![]() ![]() But Marysville gives Doug the chance to become something more than a skinny thug like his older brother and his deadbeat dad. In 1968, Doug Swieteck already has to face an abusive father, a bullying older brother, and another brother who is off fighting in Vietnam, so when his father loses his job and moves the family to Marysville, New York in search of work, Doug is suddenly also the new kid. 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. ![]()
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