allysonwbrunette 's review for:

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

5.0

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This youth read was an absolute gem that ages well even if you first enjoy it as an adult reader. The Wednesday Wars follows Holling Hoodhood, an impressionable seventh grader who is convinced that his teacher, Mrs. Baker, is bent on ruining his life. He has to spend Wednesday afternoons in one-on-one sessions with her because he does not attend the Catholic religious education programs at that time like the rest of his classmates. Holling faces trouble with girls, a disgruntled older teenage sister and a father who is never happy nor pays enough attention to his son. Mrs. Baker slowly builds a relationship with Holling through reading Shakespeare. The storyline follows the hilarious adventures of the world through the eyes of a 13-year old boy (from baseball heroes to embarrassing onstage debuts in yellow tights). This was a charming read and one of my favorites from last year.