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Quick answer: If you loved Okay for Now, read Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars and Orbiting Jupiter, then Wolf Hollow, Wonder and Bud, Not Buddy. All are moving middle-grade novels about children facing hard families and finding kindness in unexpected places.
Gary D. Schmidt's 2011 novel follows Doug Swieteck, a boy new to a small town in 1968, with a rough family, a difficult brother back from Vietnam and a surprising friendship with a librarian who teaches him to draw birds from Audubon's prints. It is funny, honest and full of heart. The books below share its warmth and its brave young narrators.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wednesday Wars | Gary D. Schmidt | Ages 10-14 | the companion |
| Orbiting Jupiter | Gary D. Schmidt | Ages 12+ | short and powerful |
| Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy | Gary D. Schmidt | Ages 10-14 | friendship across lines |
| Wolf Hollow | Lauren Wolk | Ages 10-14 | quiet tension |
| Wonder | R. J. Palacio | Ages 8-12 | kindness |
| Counting by 7s | Holly Goldberg Sloan | Ages 10-14 | grief and family |
| Out of My Mind | Sharon M. Draper | Ages 10-14 | voice and ability |
| Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | Ages 9-13 | Depression-era quest |
| Because of Mr. Terupt | Rob Buyea | Ages 9-13 | class story |
| A Long Way from Chicago | Richard Peck | Ages 10-14 | grandma stories |
| Maniac Magee | Jerry Spinelli | Ages 9-13 | runaway legend |
| The Great Gilly Hopkins | Katherine Paterson | Ages 10-14 | foster child |
| Walk Two Moons | Sharon Creech | Ages 10-14 | road trip and loss |
| Hope Was Here | Joan Bauer | Ages 12+ | diner and politics |
| Three Times Lucky | Sheila Turnage | Ages 9-13 | small-town mystery |
1. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Holling Hoodhood spends Wednesdays with his teacher reading Shakespeare. Funny and touching, and Doug appears in it.
Best for: the companion.
2. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
A foster family takes in a damaged boy who is a father. Moving and quick.
Best for: short and powerful.
3. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt
A minister's son befriends a Black girl on an island in 1912. Thoughtful and sad.
Best for: friendship across lines.
4. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
A girl in 1943 Pennsylvania faces a cruel classmate. Beautiful and tense.
Best for: quiet tension.
5. Wonder by R. J. Palacio
A boy with a facial difference starts school. A modern classic, told in many voices.
Best for: kindness.
6. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
A gifted girl becomes an orphan and builds a new family. Warm and original.
Best for: grief and family.
7. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
A brilliant girl with cerebral palsy cannot speak. Moving and powerful.
Best for: voice and ability.
8. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
A boy sets out to find his father. Funny and moving.
Best for: Depression-era quest.
9. Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Seven students tell the story of a year with a caring teacher. Warm and moving.
Best for: class story.
10. A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Siblings spend summers with their formidable grandmother. Humorous and warm.
Best for: grandma stories.
11. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
An orphan runs across a divided town. Fable-like and fast.
Best for: runaway legend.
12. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A tough foster child learns to trust. Funny and bittersweet.
Best for: foster child.
13. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
A girl searches for her missing mother on a trip with her grandparents. Funny and sad.
Best for: road trip and loss.
14. Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
A girl works in a diner and joins a campaign. Warm and funny.
Best for: diner and politics.
15. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
A girl in North Carolina tries to find her mother. Quirky and charming.
Best for: small-town mystery.
How to Choose
For more Schmidt start with The Wednesday Wars. For heart and humour choose Bud, Not Buddy, A Long Way from Chicago or Three Times Lucky. For gentler stories about difference pick Wonder or Out of My Mind. For quiet suspense try Wolf Hollow. Several books here deal with loss and family hardship, so they work well when read alongside a teacher or parent. Okay for Now is set in 1968 and includes references to the Vietnam War and the Apollo missions, so readers may enjoy learning about the period afterward. Gary D. Schmidt writes with a mix of humour and heartbreak that suits readers of ten and older. If your child likes Doug's love of drawing and birds, a book about Audubon or a bird field guide makes a good follow-up. Teachers often use these novels to discuss family, kindness and courage. Libraries usually keep several of them together.
Related: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: Summary and Key Takeaways · Is It Okay to Read Multiple Books at Once? Pros, Cons and Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Okay for Now about?
Doug Swieteck moves to a small town and finds friendship, art and hope.
Who wrote it?
Gary D. Schmidt.
When was it published?
2011.
Is it connected to The Wednesday Wars?
Yes, Doug appears in The Wednesday Wars, and both are set in the late 1960s.
What age is it for?
Usually ages 10 to 14.
Is it a sad book?
It has sad moments, but it is hopeful.
Did it win a prize?
It was a National Book Award finalist.
What should I read next?
Try The Wednesday Wars.
Do I need to read The Wednesday Wars first?
No, but it adds context for Doug and his family.
Is the Vietnam War important in the book?
It shapes the family, since Doug's older brother returns from the war, but the story is told from a boy's view.