MODULE 10: HISTORICAL FICTION
November 2-8
The Wednesday Wars
By: Gary D. Schmidt
Ages: 11-15
November 2-8
The Wednesday Wars
By: Gary D. Schmidt
Ages: 11-15
Summary:
What begins as an awkward and uncomfortable standoff between student Holling Hoodhood and teacher Mrs. Baker develops into a wonderful relationship full of mutual respect and kindness. The reader begins to believe that perhaps Mrs. Baker really does hate Holling as he protests in the beginning. However as their sessions of Shakespeare on Wednesday afternoons progress, the reader quickly sees that Mrs. Baker is not only an excellent educator, but a caring and devoted individual as well. The book takes place over Holling's seventh grade year, and the reader sees him grow as an individual. The reader witnesses Holling become an actor, a successful cross country runner, a loving brother and boyfriend, and a young man with the courage to stand up to his father.
My Impressions:
This is an amazing book that is incredibly well written, full of humor, and emotion. Holling Hoodhood is the type of guy that you just can't help but adore and he reminded me a lot of the character Kevin from "The Wonder Years" television show. Not just because both the book and the show were set in the 1960's, but because of the free, narrative style of the author. The story feels almost like the reader is looking at a journal that Holling is writing. The reader truly gets an inside look at Holling and begins to feel like a friend or companion following him through his seventh grade year. I love the Shakespearean references, and I think that it is genius how the author works this in as a secondary theme and motive. After I finished this book, I found myself wanting to know more about what happens to Holling. I spent quite a bit of time wondering and imaging what comes next, a sure fire sign of an excellent book.
Reviews:
"Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2005) was named both a Printz and a Newbery Honor Book, makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous. Seamlessly, he knits together the story’s themes: the cultural uproar of the ’60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare’s words. Holling’s unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open."-Gillian Engberg, Booklist, Jun. 1, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 19)
Lesson Plans:
This story could easily complement a history lesson on the 1960's. This book addresses a large amount of political and social issues. It would fit hand in hand with any school curriculum on the Vietnam War, the Civil Right Movement, and Feminism. It could complement a discussion on politics and constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and protest. It would also be an excellent choice for a book club because the diversity of topics mentioned in the story would all be great for discussion. Additionally, students could be asked to give their responses, feelings, and opinions to the war in Iraq and look for any similarities and differences between the late 1960's Vietnam Era and today.
Engberg, Gillian. "Children's Literature Reviews: The Wednesday Wars." Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. November 24, 2009.
Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books, 2007.
What begins as an awkward and uncomfortable standoff between student Holling Hoodhood and teacher Mrs. Baker develops into a wonderful relationship full of mutual respect and kindness. The reader begins to believe that perhaps Mrs. Baker really does hate Holling as he protests in the beginning. However as their sessions of Shakespeare on Wednesday afternoons progress, the reader quickly sees that Mrs. Baker is not only an excellent educator, but a caring and devoted individual as well. The book takes place over Holling's seventh grade year, and the reader sees him grow as an individual. The reader witnesses Holling become an actor, a successful cross country runner, a loving brother and boyfriend, and a young man with the courage to stand up to his father.
My Impressions:
This is an amazing book that is incredibly well written, full of humor, and emotion. Holling Hoodhood is the type of guy that you just can't help but adore and he reminded me a lot of the character Kevin from "The Wonder Years" television show. Not just because both the book and the show were set in the 1960's, but because of the free, narrative style of the author. The story feels almost like the reader is looking at a journal that Holling is writing. The reader truly gets an inside look at Holling and begins to feel like a friend or companion following him through his seventh grade year. I love the Shakespearean references, and I think that it is genius how the author works this in as a secondary theme and motive. After I finished this book, I found myself wanting to know more about what happens to Holling. I spent quite a bit of time wondering and imaging what comes next, a sure fire sign of an excellent book.
Reviews:
"Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2005) was named both a Printz and a Newbery Honor Book, makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous. Seamlessly, he knits together the story’s themes: the cultural uproar of the ’60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare’s words. Holling’s unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open."-Gillian Engberg, Booklist, Jun. 1, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 19)
Lesson Plans:
This story could easily complement a history lesson on the 1960's. This book addresses a large amount of political and social issues. It would fit hand in hand with any school curriculum on the Vietnam War, the Civil Right Movement, and Feminism. It could complement a discussion on politics and constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and protest. It would also be an excellent choice for a book club because the diversity of topics mentioned in the story would all be great for discussion. Additionally, students could be asked to give their responses, feelings, and opinions to the war in Iraq and look for any similarities and differences between the late 1960's Vietnam Era and today.
Engberg, Gillian. "Children's Literature Reviews: The Wednesday Wars." Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. November 24, 2009.
Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books, 2007.
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