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Okay for Now

 

(Picture from Goodreads.com)

1.       Bibliography

Schmidt, Gary. 2011. OKAY FOR NOW. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN: 978-0-547-15260-8

2.       Plot Summary
Doug Swieteck is a young teen struggling to grow up in a time of war and change. At the beginning of the novel the reader learns that Doug’s father is abuse, a drunk, and consequently looses jobs easily. They move in order to start over, but patterns return quickly. Doug tries to find work and friends, landing on a young girl named Lillian Spicer. Through Lillian he gets a job at her father’s grocery store and discovers the town library. In the library he stumbles upon Mr. Powell, the librarian who teaches Doug to paint and see the world as an artist. Through trials and tribulations, Doug finds his place in the town and the world as he meets a variety of characters and gains experiences to help him overcome the negatives in his life.

3.       Critical Analysis
Taking place during the Vietnam War, Schmidt’s novel explores the themes that revolve around young people. Abuse, fitting in, struggling in school, trying to find your identity, and young romance are all prevalent in this novel. While the focus is on Doug’s life, there is reference to the time period including talking about the Vietnam War and the spacecraft headed to the moon. Doug’s brother is injured in the war, and his PE coach also suffers from war memories. These two characters, told through Doug’s perspective, help the reader’s gain insight to the collateral damage done to family members watching their loved ones suffer from PTSD.

The pictures of birds in the book are black and white and depict the images that Doug is referencing as he draws. The birds also metaphorically represent the place Doug is in his life. As he learns how to draw, he is also gaining life experience. By the end, when he can draw a complete image and feel satisfied, he has also established what kind of person he wants to be.

4.       Awards/ Reviews

*New York Times Best Seller List

*Amazon Book of the Year

*Children’s Choice Award Winner 2012

*National Book Award for Young People’s Literature 2011

"This is Schmidt's best novel yet—darker than The Wednesday Wars and written with more restraint, but with the same expert attention to voice, character and big ideas." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The book is exceptionally well written. Schmidt creates characters that will remain with the reader long after the book is done. Doug’s voice is unforgettable as he tries to help and protect his mom.... While there is much stacked against him, he is a character filled with hope that the reader cannot help but root for. Push this one on readers; they will not be sorry.... Schmidt writes a journal-type story with a sharp attention to detail, patterns in the story line, and an unexpected twist at the end."
— VOYA

 

5.       Connections

This book is good for teaching themes such as: abuse within families, fitting into school and society, struggling in school, trying to find your identity, and young romance. Intended for middle school audiences, this book would appeal to both boys and girls.

 

Include non-fiction books in class to pair with this fiction book:

Professor, Baby. 2001. EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR: HISTORY FACTS BOOKS, CHILREN’S WAR AND MILITARY BOOKS. Narrated by Frank Block. Speedy Publishing LLC.

 

O’Connor, Jim. 2019. WHAT WAS THE VIETNAM WAR? New York, NY: Penguin Workshop. ISBN 978-1524789770

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