Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Ever think someone is just plain mean? Or really has it in for you, when you've done nothing wrong? These frustrating emotions are explored in great depth by the narrator of this compelling novel. You will see the world through his eyes--and boy, is it a tough world.
This novel challenges readers to be more empathetic: when we can step into someone else's shoes, we discover why they are the way they are. After all, what you see on the outside isn't always what's on the inside.
This novel challenges readers to be more empathetic: when we can step into someone else's shoes, we discover why they are the way they are. After all, what you see on the outside isn't always what's on the inside.
Audubon Prints
The following passage is taken from the Audubon House Gallery of Natural History website.
Between 1827 and 1839, John James Audubon worked with Robert Havell, a London engraver to create the “Double Elephant Folio”. Audubon’s “Great Work” was called the “Double Elephant Folio”, the “Birds of America” or the “Havell Edition”. The name Double Elephant was a printer’s term regarding the size of the paper. This was the largest format paper available for printing in the early nineteenth century. Double Elephant sized paper measures approximately 26 inches by 39 inches. Audubon used this large format paper to accommodate his drawings, which were actual life size. The paper used in this original edition bears a watermark of the paper manufacturer, J. WHATMAN, and the year that the paper was created. To identify a Havell engraving, the actual paper can be held up to a window, or another source of light and the watermark will appear.
There were 175 folios created of the Birds of America, each with 435 different images of birds depicted. They were issued to original subscribers in lots of five, over the course of several years. It took over a decade to complete the publication, and once a subscriber had all the works in their possession, most subscribers had them bound in to a very large, four volume set. |
$7.9 M Paid for Audubon Book in 2012 |
Author Reading
In the video below, author Gary Schmidt reads an excerpt from his novel (page 144+)--one of the most moving passages in Doug's story.
Vietnam War Protests
One of the many unsettling scenes in this novel takes place when Doug and his parents go to pick up his older brother, and they must pass before groups of protestors. Today, when we see women and men wearing military uniforms, the more common reaction is to nod, smile, and sometimes approach them to say "thank you." But that certainly was not the norm during the Vietnam War. Visit History.com via the link below, to view articles and images from the many, many protests during this period in our country's history.
Teacher Survey |
Ready to show what you know and remember?Third period classes, click below to take a quiz on the novel:
|