The Wednesday Wars

SCHMIDT, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars. NY: Clarion Books [2007]. 8vo, [viii] 264pp. Gray cloth stamped in silver on spine with stamped decoration to front board. Minute bumping to spine ends, else as new, in publisher's original full-color pictorial d.w., (not price-clipped). Signed by the author, Gary D. Schmidt.

First edition. 2008 Newbery Honor Book. This comic, compelling novel, set during the Vietnam War, follows the story of 12-year-old Holling Hoodhood as he tries to survive the 7th grade. As the only Presbyterian child in his school, Holling is the only student who is not called away every Wednesday to attend either Hebrew school or Catholic Catechism. Left alone with Mrs. Baker, his teacher decides that the best use of their time together is to attempt to read the works of William Shakespeare. As Holling deals with the themes in these masterful works and struggles to deal with the issues in his own life, this young anti-hero must learn to embrace his own destiny.