Wednesday Wars, The

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gardy D. Schmidt
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (May 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 054723760X
ISBN-13: 978-0547237602

Synopsis: In 1967, everyone (read: adults) has bigger things to worry about than one 7th grade boy's problems with his teacher. Holling Hoodhood is the last presbyterian left in his class. On Wednesday afternoons, when all his Jewish classmates Hebrew school to prepare for their bar- or bat-mitzvahs and the other half goes to Catechism, Holling is the only kid left in class - effectively putting a stop to his teacher, Mrs. Baker's, free Wednesday afternoons. In a move Holling is sure is prompted by Mrs. Baker's hatred for him, his teacher decides she will read the works of William Shakespeare with Holling on those Wednesday afternoons. Who knew studying The Bard would help form so much of Holling's character?

Review: There aren't enough positive things to say about this book. At turns it made me cry, laugh out loud, and get angry - sometimes within the space of a few minutes! Holling Hoodhood and Mrs. Baker are fully realized people on the page, not just flat characterizations. The events of the late 1960s are told from a fresh perspective and filtered through the mind and viewpoint of a teenaged boy. Having a teenaged boy myself, I can verify that the events Holling finds so "traumatic" are very true of real teenagers. I have already given the book to my son and told him to read it!

Awards/Reviews:

• 2008 -- Newbery Honor Book
• 2008 -- ALA Notable Children's Book
• 2008 -- ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• 2007 -- Booklist Editors' Choice
• 2007 -- National Parenting Publications Book Award
• 2007 -- NY Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading
• 2007 -- Book Sense Award Finalist

"Schmidt rises above the novel's conventions to create memorable and believable characters." Horn Book, Starred

"[An] entertaining and nuanced novel.... There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones." School Library Journal

"An accessible, humorous school story, and at the same time, an insightful coming-of-age tale." Bookpage

Connections:

Prior to reading "The Wednesday Wars", the teacher will create anticipation guides for students to complete before and contemplate during reading the book. A guide to creating anticipation guides can be found at http://novelinks.byu.edu/uploads/Novels/TheWednesdayWars/Anticipation%20Guide.pdf.

Prior to reading the novel, port a laptop to the overhead projector and go to http://jlindabu.glogster.com/The-Wednesday-Wars/. This "glog" gives a pictorial and text overview of the novel. Use to fan interest in the novel.

Read excerpts from the Shakespearian plays "Holling" reads in the book.

Compile research books on Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Nixon and other historical figures of the time. Assign students to groups and assign each group a historical figure to research and give a presentation to the class on. Students can choose to give a straight stand-up report, create a faux news interview with the historical figure, or any other number of ways to present their assigned historical figure to the rest of the class.

Invite a community member who was in middle school in the late 1960s to come talk about their experiences, what they remember about the days when King and Kennedy (both brothers) were killed and any other recollections of their childhoods in that era.