Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve had a very busy month with quite a few workshops and personal appearances. It has been a lot of fun! However, I needed to de-stress so I decided to read a book!
The book I chose to read was “Wednesday Wars” by Gary Schmidt. It won the Newberry Honor Award and I must say it certainly deserved it.
Here’s a little bit about the book.
In this Newbery Honor-winning novel, Gary D. Schmidt offers an unforgettable antihero. THE WEDNESDAY WARS is a wonderfully witty and compelling story 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.
My thoughts:
I loved this story! I loved how Mr. Schmidt brought the characters to life. I must say that my favorite was Holling Hoodhood’s teacher. It was amazing how she challenged Holling every step of the way to learn more, to strive for more, and to ultimately reach his potential. I think every kid would love to have a teacher like that, someone to believe in you when your own parents don’t have the time.
That’s one thing that bothered me about the story. The only reason it bothered me is because it’s an accurate portrayal of many family situations. Parents get so caught up in putting food on the table that they forget to provide the emotional support that their children need.
This is an amazing story of a young seventh grader who suffers the trials and tribulations of Jr. High. He finds support in an unlikely ally…his teacher. I would strongly recommend that young boys read this story. I know I’m going to recommend it to my sons when they’re old enough.
I love how Mr. Schmidt made a realistic hero out of a seventh grade boy.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts! I’d love to hear from you!
