Product Description

Gary D. Schmidt offers an unforgettable antihero in THE WEDNESDAY WARS—a wonderfully witty and compelling novel about a teenage boy's mishaps and adventures over the course of the 1967–68 school year.

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2460 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

From AudioFile
In the period of the Vietnam War, Holling Hoodhood starts his seventh-grade year at odds with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. Wednesday afternoons are their private time together, and the pastimes are many--from clapping erasers to dissecting various Shakespeare plays. Through Holling, his family, and his school compatriots, Schmidt takes clichés such as perfect families, battle-ax teachers, and incorrigible students and makes them original. Joel Johnstone's narration gains potency from his even voice and pacing. Moments poignant with lost chances for understanding, such as those between Holling's father and sister, are as vivid as those of humor. Listen, laugh, cry, and marvel at the goodness of humankind. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
*Starred Review* On Wednesday afternoons, while his Catholic and Jewish schoolmates attend religious instruction, Holling Hoodhood, the only Presbyterian in his seventh grade, is alone in the classroom with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, who Holling is convinced hates his guts. He feels more certain after Mrs. Baker assigns Shakespeare's plays for Holling to discuss during their shared afternoons. Each month in Holling's tumultuous seventh-grade year is a chapter in this quietly powerful coming-of-age novel set in suburban Long Island during the late '60s. The slow start may deter some readers, and Mrs. Baker is too good to be true: she arranges a meeting between Holling and the New York Yankees, brokers a deal to save a student's father's architectural firm, and, after revealing her past as an Olympic runner, coaches Holling to the varsity cross-country team. However, Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2005) was named both a Printz and a Newbery Honor Book, makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous. Seamlessly, he knits together the story's themes: the cultural uproar of the '60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare's words. Holling's unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open. Engberg, Gillian

Review
"Schmidt, whose LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY won both Printz and Newbery Honors, delivers another winner...deeply satisfying." (Publishers Weekly, Starred )

"Schmidt...makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous...a gentle, hopeful, moving story." (Booklist, ALA, Starred Review )

"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 )

Customer Reviews

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.

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!

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!