Review: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

                              
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schmidt, Gary D. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618724833

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Being a 7^th grader in 1967 Long Island is the worst. Poor Holling Hoodhood is stuck with Mrs. Baker every Wednesday afternoon alone in the classroom while half the class goes to Hebrew School and the other half to Catechism at the Catholic Church. He is convinced his teacher is out to get him, as she gives Holling Shakespeare to memorize as punishment. All his father is concerned about is winning bids for his architecture firm, and Holling’s sister is a “flower child” against the Vietnam War. But as the months go by, Holling and Mrs. Baker come to like and respect one another as they recite Shakespeare, deal with the classroom rats that have escaped, fight back against school bullies, and deal with prejudices and consequences of the Vietnam War.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Gary D. Schmidt has created a sympathetic character with Holling Hoodhood. Almost everyone has had to deal with a grumpy teacher, distracted parents and school bullies at some point in their life. The setting and characters are all relatable to anyone who has been through junior high. Holling has a difficult relationship with his sister, but they are often allies against their parents. And the description of his parent’s perfect house with a living room where “no one ever sat because all the seat cushions were covered in stiff, clear plastic” is familiar to anyone who either grew up in the 1960-1970s or knows someone who did! The themes of love, friendship and understanding are clear in the relatiosnips between the characters. Despite the Vietnam War background, kids will identify with Holling's various trials and tribulations.

There really is only one main issue in The Wednesday Wars that bothered me. Mrs. Baker seems too good to be true and doesn’t strike me as a realistic representation of a teacher. Anything Holling needs help with, she is apparently an expert: when Holling needs help with track, Mrs. Baker is revealed as a former Olympic runner, she introduces Holling and his friends to members of the Yankees baseball team, and those are just a few examples of her apparent expertise. Almost all the conflicts were resolved due to some kind of influence from Mrs. Baker. It struck me as a terribly convenient plot device.

Although Schmidt doesn’t list any additional resources or citations, his biography states that he grew up on Long Island during the Vietnam War. Many of the experiences he attributes to Holling are based on his own experiences in junior high, such as memorizing Shakespeare, cleaning chalk board erasers and practicing for bomb drills by hiding under school desks. Since this book is based on the author’s past, I assume there is a great degree of authenticity when it comes to details of the time period.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Honor Book 2008

ALA Notable Children’s Book 2008

ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2008

Starred review in Kirkus: “Schmidt has a way of getting to the emotional heart of every scene without overstatement, allowing the reader and Holling to understand the great truths swirling around them on their own terms.”

Starred review in Booklist: “Seamlessly, he knits together the story’s themes: the cultural uproar of the ’60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare’s words.”

5. CONNECTIONS (This book is definitely for older readers, grade 6 and up)
* Use The Wednesday Wars in a conversation on the affects of the Vietnam War.

* Other historical fiction for young adults set during the Vietnam War:

Kadohata, Cynthia. 2010.  A Million Shades of Gray. ISBN 9781416918837

Schmidt, Gary D. 2011. Okay for Now. ISBN 9780547152608 (This is the story of Doug Swieteck, introduced in The Wednesday Wars.)

Wallace, Rich. 2011. War and Watermelon. ISBN 9780670011520

Whelan, Gloria. 1993. Goodbye, Vietnam. ISBN 9780679823766

Review: The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

                              
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Erdrich, Louise. 200. The Game of Silence. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0060297891

2. PLOT SUMMARY

The Game of Silence continues the story from The Birchbark House, of Omakayas and her family, who are part of the Ojibwe tribe living in the Lake Superior area during the mid 1800s. The central problem facing the Ojibwe tribe is their impending forcible removal by the United States government to a part of the country where an enemy tribe makes their home. After the tribe sends out men to discover the reasons why the government broke the treaty with the Ojibwe, Omakayas and her tribe attempt to continue a normal life of hunting, fishing, and the occasional sibling squabble. They face many hardships, especially as winter falls and they struggle to keep warm and fed, while awaiting the notice of their forced evacuation.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

It is apparent while reading this book that Erdrich has thoroughly researched the Ojibwe tribe as well as being a member of the tribe herself. She includes an author’s note on the language of the Ojibwe tribe used in The Game of Silence, with a glossary and a phonetic pronunciation guide on the words used in the text. The plot of forcible removal by the government is presented bluntly, as are the consequences of strangers intermingling with the tribe. Although the introduction of smallpox by white settlers is discussed, Erdrich makes it a point to present sympathetic white characters who are friends of tribe members, rather then presenting all of them as villains and all native Americans as heroes.

