"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

Author R.J. Palacio and eighth grade fan, Michelle

In Wonder by R. J. Palacio, August Pullman is not only beginning his first year of middle school, but his first year of any kind of public schooling. This transition is difficult for any child, but it is especially difficult for Auggie. While he is viewed as a wonder in the medical community due to the genetic abnormalities that he was born with, the rest of the world views him as a frightening "freak." With the amazing support of his parents and older sister as he takes the risky step of enrolling in Beecher Prep, Auggie pursues his dream of being seen by others as the normal kid that he knows he is on the inside. Rich with heartbreaking challenges and heartwarming triumphs, Wonder shows us all the value of kindness and the possibility for growth that lies within every person.

This book is so beautifully done that I think I would have a hard time finding students who would not enjoy it. As a character, Auggie is incredibly perceptive, honest, funny, smart, and sensitive. Palacio pulls you into his world so brilliantly that from the very first page, you find yourself rooting for Auggie and wanting only the best for him. Indeed, one of the richest components of the book is its character exploration, which Palacio carries out primarily by alternating the narrators. We start with Auggie, but then get Via (his sister), Summer (his lunch table buddy and true friend), Jack (his friend who deeply disappoints and then makes up for it), Justin (his sister's boyfriend), and Miranda (his sister's former friend). By using all of these characters as narrators in different parts of the book, readers get direct insight into the minds and motives of all of the characters. Consequently, in seeing each character's perspective so vividly, the readers begin to understand the humanity that lies in all people, even if it may not seem to be there at the surface. This underlines one of the major themes of the book: appearances are not always true or even the most important. Given that Palacio uses this narrative style for Wonder, I think it would be extremely beneficial and also educational for students to practice their own writing by offering perspectives from some of the other characters who are not given the chance to narrate (ie Auggie's parents, Julian, Mr. Tushman, etc). This would demonstrate to us as teachers whether students really understand how to explore and analyze character, as well as if they understand the purposes behind narration.

In terms of the adolescent content of the book, the themes around conformity, peer pressure, and taking responsibility for the impact that you have on others are all presented in a fairly obvious way that students would easily recognize and be able to analyze.  I highly, highly recommend this book and I think there are a lot of creative directions you can go in with regards to activities and assignments that students would actually enjoy doing (ie. self-portraits in the forms of animals, costuming (since August is super into masking his identity and seeming normal)).