The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade historical
• Originally Published: 2007
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 990L; grades 5-7
• Structure/Length: 10 chapters; approx. 272 pages; approx. 7 hours, 27 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood is sure Mrs. Baker, his English teacher, hates him, and his domineering father basically ignores the family in pursuit of the perfect business image. When Mrs. Baker assigns him to read Shakespeare’s plays on his own time, Holling is positive she hates him. But as the Vietnam War turns the country on its head, he starts to appreciate Mrs. Baker and Shakespeare, who teach him more than he thought they could.  

Gary D. Schmidt, Author

• Bio: Born in Hicksville, New York in 1957; earned a PhD in medieval literature; works as an English professor at Calvin College; won a Newberry Honor and a Printz Honor in 2005 for Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; National Book Award finalist for three books: Okay for Now, Pay Attention, Carter Jones, and Orbiting Jupiter.
• Other Works: Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2004); First Boy (2005); Okay for Now (2011); Orbiting Jupiter (2015); Pay Attention, Carter Jones (2019); Just Like That (2021)
• Awards: Newbery Honor (2008)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Finding Community Despite Broken Family Relationships (Community)
• Coming of Age Amid National Events and Social Influences (Coming of Age)
• Unrest in America During the Late 1960s (Unrest in the 1960s)

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop a nuanced understanding of the Vietnam War Era and the sociocultural elements of life in America that drive two of the novel’s major themes, Coming of Age and Unrest in the 1960s.
• Study paired texts and brief resources to develop analysis of character development throughout the novel.
• Create an in-depth analysis of a Shakespearean work that connects to revelations Holling has in the novel.
• Analyze the author’s characterizations, plot, and setting details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses about characters, themes, and writing techniques.