The Wednesday Wars- A book review for Children's Literature Class

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schmidt, Gary D. 2007. THE WEDNESDAY WARS. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618724834

PLOT SUMMARY

Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grader at Camillo Junior High School has to face a teacher who is out to get him, parents who ignore him, a bully, a girl-he-really-likes, and being Protestant.  Who can’t relate?  As Holling struggles to be a good son and succeed in school, the effects of the Vietnam War take hold of his community.  Holling’s sister is a “flower child” and wants to support Bobby Kennedy in his run for office, but then Kennedy is killed.  The school lunch lady’s husband is killed in action and Holling is standing by to watch the “great sadness” pour out of her.  His teacher’s son goes missing in the Vietnamese jungle and there is no news.  When he is miraculously found alive months later, he watches the “great joy” explode out of his teacher.  Throughout the course of the novel, Holling participates in a few shenanigans, joins the cross country team, takes the girl-he-really-likes out on a date, and learns to love Shakespeare.  In the end, he learns that he really does love his sister and that people are not always what they seem. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This novel starts out innocently and humorously.  A typical seventh grade kid with a ridiculous name becomes our protagonist.  The reader can see themselves in his shoes with all the same problems (dating, school, parental expectations, bullies, teachers who hate us, and wanting to find out who we are).  Once we are hooked into our characters and following the often hilarious plot, the novel becomes a gripping account of people trying to understand the Vietnam War. 

This novel is set in 1967 in a Long Island suburb.  Schmidt does not come out and tell us where we are or what is happening, but he weaves the details of the setting into every aspect of the story.  The construction of the buildings (with asbestos tiles) and the teaching style (diagraming sentences and reading LOTS and LOTS of Shakespeare) are an integral part of the action.  Walter Cronkite delivers the news about what is happening in Vietnam every night, and Holling wants to drive his dad’s brand new 1968 Ford Mustang.

This novel is the first thing I have ever read about the Vietnam War that was meant to be entertaining.  The confusion the American people faced and the sorrow when men came home in coffins becomes real for the reader.

 Schmidt does an amazing job of hooking his reader with humor and junior high antics and then turning this coming of age novel into a tremendous source of understanding about a terrible time in our history.  How do I share with you all the events and lessons and changes that Holling faces in this novel?  I cannot even begin to cover them all here.  You are going to have to go read this book for yourself.  Go now.

AWARDS AND REVIEWS

·        Newbery Honor Book

·        ALA Notable Children’s Book

·        Texas Lonestar Reading List 2008

·        STARRED REVIEW from Publishers Weekly: “…first-person narration perfectly captures Holling's progression from an angst-filled yet innocent boy, to a wiser, self-aware young man. His reading is touching, funny and insightful; he manages to bring the listener back to a time—real or nostalgically re-imagined, at least—when the crack of a bat against a ball in Yankee Stadium or sharing a Coke with a girl at the Woolworth's counter was all any boy could want. This is a lovely, heartfelt novel, read with as much care as the author used to create it.”

·        STARRED REVIEW from Booklist: “…Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2005) was named both a Printz and a Newbery Honor Book, makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous. Seamlessly, he knits together the story's themes: the cultural uproar of the '60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare's words. Holling's unwavering, distinctive voice 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, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open.”

CONNECTIONS

·        Read and analyze a poem or a play by Shakespeare (one that is mentioned in this book would be ideal).

·        Cross-curricular history lesson about the Vietnam War, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, or the “Hippie” movement.

·        Cross-curricular lesson with an Outdoor Education or PE class to play baseball and discuss batting averages.

·        Students can write a personal narrative about a person that has made a strong impression in their lives.

·        Students can write a letter to somebody who has helped them through a hard time or always been there for them.

·        A lesson on our current military and how we can respect our soldiers.

·        Read other books by Schmidt:  LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY or STRAW INTO GOLD.

Oh the rats!  You will have to read the book to learn about the HILARIOUS situation with the rats!

Images taken from: www.google.com