About the Book: The Wednesday Wars follows seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood during the 1968-1969 school year. Convinced his teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him, Holling is forced to spend his Wednesday afternoons reading Shakespeare. As the Vietnam War looms, he discovers he admires both Shakespeare and his enigmatic teacher. The book is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who learns to find his inner strength and stand up to his family.