Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

The order in which we ranked the seven books was:

1= Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 24.5%
1= Counting by 7s 24.5%
3 Fever 1793 20.4%
4= The Teacher's Funeral : A Comedy in Three Parts 8.2%
4= Diary of a Wimpy Kid 8.2%
4= The Wednesday Wars 8.2%
7 Umbrella Summer 6.1%

You can read them over July and August in any order you choose - but please put your comments in the correct thread!

This thread is for THE WEDNESDAY WARS

I hope you enjoy it. This one's downloadable from my library, so I'll get it when I'm ready to read it as there's a time limit.

"I almost cried. But I didn't, because if you're in seventh grade and you cry while wearing a blue floral cape and yellow tights with white feathers on the butt, you just have to curl up and die somewhere in a dark alley.”
This book is just so good. It's one of my favorites and I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading it.

Just finished this today. It's definitely going on my 'favourites' list.

First off, I just have to get off my chest how much I *hated* Holling and Heather's father. What an absolute creep! While I was often frustrated with Annie's father in Umbrella Summer, I could at least sympathise with him, and I believed that he loved Annie. As for Mr Hoodhood....well, I'm sure he 'loved' his children in his way, but he seemed to care much more about his job, his position in the community, and his status as family breadwinner than actually being a father to his children, or a husband to his wife. I found him incredibly selfish, arrogant and judgemental. I think he makes an interesting character though, as he's an example of how parents can be unfit to be parents (and in his case a decent person) without being actively absuive or an outright villain. I wonder if he was also supposed to represent the negative stereotype of the 1970s go-getting businessman, who is prepared to trample over everything and everyone to get to the top.
All of that said, he had a couple of moments of decency, such as his reaction to what was going on in Vietnam. Interesting though that he seemed able to show concern and compassion for boys in another country but not for his own children.

I also thought Holling's frequent descriptions of his house as 'Perfect' were nicely done, another example of showing readers that a house that seems 'perfect' can be stifling. What's also stifling of course is Holling's father's expectations for him. Ultimately, I think the book is about Holling learning not only to stand up to his father and start carving his own path in life, but learning that he *can* do those things.

I enjoyed how Holling's perspectives of those around him changed. Most obvious, of course, was Mrs Baker, who influences him without him even realising it. But there's also Doug, and Heather. Just like Willow in Counting by 7s, and Annie in Umbrella Summer, I think Holling changes the lives of those characters just as much as they change his.

I thought the inclusion of Mai, the Vietnamese girl, and how the kids in her class treated her, just accepting her and even, in Danny's case, standing up for her, despite the Vietnam War, was encouraging and heart warming to read. I loved how the lunch lady/school cook's relationship with her changed as well, after the lunch room bullying incident. I like that Schmidt showed both the racism and cruelty both adults and children can be capable of as well as the acceptance and kindness they can show.

I also thought the book was bold in showing how some characters are capable of change and some, like Doug's brother and Mr Hoodhood, probably are not. It also shows how kids can step out from under their parents' expectations/shadows and begin to make their own way in the world. I cheered inside my head when Holling finally was able to stand up to his dad.

Of course, the book is also very, very funny. Holling's views of the world and people around him are both sharp and naive by turn.

The historical context was nicely done too, particularly the sense of the impact that the Vietnam War had on those at home in the States. I think it was especially interesting how kids Holling's age are very exposed to the war in Vietnam and the protests and political unrest going on across the country due to divisions over the war and race. Kids now are even more exposed to that kind of thing, and it makes for an interesting parallel.

My Kindle version of the book included a free sample of Okay for Now, which is Doug's story, and which is already downloaded to my Kindle.

So, I've now read all 7 of our Reading Challenge books (although I actually read Fever 1793 a while ago). I think the 'No 1 Spot' has to be jointly awarded to Wednesday Wars and Counting by 7s.

Another great review. I hadn't put this one very high up my list, but you make me change my mind :)

I had it high up my list, but couldn't get hold of it to read within the two months, so I've put it lower down the list now. Maybe next year.