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Tween Tuesday: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your post below.



Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Historical

Release Date: 2/29/2000

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About the Book: Holling Hoodhood is a Presbyterian. Which means on Wednesday afternoons, Holling stays in school while everyone else attends religious education classes. But Holling is stuck and he thinks Mrs. Baker hates him-now she has to stay around and teach one student. So Mrs. Baker decides to teach Holling about Shakespeare. Holling is about to have a memorable year full of adventures he never could have imagined.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I wanted to read this book because Okay for Now is getting some Newbery buzz and while it's not a sequel, it's a companion book. I've heard so many rave reviews for this one, I knew I had to read it. But I kept putting it off because I had read another of Gary D. Schmidt's books and I wasn't a fan. It goes to show you can't judge an author based on one book!!

I'm so glad I finally listened to all those people who told me to read this one! It's hilarious, charming, bittersweet and wonderful all at the same time. The year Holling has is somewhat fantastical (as in it's so crazy you can't believe it's really happening-but this is fiction after all). Holling learns about friendship, growing up and even a touch of romance during his year with Shakespeare.

I listened to this on CD and the narrator was fantastic! Joel Johnstone please narrate more books! I highly recommend this book, especially on audio. A wonderful treat and I can't wait to read Okay for Now. I know I'm way behind, but I'll be recommending this one to any tween who will listen!

Book Pairings: Al Capone Does my Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

Comments

  1. OMGosh I love this book!!!!! Love it! I too listened to it and the narrator was fantastic. I was running on the treadmill listening and almost fell off I was laughing was so hard. Then I read it aloud to my students, and they absolutely adored it. They laughed, understood the seriousness and learned a lot about the 60's. Thanks for highlighting it!

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  2. Okay, I guess I gotta read this one. I hear so many good things, but the synopsis has just never captured my interest!

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  3. One of my all-time favorites. And I really loved Okay for Now too. Schmidt really churns out classics for me.

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  4. I always assumed that this book was YA. Interesting that it's actually MG!
    As These Pages Fly

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  6. Jill-That's exactly how I felt!!

    Jana-YES! I thought the same thing-it just didn't sound interesting. I hope you read it!

    Melissa-I'll be reading Okay for Now soon.

    Emily-It's probably an upper MG or good for younger teens. But I think it has lots of tween appeal.

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  7. Ohh, I might have to check this one out because I love the Al Capone books.
    LF

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