Monday, November 17

Wednesday Wars

This book had an old-school feel to it. Meaning, it reminded me more of Judy Blume's young adult novels (set in the '40s to '70s) than the modern Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Twilight series. This had to do in part with the setting (1968 Long Island) but also with the character of Holling himself, the role of Shakespeare's works, names, and the role of women.

Holling Hoodhood as a character was not tormented by ADHD, addicted parents, low self-esteem, a dark crippling secret or overwhelming brilliance. He was just a self aware kid in the 7th grade. Those challenges he did face (lack of money for cream puffs, embarrassment over wearing tights, being faster than the 8th-graders) were explained away (as Holling notes) by the situation of his age and grade: "Mr. Goldman, it's been a long time since you were in seventh grade" (78). 
Holling had a positive, humorous outlook on the "trials" he did encounter: "So I did it. I got through the whole dress rehearsal playing Ariel the Fairy while wearing bright yellow tights with white feathers on the ... well, I might as well say it — butt. There. On my butt! White feathers waving on my butt!" (78). 
He did not cower when embarrassed by the photo of flying Ariel the Fairy dotted the school walls. Instead, he channeled MacBeth: "... there was a flash of inspiration and ambition" (102).
So, while Holling had his weaknesses, he was not fragile. He knew himself, he had friends, and in the end, he stood up to his father. At age 13. Some men never do this.

Something else that gave this book an old-school feel to me was all the Shakespeare. The author dug into the classics for this one. Not only was Holling reading the plays and quoting from them, but touches of Shakespeare's lines ran through the narrative: "Still, it was  a June day to be blithe and bonny in" (243) when referring to the camping.
The author also played around with language. Holling is marked down on papers for using run-on sentences. Then we, the reader, see run-on sentences galore when Holling has hold of the narrative. 

Another old-school moment comes with the names. This might be old-school in the sense that it reminded me of how I used to refer to people. Holling always referred to Doug Swieteck's brother as exactly that. No first name. Teachers and coaches had only last names. His friends had first names only. Holling's father always wanted to know Holling's friends' first and last names.His father was his father, his mother his mother, and his sister his sister; the change came at the very end of the book, when we learn his sister is named Heather. This shows his growing closer to her, using her name.  

Finally, it's important to discuss the role of women in this novel. Holling's mother was a shadow. She acted as a sounding board in Chapter 1 when Holling complained about Mrs. Baker. That's it. She was not unique, she hid from us, like she hid her smoking from her husband. On the other end of the scale is Mrs. Baker. Independent. Brave. Giving. Challenging. Confident. She did not hide. She was a strong female role model in an age when women's roles were changing. Look at Holling's sister. She was angry and frustrated that Holling was being considered to inherit the family business. She challenged her father about her clothes, hair, education. Thank God for women like Mrs. Baker and for those like Heather, struggling for the cause of women's changing roles. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

To end, I just want to point out to Katie that Pete Seeger rocks; I'm not the only one who thinks so (108).

Wednesday, November 12

Oops!

Sorry for that post. It was meant to go to www.zoopeters.blogspot.com, my personal blog. Mea culpa.

Note to self: pay attention!!!

I loved Wednesday Wars too

I loved the self centered 12 year old perspective. I loved his sense of self and what was right and wrong. I loved the description of the saddest sound in the world coming from Mrs. Brigio and how he incorporated that into himself and who he was.

This book had a perfect balance of funny ironic and sad tragic stories. I hated his parents and loved Hupfer's parents. His dad was self-centered beyond acceptable behavior. I hope Holling grows up and works for Kowalski and assocciates instead. I was glad that Holling had good adult examples in his life.

I loved the way that the historical time period and shakespeare stories were intermixed with his life. What an amazingly crazy year in history! and I loved his Romeo and Juliet romance with Meryl Lee. I love that through all the pain and turmoil his faith in miracles was restored and despite his father's poor example he learned how to be a man from Shakespeare and other examples.

fun book! Thanks for the suggestion.

Tuesday, November 11

Wednesday Wars

This book spoke to me on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin, but I think I'll start on a personal level. The setting is 1967-68 . . . my senior year in high school. I LIVED these events. I couldn't believe how quickly this book took me back. I was reading it on a plane to Utah and came to the part about the 5,000 Marines in Vietnam and suddenly realized they were talking about Khesanh!!! Rod's brother was there! I started to cry uncontrollably. I couldn't believe that Rod could be SLEEPING right next to me! I almost slugged him! Khesanh has had such an impact on our family. We have all felt some small part of the pain Rod's brother has experienced for the past 40 years as a result of the seige: PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)!

Second, it spoke to me on a professional level. I teach 7th grade. Every day I live with student/teacher, student/student, and student/family relationships. I had the great privilege of teaching my students during the 2008 presidential election and seeing their passion for the issues and their desire to have an impact on their world. I also had the challenge of keeping the little piranhas from eating each other for lunch!! 7th graders can be heroically kind and devastatingly cruel! I usually spend half an hour or more venting to Rod at the end of a day. Some of my students' lives are a train wreck. Others seem to have a glorious future ahead of them (no Perfect Houses, I hope). I pray that I will have an impact on some of them such as Mrs. Baker had on Holling.

