Thursday, July 28, 2011

Mrs. B is reading...Okay for Now

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Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt


I didn’t think I would have any interest in reading an entire book about Doug Swieteck, a minor character from Gary D. Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars. Was I ever wrong! I have to say, this is the best book I’ve read in awhile. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to build a time machine, travel back to Marysville, circa 1968, and work with Mr. Powell at the Marysville Free Public Library. Oh, and hang out at Spicer’s Deli and drink a really cold coke.

You don’t have to read The Wednesday Wars first to appreciate Okay for Now. It stands on its own. However, if you read both, you may be reminded that there is often more to a person than what you first see on the surface.

After his father is fired, Doug Swieteck moves with his family to “stupid” Marysville, New York. Life at the Swieteck home is less than desirable. Doug’s father is a jerk. His mother he loves dearly, but she is unable to stand up for herself, let alone her boys. His oldest brother is serving in Vietnam, and his other brother is a bit of a hoodlum. No wonder everyone thinks Doug must be a “skinny thug” too.

Lil Spicer is his first new friend in Marysville. She arranges for Doug to work for her father who owns a deli, making deliveries to some of the folks in town. As he begins to interact with the people of Marysville (on his delivery route, at school, and of course, at the library!) he experiences kindness and friendship that he hadn’t expected or even hoped for.

There’s so much more that I could say about this book, but why not stop in the library and check it out for yourself! Also, if you want to know more about birds than you ever thought you’d care to know...this is the book for you.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Mrs. B is reading...Okay for Now

Just started reading Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt.

Only about 10 pages in and my heart is breaking...
...10 more pages and Doug Swieteck (the main character) found the library. A bright spot!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Mrs. B is reading...The Wednesday Wars


The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

“Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junor High, there was one kid that Mrs. Baker hated with heat whiter than the sun.
Me.
And let me tell you, it wasn’t for anything I’d done.”
- Holling Hoodhood

Holling Hoodhood is sure that Mrs. Baker hates him. Why wouldn’t she? Instead of having Wednesday afternoon’s off, she’s stuck with him while his classmates leave for religion class. Of course she has it out for him! Why else would she make him read Shakespeare outside of class? And that’s not all he has to deal with. There’s the cream puff incident, crazed rats on the loose, yellow tights with feathers on the...well I won’t tell you where they were...a baseball hero who is less than a hero, and that’s just for starters. In spite of himself, Holing begins to learn who he is and who he wants to be.

The Wednesday Wars may take you a few chapters to get into it, but stick it out. As Holling Hoodhood would say: “Let me tell you, it was just swell.”