Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Author: R. J. Palacio
Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 61954
Description: Ten-year-old Auggie, born with extreme facial abnormalities, must struggle with the taunting and fear of classmates as he enters a private school in Manhattan in an attempt to live a normal life.
Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It!
Why I Read It: Great cover and multiple requests from customers. I read 365 Days of Wonder first so I needed to read this book too.
Lori's Notes: This book was fantastic. August Pullman is a normal kid, except for his face. August was born with a severe facial deformity, and because of all the surgeries this required August was home schooled. Now that he is 10, Auggie is enrolled in Beecher Prep Academy. Nervous at first Auggie makes friends with Jack Will and Summer but kids can be cruel and everyone isn't as able to see past Auggie's exterior to the smart and funny kid he is inside. Kids like Julian who tease Auggie and try to turn the kids against him and Jack. But, everyone has a story and this book doesn't just focus on Auggie, but many of the different characters - his sister Via, her boyfriend Justin, and her friend Miranda, Auggie's friends Jack and Summer, and even bully Julian. I loved how this book focused on different people and talked about some of the events from multiple perspectives. You can see the reasons for some of the changes in behaviour between some of the characters - why Miranda and Via drift apart, why Julian has a hard time accepting August, etc. A big part of the novel is about acceptance - of oneself and of others, but also understanding the changes that take place between friends at school - how we drift apart and come back together. I also really liked the depiction of Auggie's parents - they're flawed but loving. As well as the English teacher Mr. Browne - the precepts in this book are a great conversation starter as they will mean different things to different people. I highly recommend this novel for all middle schools to have in their collections. It would be a fantastic read aloud but be warned - I couldn't get through the novel without crying - but in a good way.
Recommended Readers: I would recommend this book to any school for purchase - elementary or secondary. The story is fantastic and relatable no matter what age of the reader. I also would recommend this title to any adult readers who like a good story. This book should be part of every library collection and a read-aloud to all middle school students. This is also a great novel for curriculum study.
Themes: Character, Self-Acceptance and the Acceptance of Others, Genetic Mutation, Physical Deformities, Bullying and the Bully Transformation, Friendship, Personal Ethics, Coming of Age, Family, Seeing Beyond Appearances, Empathy, Resiliency, Sibling Relationships, Teachers
Cross-Genre Links:
Music: You are so Beautiful performed by Joe Cocker
Music: Beautiful performed by Christina Aguilera
Movie: Mask (1985)
Weblink: Precepts
Inquiries and Activities:
- What are precepts? Do you have a precept that you live by? What is it? Why do you like it? What does it mean to you?
- Create your own precept and explain what it means to you.
- How does Auggie adapt to going to school? What is resilience? Write a paragraph about how you or someone you know is resilient?
- Why does Summer go and sit with Auggie on the first day of school? Would you be like Summer?
- What happens when people look beyond Auggie's appearance?
- How does "the war" change after the school trip? What happens when the bullies become allies?
- Did you have empathy for Julian during the story? Did your opinion of Julian change after reading his section?
- How can you make your school a place that accepts everyone?
- Create a simple image of yourself like the cover of Wonder.
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