Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt is definitely one of my favorite books of 2011. This is a young adult novel set in the late ‘60’s, told from the perspective of a boy who is uprooted and moved to a small town in New York state. Doug is the youngest of three sons with a sweet but strong mother and an abusive, drunken father. The eldest son is a soldier in Viet Nam and the middle son is seen a delinquent by all the people of their new town. Doug struggles with issues of identity and loyalty. Luckily, an intelligent and interesting girl, an elderly male librarian, and an eccentric author befriend him. I found the perspective of Doug very illuminating and hope that others will read this book and, like me, remember how much a kind deed and an open heart can mean to a young person whose circumstances have placed him at a disadvantage.