"The Wednesday Wars" is a young adult novel written by Gary D. Schmidt and published in 2007. The story follows the life of seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood, who is the only non-Jewish student in his class at Camillo Junior High in Long Island, New York. Each Wednesday afternoon, Holling is left alone at school while his classmates attend Hebrew school, and he begins to develop a unique relationship with his English teacher, Mrs. Baker.
Throughout the novel, readers are presented with a number of questions and themes to consider. One question that arises is the role of education and the importance of literature in one's life. Holling initially dislikes Mrs. Baker and sees his Wednesday detention as a punishment, but as he begins to read and discuss the classic novels assigned to him, he starts to appreciate the value of literature and the ways in which it can broaden one's perspective and understanding of the world.
Another theme explored in the novel is the concept of identity and belonging. Holling struggles to fit in with his peers, who are mostly Jewish and come from more privileged backgrounds, and feels isolated and misunderstood. As he spends more time with Mrs. Baker, he begins to see that everyone has their own unique experiences and challenges, and that it is possible to find connection and belonging even in unexpected places.
Another question raised in the novel is the nature of friendship and how it can change and evolve over time. Holling is initially friends with a classmate named Meryl Lee, but their relationship becomes strained as they grow older and their interests and priorities begin to diverge. Holling also develops a close bond with Mrs. Baker, who becomes a mentor and confidant for him, and learns the importance of being open to new friendships and experiences.
Finally, the novel touches on the theme of loss and grief, as Holling's family goes through a number of significant changes and challenges throughout the story. Holling's mother dies, his father remarries, and his brother goes off to fight in the Vietnam War, leaving Holling to navigate these difficult transitions and come to terms with the loss of his old life.
Overall, "The Wednesday Wars" is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that raises a number of important questions about education, identity, friendship, and loss. It encourages readers to consider the ways in which literature can enrich our lives and the importance of being open to new experiences and connections.
The Wednesday Wars — Reader Q&A
It had never occurred to him that this teach had a private life of her own where bad things could be happening. But, the RAF wings are confusing, and thus far my fairly pointed google queries haven't turned up theories. Thanks for your patience, and for your inquiries so far. Set against the social backdrop of the Vietnam War, the book follows Holling as he learns important lessons about friendship, loyalty, loss, family, and what it means to be a human being. I would also like to thank everyone who submitted articles, but did not receive the most votes.
This weekly feature is a place to discuss new developments in fields of history and archaeology. The child he tripped ended up hitting his had and needing to be under medical supervision for a few weeks but Holling experienced no consequences. . After this month we will discuss whether to continue as is, modify it, or simply scrap it altogether, a decision for which we welcome input on from the user base throughout the test period. The students told him that he owed them creampuffs still and that he had 10 days to get them. Update, 10:35PM: Answering continues after a break for some e-mails and a phone call.
EDIT 2: Back and ready to answer! The flower children were those who decided to protest against the American involvement in the Vietnam War. She asked him if he went to Temple Beth El or St. AskHistorians is intended to be a space for in-depth and comprehensive answers, and as such, those questions which do not require an in-depth answer are not always suited to the format. But then she saw potential in him and determined to nurture it. Update, 12:41AM: Please, no more questions! H is an architect Describe Meryl Lee 11. This can be newly discovered documents and archaeological sites, recent publications, documents that have just become publicly available through digitization or the opening of archives, and new theories and interpretations.
In love with HHH, kind of a pain, flirty, argumentative What happens during the soccer game 15? Did you agree with Holling's observation that you don't want another god when that happens? They wrote something mean in graffiti on her house that made her feel unwelcome in America. For one, the physical geography has for the most part been pretty constant, outside of course the regular course changes of the lower Yellow River. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. I will get to yours if I haven't already! This work has generated a deep interest for me in the history of the war generally, and the continued study of it pretty much animates my life, at this point. Read this book with your middle or high school class, and you will have plenty of rich topics for discussion. The rats, Sycorax and Caliban, got to the creampuffs. Because of this, violence is never punished in the novel but instead promoted through the actions and behaviors of the rest of the characters.
Arguably the only serious attempt at Pan-Asianism ended in flames in the 1930s and 40s, and even in recent years there has been no dearth of causes for enmity between powers and between peoples. In others it might be a lack of knowing other options exist, and still others might simply lack the access to the kind of sources that they suspect could provide them with assistance. . The one that governs my work generally is the degree to which my discipline has selectively and imperfectly incorporated the history of the war into how we teach its attendant literature, whether it be the memoirs of Sassoon or Graves, the novels of Remarque or Harrison, or the poetry of Rosenberg or Owen. What constitutes a hero? He told him "Not on your sweet life" to an allowance advance.
At one end of the spectrum, I've seen articles At the other end of these varying notions, Aztecs regard sexuality with an extremely harsh and conservative attitude. For example, when Holling trips one of his colleagues and makes him fall, he is praised both by teachers and by his peers. If you'd like to participate in this series at some future date, please reply in the comments here or send me a PM. This primarily figures as a literary venture, given that I am an English scholar, but there's a great deal also to be said about television, film and other media as well. Again, thank you all and have fun reading.
Looking just at the last 1000 years, we see effects from the Mongol conquests in the 13th century, to the Columbian exchange in the 16th, to the appearance of Western imperialism in the 19th, and of course, a whole host of endogenous developments, be they religious, cultural, political or socioeconomic. Beyond that, my area of specialization is the literature of the early 20th century primarily in a British context , and I'd be delighted to get some questions about that too. Baker says that Shakespeare tries to express something about what it means to be a human being. Nevertheless, it is my hope o god to answer every question throughout the day. In Holling's point of view, I would be very upset.
. Hello everyone, For the next month, we are going to be running a test of a Provisional Rule which is currently being referred to as the " Basic Facts Rule". So please, dust off that 1913 swimsuit calendar you found in your grandfather's attic or calculate some Maya Long Count dates, and share some notable events that happened this week in history. High, Long Island NY, Nassau County Who is the narrator? Another aspect of Holling's religious instruction is his affinity for Shakespeare. Hoodhood's good mood didn't extend to Holling. This all is a bit similar to We tend to think about photographs as visual representations of past reality. What would change if the novel were narrated in the third person? Furthermore currently I am employed as non-academic staff at Cornell University.