The book is divided into sections based on the four seasons, with a few chapters per section. Erdrich sprinkles pencil illustrations throughout the book, highlighting a few characters or important details in the book. Partially based on research Erdrich has done of her ancestry as well as her connections to the Ojibwe tribe, The Game of Silence contains surprisingly relatable characters and circumstances. Omakayas and her brother Pinch fight and occasionally gets in trouble with her parents and grandmother which is a situation many children can sympathize with. During the winter, she and her cousins have snowballs fights, and play with dolls just as children do now. The love of family is a powerful theme expressed throughout the story.

My only recommendation, and this may be based only on my personal preferences, is that readers begin with The Birchbark House before continuing on with the remainder of the series.


4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Scott O’ Dell Award Winner

Starred review in Booklist: “In this heartrending novel the sense of what was lost is overwhelming.”

Review in School Library Journal: “The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.”

5. CONNECTIONS (Recommended for middle school grades)

* Read the Birchbark House series in conjunction with a study of Native Americans.

* Game of Silence is the second book in the Birchbark House series. The others are as follows:

The Birchbark House (Birchbark House 1). ISBN 9780756911867

The Porcupine Year (Birchbark House 3). ISBN 9780060297879

Chickadee (Birchbark House 4). ISBN 9780060577902

Review: Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 2010. Alchemy and Meggy Swann. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780547231846

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Margret Swann, Meggy to her friends, is sent to London with her pet goose Louise at the request of her (until now) absent father Master Ambrose. He is an alchemist and in need of a new apprentice, because his current apprentice, Roger, is leaving to become an actor in a famous acting troupe. Meggy has many strikes against her, the first being that her father expected a son to arrive and the second being that Meggy is crippled and must walk with crutches. Although Meggy is scared and lonely at first, she begins helping her father in his experiments as well as befriending Roger and the rest of the acting troupe. As she wanders London, she befriends many others, and blossoms into a confident young lady. When she discovers her father may be involved in an assassination plot, Meggy has to decide how she can use her own talents to save him from arrest and possible execution.

      
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Alchemy and Meggy Swann takes place in 1573 London, after Elizabeth I became queen but before Shakespeare became a famous playwright. If it were not for the time period or London setting, Meggy would be just another young girl struggling to fit in with her peers while navigating a new city.  Cushman uses her extensive vocabulary to make Elizabethan London come alive through vivid imagery. This is also partly due to the book being written in authentic Elizabethan language with a teen’s often surly attitude. Although this is a book for young adults, Cushman does not sugar coat the hardships Meggy faces on a daily basis. Meggy often goes hungry, is tormented by townspeople who believe her disabilities are a curse, and faces the fear of her father’s head being on a spike at London Bridge.

    Cushman provides a city map at the beginning of the book, so readers can follow along with Meggy’s ramblings back and forth across old London. She also includes an author’s note on the Elizabethan era, alchemy, printing presses and Meggy’s handicap. A bibliography is provided for further reading on the Elizabethan era and details in the book. This is a short, slim book that young adults will enjoy reading.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Cushman adds another intrepid, resourceful, courageous girl to her repertoire in this tale set in 16th-century London. The astounding sights, sounds, and smells of the city accost her, and readers see and hear them all through Cushman's deft descriptive and cinematic prose.”

Starred review in Booklist: “Writing with admirable economy and a lively ability to re-create the past believably, Cushman creates a memorable portrayal of a troubled, rather mulish girl who begins to use her strong will in positive ways.”

Starred review in Kirkus: “Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time and place so remote and make it live. Readers can hear and see and smell it all as if they are right beside Meggy.”


5. CONNECTIONS (This would be appropriate for middle school ages and older)
* Use this book in a discussion of science and transmutation. Is it possible to create gold using alchemy?

* Other historical novels by Karen Cushman:

The Loud Silence of Francine Green. ISBN 9780618504558

The Midwife’s Apprentice. ISBN 9780547722177

Catherine, Called Birdy. ISBN 9780547722184

Will Sparrow’s Road. ISBN 9780547739625