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The Wednesday Wars Review
Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn't like Holling—he's sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivation—the Big M—in the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself. User Submitted The Wednesday Wars ReviewsAugust 5, 2008 a favorite of three generations We listened to the audiobook on a three generations family road trip and everyone loved the book. Granted, some of us were raised on Long Island in the early sixties (duck and cover drill, LILCO power outages, etc. rang true). However, even the twelve year old reluctant reader in the group raised in Mass. couldn't wait until we got back in the car to listen to more. It is a book with something for everyone. There is plenty of humor and serious concerns along with an examination of family dynamics. The setting is the Vietnam war and there are plenty of parallels for today as well. In summary, give this book a try and consider reading or listening as a family. "You sir, are a pied ninny", is now a favorite family quote. June 18, 2008 Four thumbs up! On the suggestion of a friend who has excellent taste in books, I bought this book for my eleven year old son, who's appetite for books exceeds what I can keep up with! It was so gripping that he sat up until two in the morning to finish the book. (I can sympathize; I've done that!) His review (five stars) for the library book club was so enthusiastic that the next night I sat up until two in the morning to read it! This is probably the best recent children's book I've found! I loved it! And it gently introduces topics such as racism, the Vietnam war, bullying, determination and self-sacrifice that parents can discuss with their children. Kids love the book because it's witty and has a great story. Then again, I loved it for that too! So four thumbs up, two from me and two from my son! June 15, 2008 Delightful! Wonderful, refreshing, silly, plausible...I loved this book and highly recommend it for children and adults. It's a quick read with clean verbage. How unusual! June 6, 2008 One of the most entertaining books I've ever read Wow! If I could give this book 6 stars-I would. I have read lots of middle school books, and yes a few have been excellent. This one was nearly impossible for me to put down. The book was so funny in parts, that I had a difficult time trying to stop laughing. Other parts were exciting, touching, a bit sad, and very thought provoking. Yes, this book is easy to read, but not at all shallow by any stretch of the imagination. It really has a lot to say, but does it in a subtle non-preachy way. I think anyone grades 5 or up would love this book. The book is told through the eyes of a 7th grade boy, and it is comes across so real it is impossible not to have a connection with this character. You don't have to be a middle school teacher or an avid reader to love this book. It is one of those very few books that knocks down all walls and invites all readers to enter. June 2, 2008 Schmidt + Johnstone = A Hit for All Ages My twelve year old daughter and I listened to this book together, and in a rare instance of complete agreement, we both pronounced it EXCELLENT. We repeatedly found ourselves engaged painlessly in converation about what should have been difficult themes, such as all the different "wars" in Holling's life, the Shakespearean notion that conflict and humor can exist in the same time and place, lost opportunities, etc. Whether this book is a "winner" in literary circles is an issue I will leave to the experts. What I can say without reservation is that the book is truly a "winner" in terms of young person enjoyment and in terms of potential for readily sparking important conversation. June 2, 2008 This book rocks!!! This is the first book I've read by Schmidt and I stayed up late just to finish it. There are many things I loved about this book. For one, Holling seems just like any ordinary 7th grade kid but then through his periods with Mrs Baker, he develops into a remarkable young man. Family life during the 1960s to early 1970s was also vastly different. Children were not as spoiled and usually listened to their parents even though they may have felt some resentment. I also liked the way Schmidt allowed the humour of so many situations in the book to surface so much so that I believe that most kids, boys especially would enjoy this book. I am now going to try and find a copy of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy! April 16, 2008 great book! I loved this book. I am a junior high teacher and chuckled over the perception students have of teachers. The Vietnam War time period is also a hard time period to find good books. February 27, 2008 Another winner from Gary Schmidt He did it again. Gary created another thought provoking book about kids becoming adults. It is written in a whole new voice. I had to keep reminding myself that it was really written by the same author as Lizzie Bright. The intertwining of the personal story, the political story of the 60's, and the various Shakespeare stories was amazing. I am an adult, but love a great juvenile fiction book. With "Wednesday Wars" Gary Schmidt is now at the top of my Juvenile fiction author list. I am looking forward to "Trouble" coming soon. February 14, 2008 Parallels to what's going on today Set during the Vietnam War, this novel has many parallels to what's going on today in Iraq and Afghanistan. At first, Holling Hoodhood and his teacher have a mutual dislike for each other, but as the year goes on, and Shakespeare begins working on Holling, they come to an understanding. This would be a though-provoking read for middle school and high school students. Highly recommended. January 23, 2008 More for Boomers than the YA Crowd Oddly, THE WEDNESDAY WARS is probably going to appeal more to adults who came of age in the 50s and 60s than it is to young adults. And oddly, despite a lot of positive writing, the overall story will, at times, drag for younger readers -- especially if they are in the "reluctant reader" category. Let's start with what's good about this novel: It's clean, wholesome, charming, and one might even say, quaint. Although set in the turbulent years of 1967-68 on Long Island, the book seems more like a snapshot out of the 50's -- all Eisenhower tranquility, all "Leave It to Beaver" good fun. Yes, there's mention of Vietnam, nuclear bomb drills at school, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, but it's more in name than in spirit and remains stubbornly remote from the story and the characters themselves (except for protagonist Holling Hoodhood's older sister, the lightly-sketched Heather, who is a Kennedy fan). I liked the humorous tone, the plot's use of Shakespeare (poor 7th-grader Holling must memorize parts of the Bard's work during Wednesday afterschool sessions), and the character of Mrs. Baker -- the prototypical "teacher we all remember throughout life." What threw me was the character of Holling. He's way too mature and precocious for his age. In the one moment of family crisis, he acts wise WAY beyond his years and acts like a seasoned father, not a 7th-grade kid. His interests, words, and opinions? Also very adult-ish, despite Schmidt's game inclusion of such hijinks as 8th graders wanting to beat him up because he wears tights in a Shakespeare scene and because he outruns his elder classmen in a track meet. Bottom line: if you like charming, if you like books about memorable teachers, or if you like the 50s (as projected in the 60s), you probably will love this nicely written ode to youth (or at least "a good boy's youth"). If you like your YA a little edgier, a little more realistic to its time, setting, character, then you might smell the professor-writer in all of this and wonder if it misses its full potential. In that sense, reaction to the book may say as much about you as it does the book. For more The Wednesday Wars reviews click here.
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