The Wednesday Wars - Literature Kit Gr. 7-8

Book excerpt: Find the strength within to stand up for yourself and others with this coming-of-age tale. The engaging activities will help educators keep the class paced and structured well. Put events in order as they happen when Holling stays behind one Wednesday. Imagine what Mrs. Baker’s inspiration might be for assigning Holling to read The Tempest. Predict whether Holling, Danny and Doug will feel differently towards Mrs. Baker after her gesture. Describe the difficult situation Mai Thi is in at her school and the significance it has within the backdrop of the story. Explore the motivations of the characters from the novel and describe how they impact the decisions made by them throughout the story. Map out some of the noted architecture described in the book. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Wednesday Wars follows Holling Hoodhood as he enters the seventh grade. Every Wednesday, the students in his class go to separate churches for religious classes. However, as a Presbyterian, Holling doesn’t have anywhere to go. So instead, he stays behind with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. She doesn’t seem pleased about this, and quickly Holling believes that she has it in for him. Each week, Mrs. Baker gives Holling menial tasks, until finally she begins to force him to read the works of William Shakespeare. This backfires, however, as Holling begins to enjoy the plays. So much so, that he even gets a roll in the community’s Holiday Extravaganza. Life at home for Holling isn’t any better. He is constantly lost in his father’s shadow, who forces Holling to continue in the family business. His sister tries to rebel, but is also forced to follow her father’s wishes. With the war in Vietnam as the backdrop, tensions rise as news of lost husbands overseas begin to come in. This coming-of-age story focuses on one boy finding the strength within and standing up for himself and others.