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Okay
for Now It is the summer of 1968. The United States is in a space race to be the first country to put a man on the moon. Across the world, Doug Swieteck's oldest brother is among the American troops fighting in an unpopular war in Vietnam. Soon, he will be badly injured and will return home. At home, Doug Swieteck has grown up in a troubled family, but once he got to meet his hero, Joe Pepitone! Joe Pepitone who gave Doug his autographed Yankees cap. So what if his brother stole from him and traded it for a pack of cigarettes? Doug has known abuse all his life ... from his older brothers and his father. The summer before he goes into 8th grade, his hot-tempered, abusive father has managed to get himself fired from yet another job. Now the family must move to Marysville, New York in the Catskill Mountains where Doug expects the worst. Isn't that always the way it is? If he gets something special, it is always destroyed. In some ways, he isn't surprised. His house in Marysville is a Dump. He knew it would be. In some ways, he is surprised. The girl who rides by and stops to talk is really pretty, but she probably thinks he is a thug, so he acts like one. Her name is Lil Spicer. She will become an important part of his life in Marysville. Thinking
there is nothing to do in stupid Marysville, it isn't long before he
discovers John James Audubon's Birds of America at the library,
he is drawn to the picture of the Arctic Tern. It is so beautiful,
but there is fear in its eye. Doug shares its fear, the fear of being
in a new town where his friends are far away. What will happen when he gets his first job? Will he be able to handle the excentric Mrs. Windermere and the five Daughtery kids? How will things change when his brother gets in trouble with the law again? How does Mr. Ferris, the science teacher, make Apollo 11 part of his dreams? Who will discover his terrible secret? How will he survive? What
will Doug discover about the transforming power of art over disaster?
Okay for Now is a rare treasure that will find its way into the hearts of readers of all ages. It is an essential addition to every classroom from fifth grade through high school and provides valuable lessons along the way. The 55-page Kids' Wings literature guide invites group discussion, problem solving, research, writing, skill building, and authentic applications, and includes an interactive Jeopardy-like game that will conclude the study with lasting memories. Research
Links for John
James Audubon Birds of America Gallery The
Vietnam War Apollo
11 Wikipedia
A Kids Wings unit and interactive Jeopardy-type game for Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt is perfect for lesson planning and handouts or projection on your SmartBoard! It is now available for instant download!
The Activity Guide Contains: Background Music: In the story, Doug trades flutist Mr. Russell Aaron Copland's Autobiography, Manuscript Edition for his Audubon painting of The Large-Billed Puffins. The background music is Copland's "Sunday Traffic." We are grateful to Classical Music Midi for graciously sharing this piece with us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More
Award-Winning Books for 2012-2013 Your purchases through the Kids Wings and Amazon Links help to keep our website doors open! Disclaimer: The links here have been scrutinized for their grade and age appropriateness; however, contents of links on the World Wide Web change continuously. It is advisable that teachers and parents review all links before allowing student use. Please contact us immediately if you find any inappropriate links. Contact Us Home Bookstore Integrated Curriculum Build Character Workshops Disclaimer: Texas Bluebonnet AwardSM is a service mark of the Texas Library Association, which is in no way affiliated with Kids' Wings or Suzy Red. Use of the Texas Bluebonnet Award mark in these materials does not imply any endorsement of any kind on behalf of the Texas Library Association. The Texas Bluebonnet Book Master ListSM was selected by the Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee of the Texas Library Association.
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