#MMGM: Okay For Now, by Gary D. Schmidt

I'm posting this morning with the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop. The hop is sponsored by  Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle. Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.  

 

Title: Okay for Now
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Publication Info: Clarion Books, 2011, 360 pages.
Source: Library

Publisher's Blurb (via Goodreads):
As a fourteen-year-old 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. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the “skinny thug” that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer—a fiery young lady who “smelled like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain.” In Lil, Doug finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon’s birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. In this stunning novel, Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival.

My Review:
First off, this book felt like ti fell between MG and YA--so best suited for 12-14 year olds, I think. There is some violent content, mostly in the form of abuse from Doug's older brother and father. There is also the reality of war (in the form of at least three characters profoundly affected by the Vietnam War, still on-going at the time the story is set, and the hostility of strangers to a maimed veteran), and some excruciating but sadly believable assumptions on the part of too many adults. In other words, they've decided Doug--like his brother--looks like a thug, so he must be one, and therefore can't be trusted, or even given a chance. 

What's great about this story is watching Doug's defenses wear down as he slowly finds a few people worth trusting, and a few people who are willing to trust him--to give him the chance he so badly wants and needs. Not every adult in this little town is shallow and judgemental, and some reach out to help Doug rather than grind him further down.

It took me a little while to be sure I wanted to read this--Doug's attitude at the beginning is kind of off-putting, which of course is the point. Once I was well into it, though, I wasn't going to quit until I had the whole story.

My Recommendation:
As noted, best suited for the 12-14 year-olds, as there's some heavy life stuff in here, including an abusive father. The title makes clear the reality that we aren't getting everything miraculously fixed here.
  

FTC Disclosure: I checked Okay For Now out of the library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

 

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 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2026 

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