What is the main idea of The Wednesday Wars?

The Wednesday Warsby Gary Schmidt is a fantastic book.  I'm partially biased though since the author was my adviser in college.  At the book's core is the story of Holling Hoodhood's coming of age.  The book walks the reader through almost a year of Holling's life, and the focus of that year is his relationships with a variety of people.  As the book progresses, the reader sees Holling and his relationships transform as he...

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt is a fantastic book.  I'm partially biased though since the author was my adviser in college.  At the book's core is the story of Holling Hoodhood's coming of age.  The book walks the reader through almost a year of Holling's life, and the focus of that year is his relationships with a variety of people.  As the book progresses, the reader sees Holling and his relationships transform as he becomes more mature.  Mrs. Baker moves from being a hard task master to a loving educator and confidant for Holling.  He gains confidence throughout the story which helps him deal with his tumultuous home life.  Let's face it, Mr. Hoodhood isn't exactly a warm and fuzzy father figure.  Along with Holling's increasing confidence comes his first love in the character of Meryl Lee.  Schmidt does a great job showing readers how Holling's coming of age is intricately woven in with his relationships.  As his relationships change, so does Holling.  And as Holling changes his own attitudes, his relationships change.