The Wednesday Wars
Written By Gary D. Schmidt

1. Bibliography

Schmidt, Gary. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780547237602

2. Plot Summary

The Wednesday Wars is a comical historical fiction book that takes place in 1967 in Long Island, New York.  The story follows Holling Hoodhood a seventh grader at Camillo Junior High, who just happens to be Presbyterian in a town where everyone is either Catholic or Jewish.  This wouldn’t ordinarily be a problem except that Holling is the only Presbyterian in his class and is convinced that his teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him because on Wednesday afternoons all the other students leave to go to either Hebrew School or Catechism.  Mrs. Baker subjects him to series of chores on Wednesdays, a few of which end with horrible results, like letting Mrs. Bakers rats loose in the school when cleaning their cage.  She finally decides to have him read and discuss Shakespeare on Wednesday afternoons, which Holling believes is all a part of her plan to “bore him to death.”  Throughout the story Holling deals with many other issues besides Mrs. Baker, such as trying to be the perfect son to parents that neglect him, having to act in an embarrassing town play, and taking first girl friend on a date.  This exciting tale with the ever present Vietnam War in the back drop will make you laugh, cry, and lead you on a journey of self-discovery with Holling Hoodhood in 1967.

3. Critical Analysis

The Wednesday Wars is a coming of age story about a seventh grade boy named Holling Hoodhood, who lives in Long Island, New York.  The story takes place from 1967 to 1968 during the Vietnam Era and touches on topics such as war, racism, neglect, love, and growing up or finding yourself, as Hollings sister would say.  Gary Schmidt, the author, cleverly uses Shakespeare’s plays and compares them to real life events that Holling, the main character experiences.  In the background of this story is the Vietnam War.  Schmidt touches on the themes of racism, loss that pertain the events happening in the war.  When the husband of Mrs. Bigio, the school cafeteria lady, is killed in the war, someone vandalizes the Catholic Church where Mai Tai, a student in Hollings class and a refugee from Vietnam, lives.  Holling relates this event to The Tempest by William Shakespeare, stating that “Sometimes there isn’t a Prospero to make everything fine again.  And sometimes the quality of mercy is strained.” 

Even though this story often touches on serious topics Schmidt also inserts humorous events throughout the book. A couple of examples are when Holling has to play Ariel, a fairy from The Tempest who wears yellow tights with feathers on them, in a town play, and when he accidently lets the class pets, which are rats, loose in the school.  The comical events in this story really appeal to the reader and lighten the mood of the darker themes.

One of the more serious themes in the story is neglect.  Schmidt shows us what it’s like living in a home that gives the appearance of being “perfect.”  Holling has parents who are never there for him when he needs them, even when he ends up in the hospital.  Holling soon realizes who his real friends and family are and that his teacher, cares for him and does not hate him as he first thought.  Schmidt shows us how Holling grows up during the story and gains “guts” as his sister suggests he do on one occasion.  At the end of the book he defies his stubborn father by going to rescue his sister Heather.  She ran away from home in order to find her-self and became stranded in Milwaukee.  With Holling’s help Heather finally makes it home and the two of them realize that finding yourself is not what’s important; sometimes its being found that really matters.   

This story is for students in sixth grade and up.  The author often rights about serious topics and current events during the Vietnam Era that may be inappropriate for younger students.  I highly recommend this book and found it to be thought provoking, interesting, and funny.  Gary Schmidt really did the research and pants a realistic tale of what life was like growing up in New York during the Vietnam War.

4. Review Excerpts

Newbery Honor Book Award 2008

ALA Notable Book

YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review: "Schmidt, who’s LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY won both Printz and Newbery Honors, delivers another winner...deeply satisfying."

Kirkus, Starred Review: "Schmidt ... [gets] to the emotional heart of every scene without overstatement ... another virtuoso turn by the author of LIZZIE BRIGHT."

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

Horn Book, Starred Review: "Schmidt rises above the novel's conventions to create memorable and believable characters."

School Library Journal: "[An] entertaining and nuanced novel.... There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones."

Booklist Starred Review: “[A] quietly powerful coming-of-age novel. . . . [Schmidt] 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, and leap into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open.

5. Connections

In the book The Wednesday Wars Holling is asked to do many things that he really doesn’t want to do, such as wearing tights and acting in a play or cleaning erasers for Mrs. Baker.  Talk about a time when you had to do something that you didn’t want to, but you did it anyway.  What were your reasons for doing the activity?  How did it make you feel? 

Hollings parents are never around when he needs them.  When he ends up in the hospital after he saves his sister they don’t come.   When Holling is supposed to go to the baseball game after the play his dad doesn’t show up.  When he runs a big race they don’t come to watch.  How do you think these events made Holling feel?  Do you think this made him more independent?  What characters in the book are always there for Holling? (ex. Mrs. Baker, Meryl Lee, Danny Hupfer) Write a couple of paragraphs about how you think Holling felt when his parents were not around when he needed them and about the characters that were there to support him. 

In the book The Wednesday Wars Holling reads some of Shakespeare’s plays.  Research and learn more information about Shakespeare.  Then as a class read one of his plays and discuss common themes found in the play.  Below are some of Shakespeare’s plays.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743477123

King Lear by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743482769

Macbeth by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743477109

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-1619492233

Othello by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743482820

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743477116

The Tempest by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743482837

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-1461030218

This activity is more suited for high school students and up.  Research and learn more about the Vietnam War Era. Make a cause and effect chart based on your findings.  There are many good websites that give information on the war.  Here are some websites that give brief descriptions and are appropriate for high school students.

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htm

http://www.surfnetkids.com/vietnam.htm

http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=VietnamW

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/