In the new town, dougs older brother is accused of robbery, and doug himself is struggling to be more than just a skinny. The first edition of the novel was published in april 5th 2011, and was written by gary d. He is a professor of english at calvin college in grand rapids, michigan. The central theme in gary schmidt s okay for now concerns the extraordinary human ability to remain optimistic and rise above adversity. Okay for now is a powerful story of selfdiscovery and transformation effectively told in the strong, distinctive voice of its young protagonist. Okay for now by gary schmidt is a poignant story of survival and triumph. If you havent read the wednesday wars, you wont have that unpleasant sensation of missing a lot of things as you read okay for now oh, how i loathe that feeling. Okay for now is about a year old boy named doug swieteck who moved to maryland, new york. Reviewed by jamie mayo i listened to okay for now in preparation for the kansas city mock awards, a tradition among librarians here and all over the country to make our best guesses as to what the newbery award committee will choose as the winner for 2012 our mock awards will be held this week, a couple of weeks before the actual awards will be announced at.
Fiction as a fourteenyearold who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older. One of the most important events in chapter 6 of gary schmidt s okay for now is that. The vietnam war and apollo 11 are in the background, and between a war in a distant land and a spacecraft heading to the moon, doug swieteck starts a new life in tiny marysville, n. Doug is a likable and complex character whose conversational, often sarcastic tone belies his sensitivity. I need to think a little about these two books by the same author because they are enough like each other to operate almost as a set of variations on the same themesas alternative versions of the same basic story. This story seems to be about real kids with real problems. Okay for now is a comingofage masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy, where multiple themes of loss and recovery are weaved. Schmidt is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The author is the winner of the newberry honor for his novel the wednesday wars. Schmidt english library binding book free shipping. One of the most important events in chapter 6 of gary schmidts okay for now is that doug is called into principal peatties office and told he needs to make up the wrestling unit he has missed. Of all of them, though, none was more satisfying, fulfilling and memorable than gary schmidts followup to the wednesday wars. Idis w42 theatre, literary arts and culture in edinburgh and london.
Content ratings based on a 05 scale where 0 no objectionable content and 5 an excessive or disturbing level of content. The dump is what doug swieteck calls his new home in upstate new york. Author gary schmidt has won many fans with his luminous, heartfelt novels, including two newbery honor titles, lizzie bright and the buckminster boy and the wednesday wars. In this companion novel to the wednesday wars, doug struggles to be more than the skinny thug that some people think him to be. What is a summary of chapters 6, 7, and 8 in gary schmidt s okay for now. Okay for now is a comingofage masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy, where multiple themes of loss and recovery are weaved throughout a story teeming with distinctive. Schmidt paints this extraordinary ability through dougs. Several months ago i heard an interview with gary schmidt on the car radio.
It is a companion to schmidts 2007 novel the wednesday wars and features one of its supporting characters, doug swieteck. Okay for now by gary schmidt listen as twotime newbery honor winner author gary schmidt discusses okay for now, his novel and the companion book to the bestselling wednesday wars. Its a story of a teenage boy struggling to survive in a very dysfunctional. After spending time in a juvenile facility, hes placed with a foster family on a farm in rural maine. He has a beatup situation, a beatup family, a beatup house, author gary d.
Gary schmidt and his novel okay for now, is the 2012. Oct 09, 2019 several months ago i heard an interview with gary schmidt on the car radio. Schmidt would be the third type of sequel, i think. Schmidt, author of okay for now fourteenyearold doug swieteck has the weight of the world upon him no friends, an alcoholic father and a brother who has just been. Okay for now by gary schmidt is a familiarfeeling tale of personal growth set in the late 60s. Schmidt teaches writing in the english department of calvin college in grand rapid.
Gary schmidt saturday, march 9, 20 twotime newberry honorwinning author dr. The novel is set in long island and marysville, which is in upstate new york in the catskill mountains. The central theme in gary schmidts okay for now concerns the extraordinary human ability to remain optimistic and rise above adversity. It is a companion to schmidts 2007 novel the wednesday wars and features one of. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of joseph, a father. Gary schmidts story of middleschool troubles takes place against the resonant background of 19681969.
Schmidt won newbery honor awards for lizzie bright and the buckminster boys and the wednesday wars, two comingofage novels about unlikely. Doug struggles to steer clear of his abusive father, avoid his brother, stay out of trouble in school, and keep the secret of why he isnt successful in his classes. Containing nothing overtly offensive, but composed almost entirely of elements youve seen or read before, the novel is likely to generate some very different reactions among its readers. Schmidt tells a tale of an eighth graders healing and discovery through art. Fiction as a fourteenyearold who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older brother, doug swieteck has all the stats stacked against him. After dougs abusive father loses his job, the whole family moves to marysville in upstate new york. Schmidt creates the idea to be happy for what you have because at any moment it could be gone. The last book i read over the holiday break was an egalley of gary schmidts okay for now, a fantastic and is it possible. He currently resides in alto, michigan, where he is a professor of english at calvin university. Okay for now by gary schmidt 11pts flashcards quizlet. It is a companion to schmidt s 2007 novel the wednesday wars and features one of its supporting characters, doug swieteck.