Third, it spoke to me as a parent. I was ready to choke Holling's parents. I was appalled at the emotional distance between the parents and children in this family. I was so grateful that, at least, Holling had Danny's parents on his side. Rod and I have had several discussions as a result of this book. I know his parents didn't go to many of his basketball games and my parents weren't driven or focused on engineering our success through extra-curricular activities, etc. On some level, I think they sent us (at least the older kids in my family) to school and figured the experts would teach us what we needed to know. However, I know my parents would have done ANYTHING in their power (and did) to rescue a wayward child. I thought the implication that Holling's father was somehow trapped by his upbringing and that Holling, by understanding his father, wouldn't have to follow the same path was very compassionate and helped heal the hurts he experienced. (It also made me feel more forgiving.)

Fourth, it spoke to me as an English major. The use of Shakespeare's plays to develop Holling's self-awareness was masterful. I loved the literature, the allusions, the way the selections fit so perfectly with what was going on in Holling's life. It was such a well-written story. No wonder it received a Newberry Award!

Fifth, it was fun! The humor of the rats, the cream puffs, the Ariel costume . . . I couldn't help laughing out loud :) (Who knows what the other passengers thought!)

Laurenda, Thanks for a great pick. I told Rod he HAS to read it.

The Wednesday Wars

I wish I'd written my review right after I read the book, because I LOVED IT SO MUCH! But now, weeks have passed and, what do I remember? "I LOVED IT SO MUCH!" I want to buy it for my personal collection, I loved it so much.

The basic story is about 7th grader Holling Hoodhood (what a riot that last name is) coming of age during the Vietnam War. He is the only Presbyterian in his class, and all his Catholic and Jewish friends leave on Wednesday afternoons for religion classes, so he's stuck with his teacher who assigns him to read Shakespeare. The result is a tale so gentle, so moving and so hilarious. We get to learn all about relationships, interwoven with bits of wisdom from Shakespeare. My favorite is the development of Holling's relationship with his sister (so poignant!); his relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker (a main theme in the book) is so true to life. I remember as a young student being seriously surprised to see one of my teachers at the grocery store. Holling's relationship is like this with Mrs. Baker. Initially, he views her stereotypically as a "mean" teacher who hates his guts. By the end of the book, we see her as a person--someone who has history and emotional angst all of her own, and compassion and tenderness and bravery. And we see first love bloom. How great IS Meryl Lee? So great. I wish I had a Coke right now. :)

Some of my favorite parts? The "swearing". LOVED that. Wish I could remember some of them....OH well. And The Rats. Ohhhhhh, the rats. And how appropriately triumphant was it that the one teacher who left with a nervous breakdown came back as the principal and took care of the rats and was the hero of the 7th Grade Camp Overnighter? It kinda sums up how life can be.

Also, I loved it when Holling was pounding the chalkboard erasers and that huge cloud of dust covered the delicious puff pastries--how funny was the whole puff pastry thing? I mean, his fellow students hounding him for them, which lead him to become a thespian! And the consequences of that? And I loved that he embraced the role because he FELT it, even if it meant he had yellow feathers on his rear? And the rats (did I mention the rats?). And the tender scene where his friend gives Mickey Mantle back the signed ball??? And the strawberries? And, my favorite, where Holling cashes in his prize to pick up his sister (his second "saving" of her), after learning how to run, really run, from Mrs. Baker? These things touched my heart and tickled my funny bone. I was sad when this book ended because it was sooooo good. But I also closed the covers of it very contented.

So, if you haven't read it, it's so worth it. It truly is a feel good book.

Monday, November 10

The Wednesday Wars - Katie's view of the world

I don’t have my book with me – but I’m sure I had awesome things underlined as well as amazing insights written in the margins. Alas, we’ll all just have to survive without my insights. ☺

I LOVED this book. I thought the perspective of the young boy (12-year-old?) was spot on, maybe a little too insightful, but nevertheless correct. Human nature makes us very self-centered – not always selfish, but self-centered. When faced with a friend/co-worker/family member who is in a bad mood, who hasn’t thought, “what did I do to make them this way?” The person’s mood may have nothing to do with us (and it probably doesn’t) but that doesn’t stop us from thinking that we did something. And Holling Hoodhood is no different.

This was a book about relationships – relationships between Holling and his teacher, between Holling and his sister, between Holling and the world around him. But the book also developed relationships between people in the world surrounding Holling. For example, the relationship between the lunch lady (?) and the Vietnamese girl was very touching. I cried when the lunch lady “overlooked” the girl when passing out treats (or something). I also cried when they came to terms with each other later in the book. I can’t even imagine how hard it would have been to be a young Vietnamese child in the United States during the Vietnam War.

This really sucks not to have the book in front of me. Anyway, I was quite impressed with Holling’s friend who returned the autographed baseball to – Mickey Mantle? – after the “hero” refused to sign Holling’s ball. Is that an accurate portrayal of the baseball player? Was he really that much of a jerk?

Thanks, Laurenda, for choosing this book.