The Wednesday Wars

Mrs. Baker assigns The Tempest next, and Holling begins adopting the “cuss words” (50) and insults from the play as his own, practicing in front of his mirror to perfect them. He tries an insult on his sister first and practices under his breath all throughout the day at school, in chorus, and in gym class. Doug Swieteck’s brother overhears one of his curses while running in gym (“pied ninny” (59), directed quietly towards Coach Quatrini) and stops to ask Holling what it means. Mrs. Baker, seeing that Holling missed a few things in The Tempest because of his excitement about the curses, tasks him with reading the play a second time.

Holling turns his attention to the cream puff death threats from his classmates. He asks for an advance on his allowance when his father comes home in high spirits after winning the contract with Baker Sporting Emporium, but Holling doesn’t have any luck. When he comes up $2.80 short for the cream puffs at Goldman’s Best Bakery, he learns that Mr. Goldman is looking for a boy who knows Shakespeare. After reciting his best Prospero, Holling finds himself cast in the Long Island Shakespeare Company’s Holiday Extravaganza.