The Wednesday Wars

by Gary Schmidt

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Discussion Topic

Summary of the months in "The Wednesday Wars"

Summary:

The months in "The Wednesday Wars" follow the school year of seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood. Each month highlights different events and personal growth moments for Holling, from September's initial challenges to June's resolutions. Key events include Holling's evolving relationship with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, his experiences with Shakespeare, and his navigation of friendships and family dynamics.

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What is the summary of "February" in The Wednesday Wars?

Here's a very short summary: Holling accidentally messes up his dad's chances of winning the contract to design the new school. He also goes on a date with Meryl, and he reads Romeo and Juliet and hates it at first, then slowly starts appreciating it.

Here's a detailed summary:

As the chapter titled "February" opens, it's a Friday night, and Holling and his family are getting very dressed up to go to an awards banquet at the Kiwanis Club. Neither Holling nor his sister wants to wear the flowers they're supposed to, so they dare each other to flush them down the toilet.

Just then, the ceiling in their living room caves in, making a hideous mess and causing their father to yell angrily about the workmen who were in charge of fixing the ceiling.

When the family arrives at the Kiwanis event, Holling gives his carnation away, and his sister actually flushes her orchid. They sit through a boring dinner and some boring speeches, and Holling's dad gives his speech to accept his award for being a model businessman in the community. Holling finds it all a bit ironic, because as soon as they get back home, Holling's dad calls up the workmen and bullies them into coming back over first thing the next morning to redo the ceiling repairs.

Back at school, the rat problem is getting worse and the ceiling tiles are bulging downward. Holling's teacher assigns him Romeo and Juliet, which he reads in just three days, and he thinks the story is really stupid because of how the main characters kill themselves. It's not realistic, Holling argues as he talks to Mrs. Baker about it. But Meryl Lee likes how Holling is reading Romeo and Juliet, and he successfully asks her out on a date for Valentine's Day.

Holling barely has any money and wonders where he can take Meryl on their date, but his dad is just focused on the new modern design for the junior high school. His friend Danny doesn't help, either. When Holling reads some more Romeo and Juliet with Mrs. Baker, he starts to appreciate it more, and when he goes down to see Mrs. Bigio to pick up some cupcakes for the class, she gives him two tickets to see the stage play.

Problem solved! Holling takes Meryl to see the play for their date, and they have a great time. After the show, they talk about their dads' separate plans for the new junior high school, and Holling draws his dad's plan to show Meryl. She keeps the drawing.

Soon afterward, Holling goes with his dad to a business meeting. Everyone is presenting their ideas for the new junior high school, and Meryl's dad's presentation shows that he's totally copied Holling's dad's idea! Mr. Hoodhood is really mad at Holling, and Holling is angry at himself for being so stupid as to give away his dad's design to Meryl.

He argues with Meryl, but she claims that she never wanted her dad to use the design, and her eyes are red from crying.

Holling rewrites his essay about Romeo and Juliet, showing how his own experiences are changing how he interprets the play. Then he takes a rose and some Cokes over to Meryl's house to apologize, and they make up. Meryl's dad withdraws his idea for the new junior high school, and Holling's dad wins the contract for his own company.

The chapter closes when Mrs. Baker receives notice that her husband is missing in action in the war.

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Can you provide a brief summary of "November" and "December" from "The Wednesday Wars"?

Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars is a novel about Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grade boy. Holling has an interesting relationship with his father and struggles to find a place to fit in at school.

In November, Holling has troubles at home. His "Perfect House" has water leaking through the roof and a rotting ceiling because of the water damage. At school, Holling auditions for the school play. He gets the part of Ariel and is asked to sing soprano. Throughout this month, Holling also grows closer to Meryl Lee. Meryl Lee is a girl in Holling's class who has been in love with him for many years. The two eventually grow closer and go on a date.

In December, Holling performs in the Shakespeare production. He hopes that no one comes to watch the play because he wants to keep his role as Ariel a secret. The play is also the same day as a Mickey Mantle autograph signing. After the play, Holling rushes to try to get Mickey Mantle's autograph but is not successful. His teacher, Mrs. Baker, arranges for two Yankee players to come to the school to meet Holling and his friends.

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In "November" Holling agrees to play the part of Ariel in a production of The Tempest.  He agrees to play the part because it allows him to obtain the cream puffs that his classmates demanded from him.  The downside to playing Ariel is that his costume has yellow tights with feathers on the butt. Mrs. Baker also has assigned Holling to read The Tempest.  Holling loves it, because it is full of violence and swearing. His home life is still just as it was before.  His dad cares only about his business, and Heather continues to be rebellious and anti-social. Holling is also assigned to sing soprano in choir.  

The production of The Tempest happens in "December." Unfortunately, the play is happening on the same night that Mickey Mantle is going to be signing baseballs at the Baker Sporting Emporium.  Holling is able to rush to the emporium before Mantle leaves, but Mantle is a complete jerk to Holling.  Mantle refuses to sign Holling's baseball.  

"Listen, I don't sign baseballs for kids in yellow tights." Mickey Mantle looked at his watch and turned to Mr. Baker. "It's past nine thirty. I'm done." He tossed my new perfect white baseball onto the floor. 

Holling is devastated, but Mrs. Baker is able to come to Holling's rescue. She arranges for two other Yankee baseball players to come to the school and play a pick up game of baseball with Holling, Danny, and Doug.  

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