Book Summary: This is the story of August (Auggie) who,
due to his significant facial deformation, has always been home-schooled. “Normal” in every other way, his loving
family has now decided that it is time for him to attend public school for the
very first time. The book follows
Auggie’s experiences as the kid at school who is “different”. The story is told from several perspectives
of the different characters. Readers
watch as Auggie tries to experience as normal of a childhood as possible,
through new friendships and different school experiences. Wonder also
strongly touches on the topic of bullying as we see Auggie suffer at the hands
(and words) of his classmates for his differences.
APA Reference of
Book:
Palacio, R.J. (2012). Wonder.
New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf.
Impressions: This
is a story for anyone who has every felt different than others in some
way. This is a story for the
underdog. This is a story for anyone who
has suffered pain caused by others. This
is a story of resilience. While not
every reader will have experienced the exact same pain and loneliness that
Auggie has suffered, most readers will be able to relate to the feeling of
differentness. The theme of friendship
seen throughout the book is one readers will enjoy to. The target audience of upper elementary and
middle school readers, will be able to relate to the life decisions of doing
what is popular or doing what is right.
Those decisions are so common at this age and this book shows the
consequences of doing the popular choice and the benefits and struggles that
come with doing what is right.
Wonder is a terrific
piece of realistic fiction for many of the reasons above. Many readers will have experienced the pain
of feeling outcast from their friends for some reason or another, and therefore
they will find something in Auggie’s story that they can relate to. The situation might be different, but you
will find stories like this in any elementary school or middle school in the
nation. You will find kids standing up
for what they believe in and kids giving in to peer pressure. This is an excellent portrayal of
adolescence. The fact that it is told
from so many perspectives also allows readers the opportunity to relate to more
than one character.
Professional Review:
New York Times Sunday
Book Review:
Born
with several genetic abnormalities, 10-year-old August Pullman, called Auggie,
dreams of being “ordinary.” Inside, he knows he’s like every other kid, but
even after 27 surgeries, the central character of “Wonder” bears facial
disfigurations so pronounced that people who see him for the first time do
“that look-away thing” — if they manage to hide their shock and horror.
“Whatever
you’re thinking, it’s probably worse,” he says of his face as the book begins.
He’s used to the stares and mean comments, but he’s still terrified to learn
that his parents have gotten him into middle school at Beecher Prep and want
him to go there rather than be home-schooled. But they persuade him to give it
a try — and by the time this rich and memorable first novel by R. J. Palacio is
over, it’s not just Auggie but everyone around him who has changed.
Stories
about unusual children who long to fit in can be particularly wrenching. At
their core lurks a kind of loneliness that stirs primal fears of abandonment
and isolation. But Palacio gives Auggie a counterweight to his problems: He has
the kind of warm and loving family many “normal” children lack. Among their —
and the book’s — many strengths, the Pullmans share the, um, earthy sense of
humor that all kids love. Over the years his parents, Nate and Isabel, have
turned the disturbing story of Auggie’s birth into high comedy involving a
flatulent nurse who fainted at the sight of him, and they persuade him to go to
Beecher by riffing hilariously on the name of the school’s director, Mr.
Tushman. It also helps that the Pullmans’ world — they live in a town house in
“the hippie-stroller capital of upper Upper Manhattan” — is the privileged,
educated upper-middle class, that hotbed of parents who hover and micromanage
the lives of their perfectly fine children. It’s somehow weirdly satisfying to
see what happens when something actually alarming enters this zone of needless
anxiety. Palacio carves a wise and refreshing path, suggesting that while even
a kid like August has to be set free to experience the struggles of life, the
right type of closeness between parents and children is a transformative force
for good.
But
it’s Auggie and the rest of the children who are the real heart of “Wonder,”
and Palacio captures the voices of girls and boys, fifth graders and teenagers,
with equal skill, switching narrators every few chapters to include Auggie’s
friends and his teenage sister, Via, who wrestles with her resentment, guilt
and concern. “We circle around him like he’s still the baby he used to be,” she
observes ruefully. And we see the vicious politics of fifth-grade popularity
played out as the class bully targets Auggie and starts a campaign to shun him,
culminating in an overnight school trip that turns scary and shuffles the
social deck in ways no one could have imagined.
While
I sobbed several times during “Wonder,” my 9-year-old daughter — who loved the
book and has been pressing it on her friends — remained dry-eyed. She didn’t
understand why I thought Auggie’s situation might upset her. “I like kids who
are different,” she said. I realized that what makes her cry are stories in
which children suffer because they have missing or neglectful parents and no
one to take care of them. Perhaps Palacio’s most remarkable trick is leaving us
with the impression that Auggie’s problems are surmountable in all the ways
that count — that he is, in fact, in an enviable position.
Source: Russo, M. (2012). Facing
up to it [Review of the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio].
New York
Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/books/review/wonder-by-r-j-palacio.html?_r=0
Library Uses: In order to use a book like Wonder in a library setting, this might
need to be a broader study on realistic fiction. The students could choose a piece of
realistic fiction from a pre-determined list.
They could either read different books, or work with a small group or
partners. This would have to be targeted
to upper elementary or middle school students.
With this age in mind, students could complete a book trailer about
their book using a program of their choice.
They could advertise their book to the class once completed. This project would have take place over the
course of several library sessions.
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