【星期三與莎士比亞有約】

荷林很確定這一年的校園生活會很不好過，才剛升七年級就被蓓克老師盯上，他可以發誓他根本什麼都沒有做，不像他瘋狂的同學還條列了410個如何整老師的點子清單，從第1條開始：在老師的抽屜裡噴滿濃濃的除臭劑；大概在第167條以後會遊走在法律邊緣，你無法想像第400條是什麼，而最後一條你也不會想知道是什麼，嚴重程度大概就是做了就會被送進少年感化院、永遠出不來。

然而，荷林平常就是對這些事敬而遠之、且保持低調的人，但蓓克老師還是看他不順眼，他能想到的唯一原因就只剩下－每周三的禮拜時間，班上的同學有一半是猶太人要到猶太教堂上希伯來文，另一半則到天主教堂上教義問，就唯獨荷林是基督教徒，哪兒都不去，只能待在教室和蓓克老師大眼瞪小眼。

剛開始的幾個周三，蓓克老師讓荷林幫忙打掃、拍板擦、清理兩隻大老鼠的寵物籠，但荷林的清掃任務總是意外頻傳、甚至還讓兩隻老鼠逃走，蓓克老師無可奈何地改變方針，她指派給荷林的新工作是－乖乖坐好讀莎士比亞的劇本。原本以為又是另一件苦差事的荷林，卻意外地在一齣齣喜劇與悲劇中找到自己的人生。

本作獲2008年紐伯瑞銀牌獎肯定，描述1967年越戰期間，七年級男孩荷林，與一家之主尊嚴至上的建築商父親、倍感壓力的家庭主婦母親以及叛逆期的姊姊，緊張兮兮的原生家庭，加上受戰爭影響，社會風氣感染著校園生活，原本壓抑的青春卻因為閱讀莎士比亞而開出了不同的花朵，從威尼斯商人、暴風雨、馬克白、羅密歐與茱麗葉、凱撒大帝、哈姆雷特到無事生非，讀者除了能與荷林一同成長，也能一窺莎翁創作對文學的影響。

Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood isn't happy. He is sure his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. Holling's domineering father is obsessed with his business image and disregards his family. Throughout the school year, Holling strives to get a handle on the Shakespeare plays Mrs. Baker assigns him to read on his own time, and to figure out the enigmatic Mrs. Baker. As the Vietnam War turns lives upside down, Holling comes to admire and respect both Shakespeare and Mrs. Baker, who have more to offer him than he imagined. And when his family is on the verge of coming apart, he also discovers his loyalty to his sister, and his ability to stand up to his father when it matters most.