Comment

AlgonquinYouthServices
Apr 15, 2013
Doug Swietek, the bully from The Wednesday Wars, is back in his own book. In 1968, the Swieteks move from Long Island to Marysville, in upstate New York, where his abusive, unemployed dad finds work. The small town is a different world from the suburbs he is used to. Doug, who we previously have seen through the eyes of Holling Hoodhood, turns out to be a lot deeper, talented, and kinder than we initially would think. His oldest brother is returning from Vietnam, and his middle brother is a blossoming juvenile delinquent making himself quickly known to the police. Doug is offered a job delivering groceries around town for Spicer’s Deli, and he soon meets people, including a sassy girl his age, named Lil Spicer, who just happens to be his boss’s daughter. Doug begins visiting the library, where he is mesmerized by the intricate lifelike prints in Audubon’s Birds of America. The kindly librarian, Mr. Powell helps Doug to explore his artistic abilities, by allowing him to sketch copies of the prints. Each chapter in the book starts with a copy of a print from the book. When the kids learn that the town is selling off the valuable Audubon prints one by one to raise money, they set out to recover them. In between, they audition for a Broadway show, win a contest, welcome home Doug’s brother, and build a lasting friendship. This book offers a great snapshot of small town American life in the late 1960s. It also is a wonderful story of friendship and family. The Newbery Honor winning companion book The Wednesday Wars is one of my favorites, and I am so glad the story continues here, with Doug. ~Alexa Newman, Youth Services Librarian