The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Seventh grade student, Holling Hoodhood, believes Mrs Baker (his teacher) hates him. He is Presbyterian and the only student that does not get picked up early from school on Wednesdays for religious instruction. Instead of Mrs Baker having an extra period free of teaching she has to insure Holling is busy doing something. Holling's dad, an architect and owner of Hoodhood and Associates, warns his son to be extra nice with Mrs. Baker since her family owns Baker Sporting Emporium and are about to pick an architect for their new building. At first, she has him cleaning the room and pounding chalk off the erasers. But after a mishap with chalk dust and the cream puffs for the Wives of Vietnam Soldiers' he has been given the assignment of reading Shakespeare. He believes Mrs Baker is out to bore him to death, but he is surprised that he enjoys reading the plays. He likes it so much that he had memorized lines from The Tempest and was volunteered to play Ariel, a fairy in the Long Island Shakespeare Company's Holiday Extravaganza. He was dreading wearing the yellow tights with feathers on the behind and was hoping none of his classmates would be going to the play. He knows he will be the laughing stock of seventh grade when Mrs. Baker announces the play to the entire class and offers to give extra credit if they attend. On that same evening, Micky Mantle was signing autographs and Holling made it just in time to get his ball signed. Mantle threw his ball to the floor and told him he doesn't sign for kids that wear yellow tights. He felt the Gods were dying ,but then Mrs. Baker had a surprise for him and two of his classmates. They were visited by two famous Yankee players and were allowed to play ball with them and get their autographs. After the Christmas holidays, Holling prevented an accident by pushing his sister from the path of an out of control bus and was seen as a hero. Throughout the rest of the year Holling becomes closer to his sister and teacher. He even goes out on a Valentine's date with Meryl Lee. Through Shakespeare and the insights of Mrs. Baker, Holling gets the Big M- Motivation to go above and beyond in track, to stand up to his father, and to look deep inside himself and find the person he really wants to be. I enjoyed reading this novel immensely. At first, I thought this was going to be a long and boring novel, but after the first chapter I couldn't put the book down. I stayed up at night until I finished the entire book. I would highly recommend this wonderful book to middle grades. Students will be able to identify with Holling on how the pressures of a father who wants his son to go a certain path without even considering his son's interests. It also shows how a war can divide a family and create racism even within the schools.
Seventh grade student, Holling Hoodhood, believes Mrs Baker (his teacher) hates him. He is Presbyterian and the only student that does not get picked up early from school on Wednesdays for religious instruction. Instead of Mrs Baker having an extra period free of teaching she has to insure Holling is busy doing something. Holling's dad, an architect and owner of Hoodhood and Associates, warns his son to be extra nice with Mrs. Baker since her family owns Baker Sporting Emporium and are about to pick an architect for their new building. At first, she has him cleaning the room and pounding chalk off the erasers. But after a mishap with chalk dust and the cream puffs for the Wives of Vietnam Soldiers' he has been given the assignment of reading Shakespeare. He believes Mrs Baker is out to bore him to death, but he is surprised that he enjoys reading the plays. He likes it so much that he had memorized lines from The Tempest and was volunteered to play Ariel, a fairy in the Long Island Shakespeare Company's Holiday Extravaganza. He was dreading wearing the yellow tights with feathers on the behind and was hoping none of his classmates would be going to the play. He knows he will be the laughing stock of seventh grade when Mrs. Baker announces the play to the entire class and offers to give extra credit if they attend. On that same evening, Micky Mantle was signing autographs and Holling made it just in time to get his ball signed. Mantle threw his ball to the floor and told him he doesn't sign for kids that wear yellow tights. He felt the Gods were dying ,but then Mrs. Baker had a surprise for him and two of his classmates. They were visited by two famous Yankee players and were allowed to play ball with them and get their autographs. After the Christmas holidays, Holling prevented an accident by pushing his sister from the path of an out of control bus and was seen as a hero. Throughout the rest of the year Holling becomes closer to his sister and teacher. He even goes out on a Valentine's date with Meryl Lee. Through Shakespeare and the insights of Mrs. Baker, Holling gets the Big M- Motivation to go above and beyond in track, to stand up to his father, and to look deep inside himself and find the person he really wants to be. I enjoyed reading this novel immensely. At first, I thought this was going to be a long and boring novel, but after the first chapter I couldn't put the book down. I stayed up at night until I finished the entire book. I would highly recommend this wonderful book to middle grades. Students will be able to identify with Holling on how the pressures of a father who wants his son to go a certain path without even considering his son's interests. It also shows how a war can divide a family and create racism even within the schools.
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