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The Wednesday Wars Gary D Schmidt 0046442724838 Books

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The Wednesday Wars Gary D Schmidt 0046442724838 Books

Bought this book after reading it because my wife and I felt it was worth having. Actually, I listened to the audiobook, but my wife actually read it. The story has a little bit of everything. It follows the adventures of a young teenage boy dealing with life and trying to figure out who he wants to be. The adventures cover the school year and range from the comedic escape of the class rats to the emotional growth required when one's hero dies. It has pranks, Shakespeare, and political issues, but everything is well balanced and suitable for even young audiences.

After buying this copy, we listen to it as a family while my 10 year old read along. The 5 year old didn't quite grasp the more serious concepts, but enjoyed it anyway. As for me, it was still entertaining to listen to again. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick, fun read or as something that can spark discussions for a book club. I don't think you would be disappointed.


Tags : The Wednesday Wars [Gary D. Schmidt] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <DIV>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. <BR>Meet Holling Hoodhood,Gary D. Schmidt,The Wednesday Wars,Clarion Books,0618724834,9780618724833,Family - General,Historical - United States - 20th Century,School & Education,Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Coming of age,Fiction,Historical Fiction (Young Adult),Junior high schools,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Historical United States 20th Century,Schools

The Wednesday Wars Gary D Schmidt 0046442724838 Books Reviews

*Spoilers Alert* I finally bought this book for my kindle after kept recommending it. I thought since it had won an award that it was for elementary school kids. I am glad that I read it and am now reading a second book by the author. As others have stated there is no evil to overcome or goal to achieve it is simply the story of the life of a middle school boy during the late sixties. This puts the protagonist only a couple of years older than myself but I can relate to watching the Vietnam War on the evening news and thinking after high school that is where I would be. The book reminds me of the movie Ordinary People with Mary Tyler Moore who I thought before watching the movie would be the good guy since it was MTM and she was the mom. That is how the dad is in this book as it goes along you begin to see what a jerk he is. There is no big confrontation or physical fight with his dad but you and the character sees him for what he is. I guess the central theme of the book is his relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker who when the book starts he thinks she hates him but throughout the course of the book their relationship grows stronger thru reading Shakespeare together. My only disappointment in the book was at the end when his father refuses to go pick up his daughter in New York City after she ran away. The protagonist gets his girlfriends father to drop him off there at the bus station in NY to retrieve her. I thought that was anti-climatic and would have been much better if he had been forced to ask Mrs. Baker to take him and would have solidify their relationship.
I loved this book. It is marketed as a children's book and it won a much deserved Newbery Honor. It is from a 7th grade boy's perspective during 1967-1968 (Vietnam War and the assassinations) while learning Shakespeare. It has so many little tidbits to think about. Tidbits like

"But perfect or not, it was hard living in between."

"We read The Merchant of Venice the next Wednesday, too, and finished it on the last Wednesday of October. After we closed our books, Mrs. Baker asked me to discuss the character of Shylock. “He isn’t really a villain,” I said, “is he?” “No,” said Mrs. Baker, “he isn’t.” “He’s more like someone who wants...” “Who wants what, Mr. Hoodhood?” “Someone who wants to become who he’s supposed to be,” I said. Mrs. Baker considered that. “And why couldn’t he?” she asked. “Because they wouldn’t let him. They decided he had to be a certain way, and he was trapped. He couldn’t be anything except for what he was,” I said. “And that is why the play is called a tragedy,” said Mrs. Baker."

"At the happy ending of The Tempest, Prospero brings the king back together with his son, and finds Miranda’s true love, and punishes the bad duke, and frees Ariel, and becomes a duke himself again. Everyone—except for Caliban—is happy, and everyone is forgiven, and everyone is fine, and they all sail away on calm seas. Happy endings. That’s how it is in Shakespeare. But Shakespeare was wrong. Sometimes there isn’t a Prospero to make everything fine again. And sometimes the quality of mercy is strained."

“Shakespeare did not write for your ease of reading,” she said. No kidding, I thought. “He wrote to express something about what it means to be a human being in words more beautiful than had ever yet been written.”Mrs. Baker looked at me for a long moment. Then she went and sat back down at her desk. “That we are made for more than power,” she said softly. “That we are made for more than our desires. That pride combined with stubbornness can be disaster. And that compared with love, malice is a small and petty thing.”
This book was assigned as extra credit for my granddaughter's 5th grade class. It was pretty long so I told her, she could read a page and I would read two.
The book is a great book. It is funny and the dialogue flows nicely. It is mostly believable from one who grew up in the time period. It is 1967 and 1968 with several historical events and national tragedies included as background to the storyline. There is a lot of depth to this book including heroes and people with serious character flaws, family dynamics with teenage rebellion and redemption, character growth and triumphs and a bit of Shakespeare to parallel the narrative.
I bought a second copy and gave it as a gift to an adult. I would highly recommend this book.
Bought this book after reading it because my wife and I felt it was worth having. Actually, I listened to the audiobook, but my wife actually read it. The story has a little bit of everything. It follows the adventures of a young teenage boy dealing with life and trying to figure out who he wants to be. The adventures cover the school year and range from the comedic escape of the class rats to the emotional growth required when one's hero dies. It has pranks, Shakespeare, and political issues, but everything is well balanced and suitable for even young audiences.

After buying this copy, we listen to it as a family while my 10 year old read along. The 5 year old didn't quite grasp the more serious concepts, but enjoyed it anyway. As for me, it was still entertaining to listen to again. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick, fun read or as something that can spark discussions for a book club. I don't think you would be disappointed.