Gary D. Schmidt does something delightful in âJust Like Thatâ (Clarion, 385 pages, $16.99), a novel for readers ages 9-14. He arranges for his characters to discover great booksââTreasure Island,â âOliver Twistâ and âThe Wonderful World of Ozâ among themâeven as he borrows ideas and personality types from great books for the story he is telling about his characters. In this way, Mr. Schmidtâs tale of two young people and their journeys from darkness to light becomes, in itself, a testament to the formative power of literature.
âJust Like Thatâ is set in and around 1968, and at first there are two strands to it. The first belongs to Meryl Lee Kowalski, whoâs reeling from the accidental death of her best friend and has just arrived for eighth grade at St. Eleneâs Preparatory Academy in Maine. Here, in the manner of many a boarding-school tale, she encounters snooty classmates, demanding teachers, and the endl