The Wednesday Wars

Growing Up in the 1960's

How many times have you thought a teacher designed her assignments as an attempt to torture you? Holling is certain Mrs.' Baker has this agenda. Maybe there were times she did in the beginning, but secretly he ended up enjoying working with her one-on-one. In fact he learns his teacher is almost human.

Set in the turbulent 1960's the book throws readers into the era of flower children, Vietnam, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy's assassination. The book lacks the umph factor to grab the reluctant reader, but children that enjoy a bit of history in their fiction and adults that grew up during this time will appreciate how Schmidt seams the two together. The humor and cultural tidbits alone make me happy to highly recommend this book.

Newbery Honor Book. 2007

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Great YA book

This book was a good book for Young Adult readers. I liked that the boy related Shakespeare to life. I liked the compassion from his teacher along with high expectations. It was a very positive portrayal of the characters. Even his parents came off better than they should have.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Wednesday Wars = Shakespeare +the 70's + one kid who thinks his teacher "hates his guts."

I laughed,rolled my eyes (in a way of of familiarity of the situations),felt pity all while reading the Wednesday Wars. I love this book because it's very much the same to the things we encounter today unless your older sister claims she's a flower child.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

AMAZING.TRULY AMAZING.

The wednesday wars is a mixture of love/comdedy/shakespeare/life lessons.
this is definetly on my list of top 5 books.there were times in the book that had me laughing so hard.the characters were wonderful.if you like a book that will make you laugh and cry at the same time please read the wednesday wars.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Good book

If you like this book you will sure like the "sequel" "Okay for Now"

2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Read-aloud worthy

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this to my middle-school kids. My daughter is reading Shakespeare (story form) because she loves this book so much. It might be a perfect book. It certainly will be a family favorite.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Aweome

Very good book and it taught me that you won't always have good days

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very good

I had to read this book in school, and I thought is was going to be an awful book, turns out I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I LOVED this book!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Read it at school

Its a great book about a kid who thinks his teacher hates his guts bet at the end they are best freinds.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Wednesday Wars

My favorite book (thats why i gave it 5 stars)! But if you're going to buy it, don't take my word for it. I'm only 12.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

Great book. Even if you don't like reading you will still love this book!

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Wednesday wars

This is one of the best books i have ever read. Holling is a boy trying to find himself. A funny must read for all ages.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Sweet

Im reading this for a summer book. Its pretty funny so far-

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

So sad it's over!

I couldn't have loved this book more! I am going to miss the characters!
Deserves much more than 5 stars! So much deeper than most books for kids.
I laughed and cried all the way through.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Shakespeare with a Twist

The Wednesday Wars is an insightful and entertaining young adult novel. It follows the story of Holling Hoodhood, a boy in seventh grade in 1967. He is crushed to discover that he has to study Shakespeare with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, every Wednesday. She insists on having him read some of his greatest plays, such as The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. With each reading, Hoodhood discovers that they are not old and boring. They provide him with insight on life. The Tempest offers some choice curses that he uses against an intimidating eighth grader. Romeo gives him advice on love, which he uses to woo his crush, Meryl Lee. The author, Gary Schmidt, constructs a quick and fun read that reminds the reader that Shakespeare knew how to create relatable and perceptive characters. Schmidt also explores the time period of the late sixties and shows the reader how the Vietnam War must have seemed to a seventh grade boy. Hoodhood's sister decides she wants to be a flower child, and their entire family watches the devastation of Vietnam on the television every night. He even has a Vietnamese friend at school that receives harsh treatment. With unexpected turns and twists, this novel teaches the reader while providing them with a fun read. I truly enjoyed reading this novel, and it is one that I would highly recommend for individuals of any age. It reminds you of what it is like to be a kid, with the excitement of rats on the loose at school and the embarrassment of being in a school play. It also gives a new look on the idea of war, politics, love, and business by having a young boy relate the events. Schmidt is an excellent writer, and I love this book. As I am currently studying to become a secondary English teacher, I feel that this would be a perfect book for junior high students. It may even give them an appreciation for Shakespeare.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fun Read!

I like that this book takes place in the late 60's, and a lot of the events are ones that I have learned about. Every Wednesday afternoon, he has to stay at school with his teacher, while other kids go to church. This is when Holling reads poems by Shakespeare, which his teacher thinks will bore him to death. Holling's thoughts and feelings change when he reads famous poems by Shakespeare. He can relate to Romeo and Juliet because of a girl named Meryl Lee, and he starts to think about things in relation to poems by Shakespeare. Great Book!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Solid Book

I enjoyed this book through and through. It took me a long time to finish reading it due to never having enough time to read, but I finally finished it and enjoyed it. It brought home some of the challenges that families faced at the dawn of the hippie era. Some of the story pieces fit a little too conveniently (the architecture firm getting the stadium contract), but I didn't question it, just bought in and read on.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

I have to read this book over the summer for required readingand it is great! Wow what a change! :)

Great book

Love this author. Great coming of age book srt in an interesting setting and time.

Ckjhgkyyvgshcydhbfffgh

Gfcugbgggggy