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The Wednesday Wars
Price:$6.99
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Clarion Books |
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Product Description
Gary D. Schmidt offers an unforgettable antihero in THE WEDNESDAY WARS—a wonderfully witty and compelling novel about a teenage boy's mishaps and adventures over the course of the 1967–68 school year.
Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn't like Holling—he's sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivation—the Big M—in the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself. |
Customers Reviews
2009-01-05
Remarkable Writing Again
Living Literature: Using Children's Literature to Support Reading and Language Arts
The prior reviews on The Wednesday Wars are astonishingly positive, and with good cause. If anyone knows Gary Schmidt's writing from Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, the no one should be surprised. Schmidt is masterful at metaphoric language. In both novels, I found myself pausing in my reading at times, simply to reread and savor something amazing in the writing.
Set in the 1960's, The Wednesday Wars is both funny and heartwarming. Readers rally for, and sympathize with Holling who, because he's the only non-Catholic and Non-Jew in his class, is left alone every Wednesday afternoon when all other students are at Hebrew school or catechism. He believes his teacher must hate him. After all, without him, she'd get a planning period. Somehow Holling gradually falls in love with Shakepeare - an unlikely happening for a 6th grade boy in the 1960's. And, that his peers will not understand makes perfect sense if you lived through those times (as I did).
It would be an understatement that I think this book is terrific.
Wendy C. Kasten, Ph.D., Professor
Kent State University
Co-Author (with Kristo and McClure), LIVING LITERATURE (Pearson Ed, 2005).
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2008-12-16
review
It was somewhat entertaining. It's not one of those novels that you simply can't put down, but I still enjoyed reading it.
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2008-11-24
Shakespeare and creme puffs
Holling Hoodhood is Presbyterian. Normally that isn't a problem, except on Wednesday afternoons when the Jewish and Catholic kids go to religion classes. That leaves just Holling in Mrs. Baker's 7th grade class at 2pm, much to her chagrin. Initially she tries to send him back to 6th grade math, but when that fails she puts him to work. She has him pounding the chalk dust out of the erasers (they used to do that back in 1967) but that ends up in a minor disaster. So she decides they will spend their time more productively by reading Shakespeare. Holling isn't convinced this is a productive use of his time, but he learns to appreciate it in different ways and learns a few other - more important - things as well.
Told from Holling's perspective, this is the kind of book I loved to read as a kid but doesn't come along often enough. It'll have you alternately laughing out loud and drying your eyes as he goes through the 7th grade year. He's convinced Mrs. Baker hates him, his older sister wants to be a "flower child," his dad is consumed with building his achitectural business, and his friends are mad at him because he got a creme puff. And wait till you hear what he has to wear! Whether you grew up in the 60s or are growing up now, this book will resonate with some of the ridiculous situations we occasionally find ourselves in, and the sometimes painful process of finding our way in the world. Parents and kids alike will love this book and I'm planning to get it on audiobook for the car on our next family trip. Very highly recommended!
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2008-11-19
WOW!
I loved this book! I bought it because my kid will be on the Pentathlon Team at school and she needs to read it for competition. I thought I'd start reading it just to get an idea of what she would read and I couldn't put it down! It gives a great feel for what life was like growing up in the sixties (that's 1960s) through the eyes of a middle schooler. If you lived through the 60s, it's a great look back, and if you weren't there in the 60s, it gives an idea of what life was like.
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2008-10-22
Loved it, Different Perspective, Not a Synopsis
I went to a presentation by the author, I sat next to a kid who probably didn't think reading was cool, and going to see the author was less cool. I asked him which book he'd read, he said the Wednesday Wars. I said what did you think? He said it was good, you know, for a book. After the author finished discussing the Wednesday Wars and his inspiration for the book I elbowed the boy next to me and said What do you think now? He said I think I like, you know more than before.
This book is just what I like, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you think and it makes you smile. I read Macbeth for the first time in 7th grade, I had to read a play for school, and my dad handed me MacBeth and said I think you'll like this, I groaned heavily, but I read it, and then I read the rest of Shakespeare's plays. I got an A for being the only kid to tackle Shakespeare. I will leave all the other reviews to disect the plot for you. I think to really benefit from a book this good both the young adult and the parents should read it. As for Mr. Schmidt he is still one of my very favorite writers for young people, and I hope he writes for a very long time!
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What Everybody Should Know About Secondary Education Problems Public poll, held in 2005 showed that 85% Americans consider educational problem the most important and current one.
The inquiries disclosed that more educated people live in the capital of the country if take in account the whole population. Among the most “smart’ states is also Massachusetts and Colorado and the most illiterate people live in West Virginia and Arkansas. As a rule the income of the person directly depends on his education quality.
Major Problems in Public Education
Unfortunately the quality of secondary education still leaves much to be desired. Only in 20 of the 50 US states pupils are obliged to take special examinations to receive a degree. 20 years ago all Americans got high school degrees without such exams. Year–by-year the number of the states which implement final examinations is increasing. According to Center for Education Policy estimations many upperclassmen can not pass the examinations. About 70% can not pass their maths exam and about 40% - their English.
No other country but America spends such money (either state or personal) on education. Still according to the Organization for the Economic and Development report such expenses do not influence the quality of education itself for Americans pupils fall behind their foreign peers. Moreover for some indexes Americans loose in comparison with Europeans.
In 2000 The USA government spent more that $10.2 thousand on every petty. In other developing countries this sum does not exceed $6 thousands. The USA has become the second “generous” country to spend about 7% of GDP on public education financing. Since Bush became President the expenses on educational development and improvement has considerably grown. But they did not bring about any positive impact for pupils succeeding.
One of the greatest problems in American schools and educational establishments is the high violence level. Since 1996 there were at least 27 incidents connected with heaters usage in which about 46 students and teachers died. National Center for Education Statistics has shown that in 2001 teens of 12-18 have become victims of about 2 million crimes in USA schools. 62% of all the crimes comprise robberies. From July 1999 to June 2000 there were 24 murders and 8 suicide cases. Somehow 71% of all the American public schools faced any kinds of crimes.
The most efficient practice to fight against violence, alcohol and drugs addiction seems to be summary punishments. In each state special programs of troublesome teens reclamation exist. For example in Georgia in detention centers studies are held in small groups by specially trained teachers. These pupils are taught to study in strict discipline and under the poorest conditions, intensive physical trainings are also included. |
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