Wednesday Wars (Schmidt)

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Wednesday Wars:

1. Why is Holling convinced Ms. Baker hates him? How does their relationship change during their year of studying together?

2. Ms. Baker says that Shakespeare "is never boring to the true soul." What does she mean by that remark...what is a "true soul"?

3. What is it about Shakespeare that Holling comes to appreciate? But what about Romeo and Juliet?

4. How do the Shakespearean plays Holling reads reflect the events in his life?

5. Gary Schmidt sets his story in the Vietnam War era, along with the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. In what way do these historical events highlight the book's plot?

6. What do you think about Holling's parents? What kind of parents are they? What is uppermost in Mr. Hoodhood's life—business or family life?

7. Does the author do a good job of describing the problems faced by seventh graders—friendship, bullying, parents, siblings, teacher expectations?

8. What episodes did you find especially funny? The rats episode, the yellow tights, the cream puffs?

9. Talk about the line, "when the gods die, they die hard." What symbolic "gods" die for Holling?

10. In what way does Holling grow by the end of the book? What does he learn...how does he change?

11. Mrs. Baker advises Holling to "Learn everything you can—everything. And then use all that you have learned to be a wise and good man." Does, or will, Holling live up to that advice?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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