Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Wonder
by R. J. PalacioYou can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
“My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”
August Pullman wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things. He eats ice cream. He plays on his Xbox. He feels ordinary—inside.
But Auggie is far from ordinary. Ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids don’t get stared at wherever they go.
Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school—and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted—but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?
Narrated by Auggie and the people around him whose lives he touches forever, Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Vivian rated it ★★★★ and said, “This is the kind of story you don’t want to put down. It is a page-turner. It hurts. Bad. It informs. It inspires. It’s real.”
Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said, “I put off reading this for quite a while, because I thought it would be too difficult emotionally for me. However, while there are parts that are difficult, the overall story it quite triumphant and uplifting. Auggie is fantastic, and I think this story has some of the best parents I’ve ever read. I also loved the sister, and her all-too-human struggles. I thought all the children were quite well done. The author did a great job at differentiating between the various narratives and voices within the book. I did think things wrapped up a bit too conveniently at the ending, but overall this is an excellent story. This is a great one for middle school kids, to help them with empathy. Its a great one for adults as well! We all need more empathy! I loved the theme of kindness throughout the book. Highly Recommended!”
Lorna rated it ★★★★★ and said, “This debut novel is a ‘wonder’. It’s about much more than friendship and getting through middle school although those are important themes in the book. Very heart-warming and thought provoking. You will cheer for Auggie!”
