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Clarion Books
April 2011
On Sale: April 5, 2011
368 pages
ISBN: 0547152604
EAN: 9780547152608
Hardcover
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Young Adult
As 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. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the βskinny thugβ that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicerβa fiery young lady who βsmelled like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain.β 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. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubonβs birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. 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.
 Media BuzzAll Things Considered - February 28, 2013
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