27
Apr
2010
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Holling Hoodhood is the only kid in his grade who is neither Catholic nor Jewish. Consequently, he is the only kid stuck with Mrs. Baker on Wednesday afternoons when the kids go to Church or Temple to prepare for their Confirmations and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
Mrs. Baker, whose husband is away fighting in Vietnam. Discerning readers will understand that the reason that she doesn’t want to be there anymore than Holling is because Wednesday afternoons is also when the wives with husbands in Vietnam meet. But at least she makes the most of it, inflicting Holling with the torture of reading Shakespeare.
Gradually, as they read seven plays over the course of the year (nearly all tragedies and histories), he comes to appreciate, and even to like, Shakespeare.
Of course, liking Shakespeare can be dangerous for a kid in middle school. After racing to see Mickey Mantle while still wearing his yellow tights from acting in a play, Holling learns that heroes may not be what he thought. This is a nice little application of his learning. Though in Holling’s opinion, the best thing about Shakespeare is learning new curses he can mutter under his breath.
Buy The Wednesday Wars on Amazon
If you like this book/author, you might like:
(my reviews in blue)
Manga Shakespeare: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare and Mustashirk Mahbab
Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Richard Appignanesi, and Sonia Leong
Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Richard Appignanesi, and Robert Deas
Manga Shakespeare: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Richard Appignanesi, and Emma Vieceli
Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest by William Shakespeare and Paul Duffield
Manga Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, Richard Appignanesi, and Faye Yong
Manga Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare and Richard Appignanesi
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Fool by Christopher Moore
Other works by Gary D. Schmidt:
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Anson’s Way
First Boy
Trouble
Mara’s Stories: Glimmers in the Darkness
The Blessing of the Lord: Stories from the Old and New Testaments
A Passionate Usefulness: The Life and Literary Labors of Hannah Adams
Straw into Gold
SAINT CIARAN: The Tale of a Saint of Ireland
William Bradford: Plymouth’s Faithful Pilgrim
The Wonders of Donal O’Donnell
The Sin Eater
with Barry Moser and John Bunyan:
Pilgrim’s Progress: A Retelling
This sounds like such a great book. I’ve seen it around elsewhere; plus I love the cover!
What a moving cover! I mean it looks like everything on it is moving, shaking, chaotic… Anyway, from the synopsis, this would be a book that I’d like to pick up. Thanks for the recommendation!
This sounds like a great book, a lesson in what it is to be different I would have thought. Another book to be added to my wish list.
I thought this book was excellent too! I am always in support of books about how good Shakespeare is, but I also thought Schmidt did a great job evoking the times through the eyes of the protagonist.
Sounds like an interesting book…great review.
This was such a cute, thoughtful book.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this one, so I’ll have to keep it in mind. We posted a clip of your review here on War Through the Generations.
Love, love, love this book! I love others of his that I have read, but this is my favorite!