lee’s because of the villains
I agree with many of the comments here already. I love the author, and definitely feel like this was his best book yet. I liked that he added a mystery that really moved the story along. I did agree that it was slow to start, but that his characters were well defined and thought out. But once I got to the middle of the book I really couldn’t put it down.
A great novel with a lot of themes in it, that really speak to middle-grade readers and coming of age. There was mystery, humor, sadness, isolation, and loneliness but also friendship, empathy, and love. I thought the characters and situations were authentic. It almost didn’t even feel like a story from the 1960s but a more modern-day. I think this is another medal-worthy book.
Louie, I loved that you mentioned about the novel having an almost folkloric feel to it, because I didn’t really connect it to that right away, but you’re right that the world feels that it has some bit of magic to it! I am astounded at how well Schmidt writes characters and now I’ll have to pick up his other books! I loved Meryl Lee and Matt and how they grew as people, and I loved the themes of resilience and recovering from grief. It was also really beautiful to see these characters grow connections and reach out to each other in times of struggle.
The only thing I could see as a possible weak point for this book is that I thought that the plot was a little bit slow, and then the climax happened very fast. I thought that Schmidt built up the suspense well, but it was a little meandering in parts.
Gary D. Schmidt has such a way with words. He can craft a wonderfully nuanced and complex story while still making it accessible to middle grade readers. I loved the way the story kept flashing back in time to help piece together the complex and troubled past of Matt. This story is not only fueled by a page-turning plot, but also through the distinction of the characters. You could really get a sense of how each character felt and the emotions that they keep hidden from others. Such a phenomenal book and it might be time that Schmidt gets the gold.
Just Like That was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2021! In fact, I think I reread it at least three times to fully appreciate the deep characterizaion and the immersive setting. I loved how well Schmidt explored the theme of grief, using Meryl Lee’s and Matt’s stories to show how different types of trauma can bring people together. Schmidt’s use of literary allusion, particularly his references to THe WIzard of Oz and Oliver Twist are so skillfully woven into the plot. I also, like others have said, appreciated how even seemingly minor characters played such pivotal roles. I do think this is Schmidt’s best novel and deserves more recognition than it seems to be receiving.
Like others in this thread, I adored this book’s vivid setting, multifaceted characters, and overall mood. I’m a sucker for boarding school historical fiction with strong girls, so I was the perfect audience and would call this one of my favorites of 2021.
In my opinion, this book falls right at the cusp of middle grade/YA (violence, kissing), so here’s my only critique. (It’s not precisely a Newbery criterion, though it falls under the umbrella of, “The book displays respect for children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations. Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen, and books for this entire age range are to be considered.”) As much as *I* adored this book, I feel like it’s one that middle grade readers wouldn’t gravitate toward on their own. They’ll love it if a teacher reads it aloud or an overbearing librarian (ahem, me) insists they try it. However, it starts so slowly that I doubt, sadly, that a lot of 10- to 12-ish-year-old readers would be “hooked.”
Thanks for the introduction Louie. I agree with others that this book is strong in delineation of characters. I especially loved the sarcasm of Meryl Lee, such as the cultural observation on p. 73, with the comment that you ride on gondolas in Venice not Vienna. Or the dining hall observations such as on p. 46, “Probably all the smiling girls here had sat beside all the other smiling girls forever. Probably all their smiling mothers knew one another. And their smiling grandmothers too. Then the double doors to the kitchen opened and Bettye and Alethea each pulled out a silver cart with chilled fruit cups on white linen cloths to serve the eighth-grade upper school girls at St. Elene’s Preparatory Academy”. As Michelle stated, it felt like every word was perfectly placed.
I loved the vivid settings of the school complex, the fall season and the shoreline. The complex plot kept me engaged. The themes were strong. Isn’t that what life is all about, navigating obstacles, developing resolutions, and reaching accomplishments? And I’m still thinking about the friendship theme on p. 76, “It’s hard to figure out how a friendship begins, she thought. Maybe sometimes it’s because someone you thought you knew – and that you didn’t really – turns out to be a whole lot more like a friend than you ever guessed. I guess it can happen just like that, she thought. Meryl Lee drew her blanket up to her chin and lay back, covered in white moonlight.”
I loved this, too. I think I found the structure most impressive – the careful way it balanced the exaggerated with the understated – because I found it mimicked so well in the characters, too. This book is full of contrasts: with the way it balances its villains with its mundane everyday – with the way it balances the safety of its school setting with the quiet horror of Matt’s story (I’m thinking of one moment in particular, which hit me like a ton of bricks) – with the way it contrasts Meryl-Lee-the-Yankees-fan with the beautifully set tables –
Its elements are so carefully juxtaposed, and I think that’s what does such a good job of mirroring the ups and downs of life.
And like so many others have said, the characters are so richly drawn and are given so much space to breathe.
I have a hard time putting into words how much I loved this book. It was not what I was expecting in a good way. The stories between Matt and Meryl Lee were very complex and some of the subject matter was heavy. However, the overall theme of finding a place where you belong and the people you belong with will appeal to a large audience. I did worry that some of Matt’s story would be too intense for a young reader, but I think it was written in a way that would promote discussion rather than fear. The relationships in this book are really what made it one of my top books for 2021.
I echo much of what has been said, but need to add the brilliance of the revelation at the top of the second page. Schmidt not only creates The Blank for Meryl Lee, but also his readers who have read his work. They too feel a great loss with that one sentence. And through, his expert writing, he helps them overcome the loss as we follow Meryl Lee’s journey.
Thanks for bringing this up, Dave. I had not even thought of that until you mentioned it here. And just like Meryl Lee, there was no sugar coating and the reader comes alongside Meryl Lee as she works through her grief. Brilliantly done.
I absolutely loved this book. It wasn’t on my radar at all until it was chosen for HM but I am so glad I read it! I haven’t read any of Gary D. Schmidt’s other books and now I want to remedy that! I just want to give this book a great big hug. It deals with many heavy topics, but in such a beautiful and nuanced way, and with a gorgeous writing style. One thing I did struggle with a bit was Meryl Lee and Jennifer becoming friends…Jennifer had been so mean to Meryl Lee before that I question whether that would actually happen, but I will say it’s more interesting than a one-dimensional villain character like so many children’s books have.
I agree with you that I wondered if Meryl Lee would be able to forgive Jennifer. I think it makes for a great discussion to have with kids- could you forgive someone that had been so awful to you?