Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday wars

Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday wars. Clarion, 2007 [978-0-618-72483-3//0-618-72483-4]

Through a quirk in scheduling, Holling Hoodhood, must spend the last period of every Wednesday with Mrs. Baker, who he is sure, is out to get him. She has him read Shakespeare. There are other sub-plots going on.. for one it is 1967 and the Vietnam War is always in the background, he has problems with his brother, the tights he must wear for his part in the Shakespeare play, rats living in the school, and the many other daily traumas a 7^th grade boy must deal with. This 264 page book fluctuates between humorous situations to very heavy scenes, providing a lot of variety for the reader. While Holling is dealing with his many challenges, Mrs. Baker is always in the background, providing quiet support.