I went to a presentation by the author, I sat next to a kid who probably didn't think reading was cool, and going to see the author was less cool. I asked him which book he'd read, he said the Wednesday Wars. I said what did you think? He said it was good, you know, for a book. After the author finished discussing the Wednesday Wars and his inspiration for the book I elbowed the boy next to me and said What do you think now? He said I think I like, you know more than before.

This book is just what I like, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you think and it makes you smile. I read Macbeth for the first time in 7th grade, I had to read a play for school, and my dad handed me MacBeth and said I think you'll like this, I groaned heavily, but I read it, and then I read the rest of Shakespeare's plays. I got an A for being the only kid to tackle Shakespeare. I will leave all the other reviews to disect the plot for you. I think to really benefit from a book this good both the young adult and the parents should read it. As for Mr. Schmidt he is still one of my very favorite writers for young people, and I hope he writes for a very long time!

In an effort to work my way through Newbury winner/honor books, I picked up the Wednesday Wars - and what a treat this turned out to be!

Holling Hoodhood reminded me of a combination of Holden Caulfield, Scout Finch, and Anne Shirley. There were times when I laughed out loud, and other times when I felt tears running down my face. What a wonderful, unique, yet totally believable character. Never again will I take for granted a cream puff.

Supporting characters, particularly Mrs. Baker, are deep and rich, and the backdrop of the turbulent late 60's American is realistically portrayed. How sad I was to see this one end...

Do yourself a favor; I know that this is listed under young adult, but this one is a keeper for any age, so pick up a copy and enjoy the ride!

We listened to the audiobook on a three generations family road trip and everyone loved the book. Granted, some of us were raised on Long Island in the early sixties (duck and cover drill, LILCO power outages, etc. rang true). However, even the twelve year old reluctant reader in the group raised in Mass. couldn't wait until we got back in the car to listen to more. It is a book with something for everyone. There is plenty of humor and serious concerns along with an examination of family dynamics. The setting is the Vietnam war and there are plenty of parallels for today as well. In summary, give this book a try and consider reading or listening as a family. "You sir, are a pied ninny", is now a favorite family quote.

On the suggestion of a friend who has excellent taste in books, I bought this book for my eleven year old son, who's appetite for books exceeds what I can keep up with! It was so gripping that he sat up until two in the morning to finish the book. (I can sympathize; I've done that!) His review (five stars) for the library book club was so enthusiastic that the next night I sat up until two in the morning to read it! This is probably the best recent children's book I've found! I loved it! And it gently introduces topics such as racism, the Vietnam war, bullying, determination and self-sacrifice that parents can discuss with their children. Kids love the book because it's witty and has a great story. Then again, I loved it for that too! So four thumbs up, two from me and two from my son!

Wonderful, refreshing, silly, plausible...I loved this book and highly recommend it for children and adults. It's a quick read with clean verbage. How unusual!

Wow! If I could give this book 6 stars-I would. I have read lots of middle school books, and yes a few have been excellent. This one was nearly impossible for me to put down. The book was so funny in parts, that I had a difficult time trying to stop laughing. Other parts were exciting, touching, a bit sad, and very thought provoking. Yes, this book is easy to read, but not at all shallow by any stretch of the imagination. It really has a lot to say, but does it in a subtle non-preachy way.

I think anyone grades 5 or up would love this book. The book is told through the eyes of a 7th grade boy, and it is comes across so real it is impossible not to have a connection with this character. You don't have to be a middle school teacher or an avid reader to love this book. It is one of those very few books that knocks down all walls and invites all readers to enter.

My twelve year old daughter and I listened to this book together, and in a rare instance of complete agreement, we both pronounced it EXCELLENT. We repeatedly found ourselves engaged painlessly in converation about what should have been difficult themes, such as all the different "wars" in Holling's life, the Shakespearean notion that conflict and humor can exist in the same time and place, lost opportunities, etc. Whether this book is a "winner" in literary circles is an issue I will leave to the experts. What I can say without reservation is that the book is truly a "winner" in terms of young person enjoyment and in terms of potential for readily sparking important conversation.

This is the first book I've read by Schmidt and I stayed up late just to finish it. There are many things I loved about this book. For one, Holling seems just like any ordinary 7th grade kid but then through his periods with Mrs Baker, he develops into a remarkable young man. Family life during the 1960s to early 1970s was also vastly different. Children were not as spoiled and usually listened to their parents even though they may have felt some resentment. I also liked the way Schmidt allowed the humour of so many situations in the book to surface so much so that I believe that most kids, boys especially would enjoy this book. I am now going to try and find a copy of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy!

I loved this book. I am a junior high teacher and chuckled over the perception students have of teachers. The Vietnam War time period is also a hard time period to find good books.

He did it again. Gary created another thought provoking book about kids becoming adults. It is written in a whole new voice. I had to keep reminding myself that it was really written by the same author as Lizzie Bright. The intertwining of the personal story, the political story of the 60's, and the various Shakespeare stories was amazing. I am an adult, but love a great juvenile fiction book. With "Wednesday Wars" Gary Schmidt is now at the top of my Juvenile fiction author list. I am looking forward to "Trouble" coming soon.

