Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt

[bj neary]

Schmidt has brought back some of his original characters from the<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/556136.The_Wednesday_Wars"><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175775828s/556136.jpg" title="The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt" alt="The Wednesday Wars"/></a>and I am so glad Douglas Swieteck and Holling Hoodhood are here! Douglas is a kid who has the wise aleck sense of humor and it is because of his family life and he can't help himself from blurting out smart and mean stuff, it is his coping mechanism. But thankfully the characters he meets along the way---Lil Spicer, Mrs. Windemere, and Mr. Powell (to name just a few---Schmidt has so many finely drawn characters) are not put off by his comments and know just how to reel him in...Doug becomes a delivery boy who falls in love with the bird drawings of Audubon and begins a quest to help the library and himself. I love all of Schmidt's books and this is now my most favorite of his---you will love 1968 and the family's move to stupid Marysville, and Doug's coming of age. You will laugh, and cry and hold this book close because Schmidt's way with words is so powerful. Even though he is 13 yrs old ----teens will identify with Doug's life, family, friends and school.