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The Wednesday Wars

(2007, Fiction - Coming of Age, Written by Gary Schmidt)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.
  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Funny, breathtakingly poignant '60s coming of age.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Two rats are run over by a bus.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Twinkies, Cokes, Ford Mustang all mentioned approvingly.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Middle schoolers smoke in the bathroom at school.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Wednesday Wars

Parents need to know that there is little of concern here: some products mentioned, two references to students smoking, and a scene of two rats run over by a bus.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the ways in which Shakespeare helps Holling understand his life, and the ways in which his life helps him understand Shakespeare. Why does he like using Shakespeare's phrases so much? How does reading Shakespeare relate to the rest of his life?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 2.0

    An Okay Book

    I think that it is a great idea but horribly written. It is interesting but it skips a lot. The rats are a bit freaky but other than that there isn't anything that scary. It has a little bit of Shakespeare in it but it mainly only focuses on the "curses" that aren't bad at all.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

    A great "growing up" story

    The author does a great job in creating the time period and being true to the life of a seventh grader. I just love how grows in maturity and with his relationship with his teacher. It had to be scary knowing you were going to spend one-on-one time with your seventh grade teacher. While some behavior is not great the warm feeling overcome that.

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