From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…
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Doug Swieteck's abusive, alcoholic and recently fired father moves the family from NYC in the late 1960s to a stupid dump of a town, Maryville, in upstate New York. Then Doug goes into the library that isn't exactly Yankee Stadium but it's not a dump either because it has this huge book under glass with a beautiful yet terrifying picture of a bird that looks all alone and is falling--like Doug. Doug could fall deeper into despair because his bully brother,accused of theft, casts a shadow on Doug
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I picked this up hesitantly early this morning at 3 a.m. when I couldn't sleep. Hesitant because of the size of the book. I wasn't sure I wanted to get into something that was 360 pages long that early in the morning. One hundred and sixty seven pages later I decided I'd better get some sleep, leaving Doug after he just won the trivia contest with Mr. Ballard, pulling the prize right from under his "wonderful" [sense sarcasm] father's grasp. Gary Schmidt created a story so believable, yet horrib
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I liked this story for many reasons. I think I could write a lengthy review of this book, but will be brief. It is a feel good story of a boy, Doug, who rises about his circumstances with the help of friends, teachers and mentors in the community. As a bonus he is also able to be a positive influence on those around him. It was a satisfying ending.
I loved how the author used paintings of birds to tie the story together. In Wednesday Wars he used Shakespeare's plays to teach life lessons, in the ...more
I loved how the author used paintings of birds to tie the story together. In Wednesday Wars he used Shakespeare's plays to teach life lessons, in the ...more
I cannot remember the last time a book pulled me in so unwittingly that a plot turn made me gasp out loud. This book is that sly, lovely, surprising devil. Told from the calloused perspective of Doug, a kid with agonizingly few breaks in life, it follows his family's relocation to a dinky town in upstate New York where life promises to be harder than the one they left. Doug's narration doesn't let you think for a minute that this is going to be one of those goopy, sweet stories of redemption and
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This was a good story but it started sort of slow for me. I had a hard time with the dad character and why everyone tiptoes around him. I think this is a reflection of how things have changed in our culture in the last 40 years. However, having said that, I think this story has some really great themes of appreciating who you are, letting people help you, opening yourself up to friendship as well as the Vietnam War (the scene when the main character's brother came home was pretty vivid). I think
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I find it a challenge sometimes to find good YA books for boys - and I'm so glad we've discovered Gary Schmidt. I think he's a great writer and I love how his characters embody empathy and humor. This book will break your heart for sure but the way he gently brings the reader back to a place of being okay (and even better for okay) after heartbreak, in hard circumstances, is Schmidt's genius. Thank you Gary Schmidt! I'm so glad there are YA writers like this out there. Wonderful book.
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I'm not sure anymore what I was expecting from this book, but Schmidt has certainly surpassed them. I'm not quite sure how to adequately convey just how awesome this book is. The writing is very interesting - conversational yet powerful and polished. Doug is a dynamic, likable character and I loved watching his relationships with his brothers, father, teachers, and neighbors evolve as the story progressed.
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This is a stand-alone companion to the Newbery Honor Award-winning book "Wednesday Wars", set around the same time as the book but featuring a different character and neighbourhood. There were a couple of points that seemed a bit far-fetched, and I didn't completely buy the ending, but overall it was a good read and will be a great lit circle or novel study book for grade 6 or 7.
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I loved everything about this book. He is able to make lemonade out of a lot of very sour lemons. He has to fight against his jaded view of the world, because his dad is a jerk, to realize there are some really great people looking out for him.
Jan 07, 2012
clare o'c
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
misfits,
middle-grades,
ya,
realistic-fiction,
middle-school,
families,
misunderstood,
observation,
funny
Mr. Schmidt really gets kids. Wednesday Wars was super, and so is this. (I'm going to come back and finish this later)
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I don't understand the hype. This book did not hold my attention and I found it boring. The intended audience is Teen/Ya and I can't imagine them sticking with this one. In my opinion baseball stats and Audubon birds do not make for interesting reading. In addition, I hated how Doug's dad all of a sudden becomes a good guy at the end.
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This deserves all the potential Newbery buzz it's getting.
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Jul 11, 2011
Caren
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-fiction,
favorite-all-time-books
Jul 17, 2011
Erica
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2014
Katy Marie
added it
