The Wednesday Wars

Book: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary Schmidt
Audience: Tweens
In a Nutshell: it's tough being Presbyterian

Is it too cliched to say I laughed, I cried? Because I did. There are very few authors who can motivate me to read American historical fiction, but Gary Schmidt just became one of them. Holling Hoodhood's story of life as a seventh grader in 1967 Long Island had me alternately laughing out loud at the ridiculous situations and pitch-perfect delivery, tearing up at the painful and poignant moments, and marveling at how Schmidt effectively wove Shakespeare throughout without screaming, "Look, kids! Learnin' is fun!" Holling is the only Presbyterian in his class, which means that on Wednesday afternoons when half the class goes to Temple Beth-El and the other half goes to Catechism at St. Adelbert's, he is left alone with Mrs. Baker. She gives him a variety of unappealing tasks to pass the time, and eventually gives him his own personal Shakespeare assignments, and the story goes on from there. Like with his earlier Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (which I haven't read), the tween audience for this book makes it a strong candidate for either Newbery or Printz consideration, IMHO. Shakespearian insults, maddeningly uninvolved/self-involved parents, the Vietnam War, giant falling rats, and a costume with feathers on the butt all weave together beautifully.