Book review - The Wednesday Wars

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Genre: historical fiction
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Rating:

One of my all time favorites

Summary: When he starts seventh grade, Holling Hoodhood wants nothing more than to play baseball with his friends and avoid his older sister. The problem with seventh grade: Wednesday afternoons half his class goes to Hebrew school and the other half goes to Catechism leaving Holling, the sole Presbyterian, in class with Mrs. Baker who seems to hate him. She makes him read Shakespeare, the last thing any self-respecting boy wants to do with his time. Meanwhile, the Vietnam war is raging and Holling's father is putting increasing pressure on him to behave well and represent the family business.
My opinion: Gary D. Schmidt is probably my favorite youth author and this is the book that introduced me to him. His characters have real problems and behave in a believable way. Holling's voice is distinct. He struggles with forming his own identity in a politically turbulent time with a father who wants to control his future. He struggles to understand his family and the world around him. It's a book about war, yes, and about a strict teacher. But it's also about learning what it means to truly be a man. It doesn't give any easy answers but encourages the reader to think.
More information: There is a sequel to this book entitled Okay for Now which is a fantastic read in it's own right.