What are some of the signposts in this novel?

A signpost in literature is a recognizable point within a text that one can identify as a significant point in the text. These points of action illuminate aspects of plot, theme, and characterizations (or characters). Gary D. Schmidt's Okay for Now contains several signposts. Most of the important signposts can be tied to the protagonist, Doug Swieteck. The following signposts help readers to characterize Doug through both direct and indirect characterizations.
"Joe Pepitone once gave me his New York Yankees baseball cap. I’m not lying." Pepitone was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. This signpost tells readers two things about Doug. First, he loves baseball. The cap he receives from Pepitone serves as an honored trophy for Doug. Secondly, Doug wants readers to know that he is not lying about the cap. Readers could infer that Doug may be known to lie about somethings, but under these circumstances, he is not lying.
" It was the only thing I ever owned that hadn’t belonged to some other Swieteck before me." This signpost, which is connected to the first, states something about Doug's financial status in life. He is used to hand-me-downs. This would allow readers to recognize that Doug's family is not necessarily well off.
"Pummeled me in places where the bruises wouldn’t show." This line illustrates the relationship Doug has with his older brothers, although this line only refers to one of the older brothers. Here, readers can see that Doug's relationship with his older brothers is not a good one. This signpost illustrates one of the many challenges that Doug faces on a daily basis, which proves his internal strength.
Another signpost of the text can be found when Doug is talking about the family's move. His father hands him a box and tells him to pack what he needs—everything else is garbage. It is this signpost that illustrates both Doug's and his father's identification of "garbage." For both of them, much of the household belongings are garbage. As his father is helping pack, he drops numerous fragile things. These things break and become garbage—if they were not identified as garbage before. This signpost seems to help Doug identify things that are actually important later in the text.