Module 6: The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Book Summary:

It is 1967, and Holling Hoodhood is beginning seventh grade. He believes that his teacher, Mrs. Baker, does not like him. On Wednesdays, half of his class goes to Hebrew school and the other half goes to Catechism. That leaves only him left in class with Mrs. Baker and she has some big plans for him; she has Holling read all the different works of Shakespeare. Holling ends up enjoying his Wednesdays with Mrs. Baker and Shakespeare. Holling experiences many interesting things during the school year, like being a fairy in a play, being a hero, battling against the class pet rats, accidently sabotaging his father’s project and much, much more. All of the Shakespeare Holling has been reading has given him a different perspective on all these events and helps him become who he wants to be.

APA Reference of Book:

Schmidt, G.D. (2007). The Wednesday wars. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Impressions:

I loved this book! I was not sure at first if I was going to like it, but it really surprised me. The main character Holling Hoodhood is such a funny character and he makes seventh grade seem like fun. Even though I’m still not sure that a seventh grade boy would enjoy reading Shakespeare, I still thought Gary D. Schmidt really captured the mind of a middle school boy and how funny their thought process is. Holling goes through quite a bit in one school year, and you see his growth as a person. He sees the effects of war, experiences the pressure of living up to his father’s expectations, feels fear for his sister’s safety, sees the effects of the Vietnam War on his country and city, and he takes on new challenges even though he know he will be criticized for it. Along the way Mrs. Baker becomes a mentor to Holling, and teaches him more than just the stories by Shakespeare. I think this would be a great book to introduce to readers who have not read much historical fiction before. Even though it is set during the Vietnam War, you feel like some of the same things could be happening today. I think this is an indicator of good writing as well as how we can always relate and learn from the past.

Professional Review:

“Now, with Schmidt's new novel, The Wednesday Wars, he has achieved something equally rare: a book that manages to be an accessible, humorous school story, and at the same time an insightful coming-of-age tale set during one of the most turbulent times in 20th-century America.”

Hopkinson, D. (2007 July). The Wednesday wars: After-school lessons in Shakespeare, and life [Review of the book The Wednesday Wars by G.D. Schmidt]. BookPage. Retrieved from http://bookpage.com/reviews/5296-gary-d-schmidt-wednesday-wars#.U8MW5KgvsjU

Library Uses:

Since this is book for older children and young adults, I think this would make a great book club book. You could even read a Shakespeare play along with this book. You could even have cream puffs like they do in the story. A Shakespeare actor could come and perform as well.

For a library display, you could display Shakespeare plays, movies, and quotes. Or you could also do a history display and showcase all the books and movies about the Vietnam War. You could include facts about the differences between then and now (pictures of town then and now, prices of food and gas then and now).