The Wednesday Wars

Schmidt, G. D. (2007). The Wednesday wars. Scholastic Inc. 266 pages. ISBN 9780545178136

Primary genre: historical fiction

Other elements: family, friendship, coming of age, politics, religion, sports, humor

Intended reader age: 10 and up

Synopsis:

Holling Hoodhood begins seventh grade in 1967 certain that his English teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him and is out to do him in. While the entire class spends Wednesday afternoons either in Jewish or Catholic religious instruction, Holling spends his with his dreaded English teacher. The struggles that Holling encounters in school are not the only ones plaguing him though. America is at war with Vietnam and as the advantage turns against the American’s Hollings life sees changes that he was not prepared for.

Review:

I did wonder where the author was going with the whole ‘my teacher hates me’ thought that Holling had at the beginning of the book. Schmidt did a great job of conveying that certainty that Holling had when it came to these thoughts. I know I found myself questioning the teacher’s actions at times. The ways that her little smiles and looks were written lent a great amount to making me question this. It would be understandable that she would be upset at the beginning. I’m sure she was thinking about the amount of work she was able to catch up, and lessons she was able to prepare the previous years. But, this year she has the one student who does not leave on Wednesday afternoons like all the other kids do.

There was a great amount of information that Schmidt put into this story. Not just Holling’s interactions at school but the culture at the time and the issues that the country was facing. The friction that families and citizens encountered because of differences in beliefs and cultures was especially prevalent in the story. The Vietnam War was described enough in the story that readers get an understanding of the problems that arose because of how the situation was handled. Readers see the differences in political thoughts through the interactions between Holling’s sister and his father. It is also through the sister that readers get an understanding of young adult mentalities at the time. I found it really interesting that we do not learn the sister’s name until almost three-fourths of the way through the book. It wasn’t until she left that Holling realized the relationship that he has with her. He did not humanize her and make her important until he gave readers her name.

Gary D. Schmidt has written a great number of books. I have seen Okay for Now a number of times at the bookstore and would like to read it one day. But, I am glad that I read this one first.