Set during the Vietnam War, this novel has many parallels to what's going on today in Iraq and Afghanistan. At first, Holling Hoodhood and his teacher have a mutual dislike for each other, but as the year goes on, and Shakespeare begins working on Holling, they come to an understanding. This would be a though-provoking read for middle school and high school students. Highly recommended.

Oddly, THE WEDNESDAY WARS is probably going to appeal more to adults who came of age in the 50s and 60s than it is to young adults. And oddly, despite a lot of positive writing, the overall story will, at times, drag for younger readers -- especially if they are in the "reluctant reader" category.

Let's start with what's good about this novel: It's clean, wholesome, charming, and one might even say, quaint. Although set in the turbulent years of 1967-68 on Long Island, the book seems more like a snapshot out of the 50's -- all Eisenhower tranquility, all "Leave It to Beaver" good fun. Yes, there's mention of Vietnam, nuclear bomb drills at school, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, but it's more in name than in spirit and remains stubbornly remote from the story and the characters themselves (except for protagonist Holling Hoodhood's older sister, the lightly-sketched Heather, who is a Kennedy fan).

I liked the humorous tone, the plot's use of Shakespeare (poor 7th-grader Holling must memorize parts of the Bard's work during Wednesday afterschool sessions), and the character of Mrs. Baker -- the prototypical "teacher we all remember throughout life." What threw me was the character of Holling. He's way too mature and precocious for his age. In the one moment of family crisis, he acts wise WAY beyond his years and acts like a seasoned father, not a 7th-grade kid. His interests, words, and opinions? Also very adult-ish, despite Schmidt's game inclusion of such hijinks as 8th graders wanting to beat him up because he wears tights in a Shakespeare scene and because he outruns his elder classmen in a track meet.

Bottom line: if you like charming, if you like books about memorable teachers, or if you like the 50s (as projected in the 60s), you probably will love this nicely written ode to youth (or at least "a good boy's youth"). If you like your YA a little edgier, a little more realistic to its time, setting, character, then you might smell the professor-writer in all of this and wonder if it misses its full potential. In that sense, reaction to the book may say as much about you as it does the book.

I'm not sure what the target audience for this book is, but I love young adult/children's novels and I'm 23. I browsed this book when I was in the US (cannot find it in Australia to finish it) and decided to skim the first page. That turned into the first few chapters - I was smitten! The witty, hilarious dialogue had me sitting in the bookstore trying to hold back giggles. I didn't even get to the Shakespeare plot in the story or anything to do with Vietnam, yet I still loved it. I particularly loved the dialogue that occurred between him and his sister in the beginning when he was telling her that the teacher hated him.
I only wish that EVERY other young adult/children's writer could read this book and see the standard it has set. Previously I had thought that perhaps I was just a bad reader. Now I realise that I only read bad books.

This book, The Wednesday Wars is one of the best this year. Gary Schmidt has written a book that will appeal to people of all ages. His writing is nostalgic, humorous, and refreshing to any one who reads!
I loved it and I'm not a young adult by any stretch of years!
You just have to read this one if you work with young people. I do and I can't wait to share this with middle school readers.
Jim McKenna, Storyreader

This book, The Wednesday Wars is one of the best this year. Gary Schmidt has written a book that will appeal to people of all ages. His writing is nostalgic, humorous, and refreshing to any one who reads!
I loved it and I'm not a young adult by any stretch of years!
You just have to read this one if you work with young people. I do and I can't wait to share this with middle school readers.
Jim McKenna, Storyreader

Taking place during the 1960's, The Wednesday Wars tells the story of Holling Hoodhood, an average teenage boy dealing with school, family, friends and . . . Shakespeare. Mrs. Baker, his teacher, has assigned him a play to read. And the surprising thing is, Holling finds himself enjoying the work of the bard!

Mix Shakespeare + wonderful writing + absolutely great characters, and the result is something to fall in love with. I had fun catching certain Shakespeare allusions and reading Holling's interpretations and reactions to different plays. The author brings the schoolboy's day-to-day life alive in a brilliant style. All-in-all, an extremely delightful read. Very highly recommended.

I could tell you all of the wonderful things I love about this book, but I'll tell you the two things that have most convinced me that this is a great book worth reading.

I am reading this aloud to my high school sophomores on Fridays. Their reactions:
1) They laugh out loud while I'm reading the story.
2) They beg me to read more and talk about it on other days of the week, and have told me they like it.

If that's not a ringing endorsement for a book, I don't know what is.

This book has my vote for the 2008 Newbery; Gary Schmidt is simply wonderful as he brings 1967 to life with all of its upheavel and uncertainty.

This book had me alternately in tears and laughing all the way through. Set
during Viet Nam we witness Holling Hoodhood's misery at having to stay in
the classroom every Wednesday afternoon with a teacher who is out to get him while everyone else gets to go to either Catechism or Hebrew school. The whole school is affected by air raids, missing in action husbandsand just trying to get through day to day life. Needless to say and the tension is high. This is a real page turner. I didn't put it down till it was finished. You know a book is great when it stays with you long after you've put it down.