A review by shirleytupperfreeman
Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt

Gary Schmidt's books are so unique and wonderful and this is no exception. I'll admit, I read The Wednesday Wars long ago so didn't initially catch the tie-in to that book, but that's okay. Eighth grader Meryl Lee's best friend has died in an accident and she simply cannot go back to their shared middle school. Her parents decide to send her to a boarding school in Maine for a fresh start. The prep school is way outside of Meryl Lee's comfort zone but she remains refreshingly herself in spite of her initial loneliness. In a parallel story, young teen Matt Coffin, who has been living by his wits since he was 4 or 5 years old, is on the run from a really bad guy. Schmidt's unique style, and remarkable vocabulary, shine through this Viet Nam era story about some human beings with beautiful hearts.