Hey, the truth is, if a wookie started going to school all of a sudden, I’d be curious, I’d probably stare a bit! And if I was walking with Jack or Summer, I’d probably whisper to them: Hey, there’s the wookie. It’s okay, I know I’m weird-looking, take a look, I don’t bite. Auggie’s smart, funny personality will win over readers who will agonize with him over the complicated web of friendships and family even as they cheer for him as he learns some of life’s big and scary lessons. With the matter-of-fact wisdom that warmed Beverly Cleary’s books, this story about growing up is full of heart and humor, and written with a clear-eyed intelligence that never descends into cynicism. In addition, he also has a severe facial deformity that stops strangers in their tracks, so all the usual perils of the fifth grade take on even more heightened stakes. 10-year-old Auggie is going to school for the first time in his life, and he has to navigate new rules, learn to interact with teachers, and figure out how to make new friends. If you remember how terrifying it was to be a kid on a day to day basis, you’ll appreciate August’s story. It’s an upbeat, humorous, life-affirming story that deserves to be read-and it’s one that may just change its readers, too. Wonder is one of those rare books that makes you want to hug everyone in it so tightly that they’ll have no doubt about how much you love them…and beyond that, it also makes you want to reach out and hug the whole world. Join the conversation: #thewonderofwonder Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” -indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. “Wonder is the best kids’ book of the year,” said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at and author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.

Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid-but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.Īugust Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio