The principal of the middle school assumes the worst about him at all times. His PE coach definitely has it in for him.

And there are certainly some people who seem intent on making it hell for him.

Doug expects life in Maryville to be hell. His father is abusive, his slightly older brother is a borderline delinquent, and his oldest brother is fighting in Vietnam. Do you know what it feels like to read a book like that?Doug Swieteck's family moves to stupid Maryville, New York, where he expects life to be terrible. This one made me cry because I was sad, and cry because I was happy. 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. 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. 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. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D.

2011 National Book Award FinalistAs 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.

Okay for now by gary d schmidt