Review of Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Reviewed by Suzanne, Teen Services Librarian

Seventh grade can be tough—especially if your teacher hates you. In Gary D. Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars, Holling Hoodhood is left alone every Wednesday afternoon with the treacherous Mrs. Baker. While his Catholic and Jewish classmates leave early for religious education, Presbyterian Holling is clapping erasers, cleaning rat cages, and [gasp!] forced to read Shakespeare!

As a recent transplant from Long Island, I was immediately drawn into the world of Holling which takes place in suburban Nassau County. The chapters, broken down into the moths of the school year, chronicle the (mis)adventures of Holling and Mrs. Baker’s Wednesday afternoons.

The book starts a little slow, but if you are a persistent reader, you will be thoroughly delighted by The Wednesday Wars. It’s a feel-good read with some truly hilarious moments. However, set during the Vietnam War, The Wednesday Wars is not without its somber moments. Holling Hoodhood (my new favorite name in literature!) is a refreshing character. Although he always comes out on top, Holling is hardly flawless. Luckily his nemesis, Mrs. Baker, is always around to bail him out.

The Wednesday Wars received Starred Reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Horn, and there is both Newbery and Printz buzz surrounding it (check back January 14, 2008 to see if it won any awards). The Lewiston Public Library owns one copy; it can be reserved through NIOGA. To read more about Gary D. Schmidt and The Wednesday Wars, visit Clarion Books.