Okay For Now By Gary D. Schmidt

“I’m a chump. So what?” says Doug Swieteck (pg. 123 Okay for Now, Gary D. Schmidt). Doug has no real friends, a criminal brother, a father who does not care, and receives the shocking news his family is moving to a place he has never heard: Marysville, New York. Anyone feels terrible in that situation, especially with no one to help. He takes on a grocery delivery job, learning to read, babysitting, becoming an artist, being in a play, and returning missing pages to an Audubon book of birds. During Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt, Doug luckily meets a few adults who aid him with the struggles he faces. With Mrs. Windermere, Coach Reed, and Mr. Powell to guide him, Doug will navigate his new life in Marysville and learn life lessons along the

Windermere, Doug’s new friend Lil describes her as the most formidable person on his list of deliveries. When Doug treks out to Mrs. Windermere’s enormous home, she will not even let him inside because she is in her extreme writing state of mind. She lets him through the door when he offers her the lemon ice cream in his delivery wagon. Mrs. Windermere pays Doug $25 dollars for the groceries, and tells him to keep the change, the biggest gift Doug has ever received. “I had never had that much money on my own. $2.22,” (Schmidt pg. 53). Also, her creative genius makes Doug think from a new perspective. When Mrs. Windermere catches Doug staring at her Audubon painting of Red-Throated Divers, Doug remarks that none of the other birds look as if they care for the mother bird; however, Mrs. Windermere sees it differently. “‘She’s looking around to watch for the next spectacular thing that’s going to come into his (the young bird’s) life’,” (Schmidt pg. 68). This opens Doug’s thoughts to a whole new way of thinking. Later, Mrs. Windermere makes a deal with Doug to give him back two paintings if he plays a part in the play she wrote. Doug goes carries out the agreement and receives a boost of confidence when he returns the two missing paintings back to where they belong. Mrs. Windermere is a pivotal role in Doug’s life as he continues to get survive in

Powell seems like chump to Doug because Mr. Powell is a librarian at the Marysville Free Public Library. However, Doug’s opinion changes when Mr. Powell offers to teach Doug draw when Mr. Powell catches him staring at an Audubon book of paintings. Doug refuses, but later changes his mind. “... When I took the black pencil in my fingers, it felt… spectacular,” (Schmidt pg. 69). Drawing with Mr. Powell every Saturday gives Doug a sense of pride for the first time. After a few Saturdays, Doug says, “...Did you catch what Mr. Powell called me? ‘Young artist’,” (Schmidt pg. 75). Art becomes Doug’s escape from everything that goes on around him. Towards the end of the book Doug ponders, “You know what Mr. Powell taught me? He taught me that sometimes, art can make you forget about everything else all around you,” (Schmidt pg. 344). While Mr. Powell offers mental support to Doug, he also teaches him how to draw magnificently. In the last few pages, Doug returns all the paintings to the Audubon book except one. Mr. Powell teaches Doug so well that Doug’s painting of an arctic tern is worthy of taking the place of the original. By teaching Doug to draw and offering life advice, Mr. Powell is key in helping Doug live a full