Out of Print (email to check availability of used copies) (Please note, this book cannot be returned.)
Spring 2011 Kids' Next List
“Following The Wednesday Wars, Doug Swieteck returns as he and his family move to 'stupid' Marysville in upstate New York. Completely awed by his hero, Yankee baseball player Joe Pepitone, and trying valiantly to be nothing like his abusive, often drunken father, Doug has more than his share of obstacles. It's 1968: Doug's brother is in Vietnam, the Apollo 11 moonwalk is nearing, and Doug is hiding two big secrets. Phenomenal characters and impossible odds make this tale of an amazing young man funny, tender, and inspiring.”
— Jane Morck, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
Description
National Book Award Finalist " A] stealthily powerful, unexpectedly affirming story of discovering and rescuing one's best self."--"Booklist," starred review In this companion novel to "The Wednesday Wars," Doug struggles to be more than the "skinny thug" that some people think him to be. He finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, who gives him the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. 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.
About the Author
Gary D. Schmidt is the author of the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. His most recent novel is The Wednesday Wars. He is a professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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“Following The Wednesday Wars, Doug Swieteck returns as he and his family move to 'stupid' Marysville in upstate New York. Completely awed by his hero, Yankee baseball player Joe Pepitone, and trying valiantly to be nothing like his abusive, often drunken father, Doug has more than his share of obstacles. It's 1968: Doug's brother is in Vietnam, the Apollo 11 moonwalk is nearing, and Doug is hiding two big secrets. Phenomenal characters and impossible odds make this tale of an amazing young man funny, tender, and inspiring.”