Book Summary
The Wednesday Wars
is a historical, realistic fiction novel set in Long Island during the Vietnam
War. Holling Hoodhood, our main character, has a distant father, a soon-to-be
hippie sister, a quiet mother, and a teacher who hates him. His teacher hates
him so much that she starts making him read Shakespeare.
Schmidt’s novel is a beautiful story of a year in the life
of a young boy, as he learns and matures to better understand the world around
him. Schmidt uses Holling’s required reading of Shakespeare to expound on what
Holling is dealing with in his life. Holling’s problems range from owing his
class cream puffs, to being forced to wear yellow tights in a play, to dealing
with an unloving father who always puts business before family.
Impressions
I have a soft spot for books that include Shakespeare. And
loveable main characters. So this book is at the top of my favorites now.
Holling Hoodhood manages to be a deep but believable boy. There’s also a
well-developed cast of characters, particularly Holling’s friends, family, and
his teacher, Mrs. Baker.
The backdrop of the Vietnam war adds an underlying tone of
tension. Mrs. Baker’s husband is in the war, as are many of the other teacher’s
spouses and/or children. Throughout all
the scrapes and problems Holling faces, like tough eighth grade cross-country
runners and overfed rats, there’s still world events hanging over everyone.
Walter Cronkite reports on these events: the war, the death of Martin Luther
King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. It helps lend a meaningful air to the rest of the
story.
Professional Review
This entertaining and nuanced novel limns Holling Hoodhood's
seventh-grade year in his Long Island community, beginning in the fall of 1967.
His classmates, half of whom are Jewish, the other half Catholic, leave early
on Wednesdays to attend religious training. As the sole Presbyterian, he finds
himself stranded with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, whom he's sure has it in for
him. She starts off creating mindless chores for him but then induces him to
read Shakespeare, lots of Shakespeare. Chapters titled by month initially seem
overlong, relating such diverse elements as two terrifying escaped rats, cream
puffs from a local bakery, his dad being a cheapskate/cutthroat architect, and
Holling's tentative and sweet relationship with classmate Meryl Lee. The scary
Doug Swieteck, and his even more frightening brother, and the Vietnam War are
recurring menaces. A subplot involves a classmate who, as a recent Vietnamese
refugee, is learning English and suffers taunts and prejudice. Cross-country
tryouts, rescuing his older runaway sister, and opening day at Yankee Stadium
are highlights. There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones
as Schmidt explores many important themes, not the least of which is what makes
a person a hero. The tone may seem cloying at first and the plot occasionally
goes over-the-top, but readers who stick with the story will be rewarded. They
will appreciate Holling's gentle, caring ways and will be sad to have the book
end."
Shoemaker, J. (2007, July 1). School Library Journal.
Library Uses
The Wednesday Wars is
definitely a great book for booktalks and book clubs. It would also be a good
read around Veteran’s day. While the book is about much more than the war, it
does give a good sense to young readers what it would be like to grow up during
that time period.
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