Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Wonder by R.J. Palacio, was on my list of books to read for a very long time. It was a book that I knew a little bit about, but when the movie came out I was having some second thoughts about reading it. I ended up not seeing the movie, either. I did however, recently finish reading the book.
When I first started reading Wonder, I wasn't sure what to think. I liked the idea and the concept of the book, but the way that the book was structured made it a little difficult for me to read on my own time. With that being said, there were plenty of parts where I felt touched by and connected to the characters in the book.
The book Wonder is about a boy named August (Auggie) Pullman. He is a boy who was born with a rare defect that has caused him to have to undergo multiple surgeries on his face. Due to this, his parents had thought that it would of been best if he had been homeschooled, up until now. This school year, August is going into fifth grade and his parents feel that it is time for him to attend school with other children his age. So, August sets off to start school for the first time in his life, at Beecher Prep Middle School. Throughout the book, we are introduced to Auggie and the different people that he has interactions and even altercations with. We meet Olivia (Via), his sister, who is starting high school and is very protective of her little brother. We also meet Summer, who becomes one of August's very good friend and who eats lunch with him everyday. Jack Wills is one of the students (along with Charlotte and Julian) who is tasked with helping out August through the school year and are invited by the principal, Mr. Tushman, to show August around the school towards the end of summer vacation.
August deals with typical middle school issues, such as kids talking about you behind your back, making fun of you, teasing you, etc. Many of the other students are scared of him because of the way that he appears. At one point, he overhears Jack talking about him to his other friends and Jack is saying some mean things about how Mr. Tushman made him hang out with August and that he isn't really friends with him. This upsets Auggie, naturally, and he doesn't want to return to school. Fortunately, his sister talks him into giving it one more chance.
As the book goes on, we hear from other characters such as Via's boyfriend and how he felt about meeting Auggie for the first time. One big event that takes place in the book is when Jack punches Julian in the face for making fun of August. Jack reaches out to August about the incident and they are able to settle their differences. This event starts a division between the students and Jack ends up losing a lot of the "friends" he once had. Some students were on Jacks side, others were on Julians side, and then there were a few who were considered neutral and didn't really have an opinion about the incident. We also hear from Jack's perspective again on why he made the choices that he did during the beginning of the school year in regards to August. Once Jack and August get paired on a science project, Jack begins to realize that August is a kid just like him. Their friendship becomes even stronger after an incident occurs while on the fifth grade nature trip. While trying to find a spot in the woods to go to the bathroom, August and Jack run into a group of seventh graders from another school. They see August and immediately start picking on him. Jack stands up for August (along with Amos, Miles, and Henry). These students stand up for Auggie and protect him. This is a big moment for August and it really seems to me a memorable event in his eyes.
The book ends by going through the graduation ceremonies for the students. Mr. Tushman gives a long speech about kindness and how it is important to show just a little bit everyday to whomever you can. August is such a studios child that he ends up getting recognized for his grades. Then, he also gets a very special award that is in honor of the founder of the school and his ability to spread kindness and to change lives with that kindness daily. August wins this very special award and receives his very own standing ovation.
I really recommend this book if you want to feel connected to what you are reading and its characters. It is a book that really makes it easy to find connections between your own experiences and the ones that August is going through. It will make you fell so many different emotions. You laugh, cry, and even get angry at some of the actions that some of the characters are taking. It is a book that is full of surprises and wonder.
When I first started reading Wonder, I wasn't sure what to think. I liked the idea and the concept of the book, but the way that the book was structured made it a little difficult for me to read on my own time. With that being said, there were plenty of parts where I felt touched by and connected to the characters in the book.
The book Wonder is about a boy named August (Auggie) Pullman. He is a boy who was born with a rare defect that has caused him to have to undergo multiple surgeries on his face. Due to this, his parents had thought that it would of been best if he had been homeschooled, up until now. This school year, August is going into fifth grade and his parents feel that it is time for him to attend school with other children his age. So, August sets off to start school for the first time in his life, at Beecher Prep Middle School. Throughout the book, we are introduced to Auggie and the different people that he has interactions and even altercations with. We meet Olivia (Via), his sister, who is starting high school and is very protective of her little brother. We also meet Summer, who becomes one of August's very good friend and who eats lunch with him everyday. Jack Wills is one of the students (along with Charlotte and Julian) who is tasked with helping out August through the school year and are invited by the principal, Mr. Tushman, to show August around the school towards the end of summer vacation.
August deals with typical middle school issues, such as kids talking about you behind your back, making fun of you, teasing you, etc. Many of the other students are scared of him because of the way that he appears. At one point, he overhears Jack talking about him to his other friends and Jack is saying some mean things about how Mr. Tushman made him hang out with August and that he isn't really friends with him. This upsets Auggie, naturally, and he doesn't want to return to school. Fortunately, his sister talks him into giving it one more chance.
As the book goes on, we hear from other characters such as Via's boyfriend and how he felt about meeting Auggie for the first time. One big event that takes place in the book is when Jack punches Julian in the face for making fun of August. Jack reaches out to August about the incident and they are able to settle their differences. This event starts a division between the students and Jack ends up losing a lot of the "friends" he once had. Some students were on Jacks side, others were on Julians side, and then there were a few who were considered neutral and didn't really have an opinion about the incident. We also hear from Jack's perspective again on why he made the choices that he did during the beginning of the school year in regards to August. Once Jack and August get paired on a science project, Jack begins to realize that August is a kid just like him. Their friendship becomes even stronger after an incident occurs while on the fifth grade nature trip. While trying to find a spot in the woods to go to the bathroom, August and Jack run into a group of seventh graders from another school. They see August and immediately start picking on him. Jack stands up for August (along with Amos, Miles, and Henry). These students stand up for Auggie and protect him. This is a big moment for August and it really seems to me a memorable event in his eyes.
The book ends by going through the graduation ceremonies for the students. Mr. Tushman gives a long speech about kindness and how it is important to show just a little bit everyday to whomever you can. August is such a studios child that he ends up getting recognized for his grades. Then, he also gets a very special award that is in honor of the founder of the school and his ability to spread kindness and to change lives with that kindness daily. August wins this very special award and receives his very own standing ovation.
I really recommend this book if you want to feel connected to what you are reading and its characters. It is a book that really makes it easy to find connections between your own experiences and the ones that August is going through. It will make you fell so many different emotions. You laugh, cry, and even get angry at some of the actions that some of the characters are taking. It is a book that is full of surprises and wonder.
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