The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007) is a powerful young adult novel that shares the pivotal 1967-1968 school year from the perspective of seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood. In The Wednesday Wars, his fellow students go to their religious schools (Catholic school or the Jewish synagogue) on Wednesday afternoons. As the lone Presbyterian in his class, Holling has to stay behind with the intimidating Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker doesn’t waste his time; she jumps into a study of Shakespeare. Holling feels obligated to be nice to his teacher because of his father’s pressure, and he wants to resist enjoying Shakespeare, but he soon finds his time enjoyable.
The “Wednesday Wars” of the title refers, I believe to the conflict Holling feels between Mrs. Baker and himself each week during their Shakespeare study time. In the beginning, Holling feels obligated to be nice to Mrs. Baker because his father, one of the town’s architects, must maintain good relationships with everyone in town for his business. After time, they become friends in addition to the teacher-and-student relationship. Mrs. Baker is the one that supports him in a play; she is the one that accompanies him to the hospital after an accident, and she is the one who helps him understand himself through the Shakespeare they read together.
In addition, the title reflects the personal “wars” within oneself during the journey of becoming a teenager and finding one’s identity. Since the story is set against the backdrop of the 1967-1968 school year, the significant events of the year play a role in the internal conflicts and echo Holling’s struggles and Shakespeare’s themes. The Vietnam War, a Vietnamese refugee in class, taunting and bullying, adults facing loss, and political turmoil with Robert F. Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassinations are just a few of the external conflicts causing worry. It was a year of “finding oneself” and determining which things were truly important.
Holling’s hands-off father, uninvolved mother, and political activist sister all seem distant from Holling. His life with his picture-perfect family is lonely, and his home, which he calls the Perfect House, is made to look flawless on the outside. So much more is under the surface, as Holling comes to terms with various aspects of this life. Holling builds friendships, navigates amusing incidents with classmates, and becomes part of the cross-country team. He develops a deep friendship with Meryl Lee, whose father is also an architect like Holling’s father. Later, Holling’s annoyance with his older sister changes to one of mutual understanding and respect. Interesting, this change is underscored by the author’s technique in avoiding saying her name in the book until them. It’s so well done.
And, somehow, even with all this plot happening, Shakespeare’s themes resonate throughout the school year. The book is divided into months. Holling and Mrs. Baker study a different play every month, which somehow seems to tie into Holling’s own life: Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Much Ado about Nothing. As I read, I felt like the The Wednesday Wars would be a fun way to introduce Shakespeare to early teenage readers. The book is funny, and Holling finds extreme delight in Shakespeare’s insults. His ability to integrate Shakespearean dialogue into his personal situations is enviable.
The book effectively weaves together historical settings with tension, humor, and various aspects, making it an engaging read. The Shakespeare aspect is one teachers will certainly enjoy emphasizing. Will students also relate? I think so. Overall, the book is a touching exploration of friendship, growth, as well as the impact of literature on the human experience.
The Wednesday Wars was named a 2008 Newbery Honor.
I rate The Wednesday Wars Newbery Honor book as “fantastic” and say “keep it and read it.”
Newbery rating scale: FANTASTIC | REALLY GOOD | PRETTY GOOD | OKAY | BLAH
What to do with this Newbery: KEEP IT AND READ IT | MAYBE IF YOU HAVE TIME | DON’T BOTHER
