"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

September 17, 2017
Wonder 
Author & Illustrator: R.J Palacio
Genre: Realistic fiction
Award: Bluebonnet nominee
Grade level: 3rd to 6th grade

“When given the choice between being right or bring kind, choose kind.” 

The Wonder books starts with the introduction of a young boy called August ‘Auggie’ Pullman who is born with a rare condition, Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS). Due to this, he is challenged with many difficulties that other kids are not exposed to. He is homeschooled by his mother, Isabel, until he is about to reach fifth grade. Isabel insists that Auggie should go to school with the other kids as she thinks that he can learn more from school than from home. This upsets Auggie and he initially rejects the idea of school. His father, Nate, too sides with Auggie. But after a long conversation during a drive home, Auggie finally agrees to meet the school principal Mr. Tushman but still wary of the idea of going to school. He comes at ease with his decision when he finally meets Mr. Tushman who introduces him to Charlotte, Julian and Jack Will who assures him that school is a fun place to be. This is when Auggie’s journey of facing his fears begins. Through his journey he learns how to deal with challenges and overcome them with kindness. The book covers different perspectives of Auggie, not just his own. Other characters such as Via, Jack, Summer, Justin and Miranda all try to understand Auggie through the lens of their own lives and problems. They all play important parts in Auggie’s life but also narrates the story about their own lives from their individual perspectives. The book describes different problems faced by different characters, each problem weighing as much as the other. You can’t help but empathise with these characters and really related to what they are going through. Without giving much away, this book teaches us about love, kindness, friendships and relationships, and that they should always be cherished and embraced! 

Thoughts: 

This book was just mesmerising. Though Auggie is the main character in the story, you can’t help but love Jack and Summer who accepts and embraces Auggie for who he is, not caring about their status in school. When Via questions her love for Auggie we see the turmoil she goes through. She knows that it is wrong for her to blame Auggie for her problems but cannot help it. It is the process by which she learns to overcome these thoughts that makes her character so beautiful and strong. This book is ideal to teach students from kindergarten to higher grades as it educates them that being something out of ordinary is not a bad thing at all. Everyone is unique with their own perspectives and problems.