It follows holling hoodhoods friend, doug swieteck, who moves to the small town of marysville, new. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. A stealthily powerful, unexpectedly affirming story of discovering and rescuing ones best self. Schmidt is the bestselling author of pay attention, carter jones. Okay for now by gary schmidt is a heartwarming young adult historical novel centered around eighth grader douglas swieteck. In the story we learn about his growing interest in art, and his hurting family. Throughout the school year, doug makes new friends and makes relationships with friends, teachers, and strangers. Okay for now captured my attention on the first page and i found it hard to put down. The following quiz has two versions same questions, but different order of answers. Schmidt won newbery honor awards for lizzie bright and the buckminster boys and the wednesday wars, two comingofage novels about unlikely friends finding a bond. Okay for now is a companion book to the wednesday wars, but most definitely not a sequel. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature.
Jan 04, 2011 okay for now by gary schmidt the last book i read over the holiday break was an egalley of gary schmidts okay for now, a fantastic and is it possible. The main characters of this young adult, historical story are doug swieteck, lil spicer. So begins a comingofage masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from newbery honor winner gary d. The author creates this theme in many ways such as having the protagonists, doug, brother lucas get his legs blown up in the war in vietnam. First, he has to leave his original house, his friends, and his normal life, so his father could get a new job. The vietnam war and apollo 11 are in the background, and between a war in a distant land. The second half of the book, okay for now, everything gets better for doug. Okay for now is by then by awardwinning author, gary d.
Fourteenyearold doug swieteck faces an abusive father, a brother traumatized by vietnam, and suspicious teachers and police officers, but when he meets a. Idis w42 theatre, literary arts and culture in edinburgh and. Ostensibly a sequel to his newbery honor winning title the. Schmidt continues the story he started in the wednesday wars here in okay for now, and multiple plot lines will keep readers interested. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of joseph, a father at, who has never seen his daughter, jupiter. Okay for now is crowded with more incident and empowerment than any eighthgrade year or novel can. Historical fiction, realistic fiction, young adult publisher. It only takes a few hours for turner buckminster to start hating phippsburg, maine. Schmidt includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 10 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Okay for now is a comingofage masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy, where multiple themes of loss and recovery are weaved throughout a story teeming with distinctive, unusual. His moving new book, okay for now, is a companion to the latter novel.
Listen as twotime newbery honor winner author gary schmidt discusses okay for now, his novel and the companion book to the bestselling wednesday wars. Apr 06, 2011 gary schmidt books have everything brains, wit, humor, heart. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read okay for now. Schmidt is a professor of english at calvin college in grand rapids, michigan.
Schmidt born 1957 is an american author of childrens and young adults fiction books. He lands there in the summer of 1968, when the apollo space. Schmidt is a professor of english at calvin college, where he teaches courses in writing, medieval literature, and childrens literature. Schmidts novel okay for now, set in 1968, tells the story of 14year old doug and his fishoutofwater experience when he makes the unwilling move to a small town in upstate new york. He is the author of the newbery honor and printz honorwinning novel lizzie bright and the buckminster boy 2004, the newbery honor winning the wednesday wars 2007, and okay for now, a national book award finalist. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
Here joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets 12yearold jack, who narrates. He is the author of the newbery honor and printz honorwinning novel lizzie bright and the buckminster boy 2004, the newbery honor winning the wednesday wars 2007, and okay for now, a national book award finalist in 2011. Schmidt is the author of lizzie bright and the buckminster boy, which won both newbery and printz honors, and the wednesday wars, winner of a newbery honor. Containing nothing overtly offensive, but composed almost entirely of elements youve seen or read before, the novel is likely to generate some very different reactions among its. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Middle schooler doug has been dealt a raw hand by lifeabusive father, dysfunctional family, poverty, a move to a new town, trouble fitting in, loneliness. Picking up right after the end of the adventures of holling hoodhood, okay for now takes the perspective of doug swieteck, hoodhoods friend and little brother to hoodhoods bully. The first half of the book, okay for now, everything goes bad for doug. Free download or read online okay for now pdf epub book.
It follows holling hoodhoods friend, doug swieteck, who moves to the small town of marysville, new york, which he at first calls. Schmidt, author of okay for now fourteenyearold doug swieteck has the weight of the world upon him no friends, an. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 360 pages and is available in hardcover format. Gary schmidt books have everything brains, wit, humor, heart.