Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now. Boston: Clarion Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-547-15260-8

Plot

Doug has a lot to deal with. He has his dysfunctional family—an older brother who pummels him, another brother away fighting in Vietnam, a mother whom he dearly loves, and a father who mistreats them all. He has his new house—“The Dump”—in a new, boring town, a new junior high school where most of the teachers are suspicious of him, and a new Saturday job as a grocery delivery boy where his customers react the same way as his teachers. And he has secrets that he’s not quite ready to let readers in on. But as Doug deals with his family, his school, and his job, he begins to find some things that are pretty okay. For one thing, there’s Lil, a smart girl who is in most of his 8^th grade classes. Then there’s the library, which is not so bad because it has wonderful pictures of birds by some guy named Audubon and a librarian who shows him how to draw. And then there’s his science teacher who isn’t so bad either and who is all excited about the upcoming NASA mission to land some people on the moon for the first time. So maybe things will better than Okay for Now.

Analysis

Doug, an 8^th grader in the late 1960s, has many difficulties that kids today still face. He has family troubles, he is faced with suspicion because of his trouble-causing older brother, and he is the new kid at his junior high school. He struggles with being accepted by the adults who think poorly of him and the kids who think the same way. He is initially resistant to learning how to draw (after all, he’s not a “chump”), and there’s other things he doesn’t want to admit to. But there are bright spots in his life that readers will relate to as well—an ice-cold Coke guzzled down on a hot summer day, a new friend whose eyes make you feel warm inside, the joy of learning and improving at a new hobby, and the recognition of others who learn that there’s more to you than they first realized. The author was a preteen in the late 1960s, and this story rings true with readers. Details of the 1960s come about gradually and are expertly woven throughout the book to create a sense of the times—there’s major, well-known events, like the Vietnam War and anti-war protests as well as the upcoming Apollo 11 mission, and then there’s small things, like the cost of a coke and the sounds of a typewriter. The language used throughout is also reflective of the times. The story is told in the first-person point of view with a very distinctive style. Doug acts as narrator and directly addresses the reader, freely employing slang and alternately pointing things out and keeping things from the reader. Interestingly, this not only suits the story and the character as Doug makes casual, sarcastic, humorous, and insightful observations, but is similar to the way Jane speaks to the reader in Jane Eyre, a book that Doug has to read for one of his classes.

Other connections are drawn between Audubon’s birds and Doug’s life (images of the birds are included at the beginning of each chapter). Doug sees himself and his friends and family in the birds, and he sees the birds in the world around him. As the story begins, he views the birds with an air of helplessness or tragedy, such as the Artic Tern that seems to be plummeting into the ocean. However, as the story continues and there are more and more positive interactions in his life, Doug’s outlook begins to change and he realizes that the Arctic Tern isn’t plummeting to his destruction, but actually freely choosing where he will fly to next.

Awards and Recognition

Gary D. Schmidt is a best-selling and award-winning author, and Okay for Now was a National Book Award finalist, has received multiple starred reviews, and has been featured on several recommended reading lists.

“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. By the end of this tale, […] Doug realizes he’s pretty happy in Marysville, where holding hands with the green-eyed girl—and a first kiss—rival whatever might be happening on the moon.”—Kirkus Starred Review

“Readers will miss Doug and his world when they’re done, and will feel richer for having experienced his engaging, tough, and endearing story.”—School Library Journal 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, […] he is a character filled with hope that the reader cannot help but root for.”–VOYA

“Reproductions of Audubon plates introduce each chapter in this stealthily powerful, unexpectedly affirming story of discovering and rescuing one’s best self, despite family pressure to do otherwise.”—Booklist Starred Review

Connections

The theme of art and Audubon’s birds is strong throughout this book. Use this as inspiration for learning more about Audubon’s birds and for trying your hand at sketching or painting a bird of your own choosing. A useful resource can be found here: https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america

Two major historical event take place during this book: the Vietnam War and NASA’s moon-landing missions. This can spark discussions about these two contrasting events, one full of anger and violence, and the other filled with feelings of hope. Also consider reading other books that take place in the ‘60s, such as:

• Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
• Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
• Revolution by Deborah Wiles
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
• Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
• Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell
• Vietnam: A History of the War by Russell Freedman (nonfiction)
• The Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo’s Third Man by Alex Irvine (nonfiction)
• Destination Moon: The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11 by Richard Maurer (nonfiction)

If you haven’t already, you may enjoy reading the book that precedes this one: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. The Wednesday Wars was awarded a Newbery Honor and follows the story of Holling Hoodhood, a friend of Doug’s.

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.