Skip to main content

The Wednesday Wars

By
THE WEDNESDAY WARS
By Gary D. Schmidt
Clarion, 2007. 264pp. Children's and Young Adult Fiction.

Holling Hoodhood, seventh grader at Camillo Junior High, is stuck alone in his English class on Wednesday afternoons because he is a Presbyterian and attends neither Catechism nor Hebrew School with his classmates. Upset at not having a free prep period in the afternoon, Mrs. Baker, his English teacher, first makes him clap erasers and clean chalkboards (until the great chalk-dust/cream puff disaster). By and by they read Shakespeare. This exquisitely well-written book follows Holling through the course of the 1962-63 school year as he memorizes passages from Shakespeare's plays, lands a role as Ariel in The Tempest, makes the cross country team, and discovers the man he wants to be will not be a man like his father. Sad, funny, and deeply touching by turns, Holling's story is also the story of America during the Vietnam War, of decency and good humor at an early age, and the power of knowledge. If I had to guess this year's Newbery winner halfway through the year, I would be putting all my drachmas on The Wednesday Wars.
Labels:

Comments

curlyq said…
This book is marvelous. The relationship that develops between Holling and his teacher, Mrs. Baker, is told in a very real, often funny, yet still touching manner. This book made me think of all the wonderful teachers I've had in my life.
January 8, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An ABC of Flowers

By
An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 
Post a Comment
Read more

From Story Time: The Letter "B"

By
From Monday Book Babies Bird, Balloon, Bear By Il Sung Na Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.  Picture Book. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance?  From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship.  --Publisher From Monday Cuentos El primer día de un colegio Texto de Adam Rex Ilustraciones de Christian Robinson Traducción de Teresa Mlawer Editorial Corimbo, 2017.  Spanish Picture Book. Aquel verano, cuando terminaron de construir la escuela Frederick Douglass, el edificio comenzó a hacerse muchas preguntas: ¿Cuál será mi destino? ¿Quién vivirá entre mis paredes? ¿Para qué me utilizarán? Através de sus conversaciones con el conserje y t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Out of this World Books Found Here

By
Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...
Post a Comment
Read more