The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
(2007)
Awards: Newbery Honor (2008), Nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (2010)
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Themes: Coming of Age, Friendship, Family, Acceptance

Summary: A seventh grader named Holling Hoodhood continually finds himself in situations that are not conducive to surviving middle school. He is forced to spend Wednesday afternoons with a teacher he believes "hates him". The teacher, Mrs. Baker, is unrelenting and unapologetic in her approach to education and in particular to the education of Holling. We come to find that although Hollings life has the appearance of perfection it is just a facade. The father is solely interested in appearances and the architecture firm that he owns. Every decision made in the house is based on how it will affect the business and home for Holling and his sister is filled with high expectations and low levels of love and consideration. We find Holling beginning to find his own path and Mrs. Baker helps him discover it through the study of Shakespere and the act of running. The story takes place during the Vietnam war and the echoes of that emotional time are woven into the story making the pressures of growing up even more complicated. In the end Holling finds his voice although not his path and we are left hopeful that change is inevitable for both the Hoodhood family and the country.


Personal Response: Upon first opening the book I had a difficult time relating to Holling. He believed the world to be against him and it was a paranoid, annoying journey. I found myself frustrated with his constant "woe is me" attitude until his father became a more central part. Finding the cold, sterile and disconnected home life in which Holling lived helped me to embrace his paranoia. The calculated way in which Mrs. Baker drew him out and found his inner confidence and supported him in a way that allowed him to bloom was beautiful. I think as teachers we all strive to be like Mrs. Baker in some way; hoping to illuminate the path in which a student may find his/her gifts. By the end of the story I was hooked and rooting for Holling and his sister, finding the strength in their relationship, they would eventually overcome their family situation and be better off for it. The historical aspects of the late 1960's brought me back to a time that is on the cusp of my own existence. I could feel the emotion and the anxiety that was an undercurrent in our society. I would recommend this book to upper middle school-high school students, especially those studying Shakespere.