111745030 a Novel Study for Wonder by RJ Palacio Created by Jean Martin

Created by Jean Martin, [email protected] (revised 10/11/13)

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This is a ready-to-use, 51 page packet designed for teachers to use with students in grades 5-8 who are reading Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. It includes a 25 page student workbook, and a separate answer key in addition to optional vocabulary bookmarks and a list of extension topics and websites for both students and teachers. The student workbook divides the text into seven reading assignments of about 40 pages each. With each assignment are 3-4 pages of activities to go along with the text. They include vocabulary reinforcement, recognizing literary crafts such as similes & metaphors, plot & setting, understanding authors purpose, recognizing point-of-view, explaining ones thinking, clarifying, demonstrating comprehension, and identifying character traits. The workbook gives students essential practice in constructing written responses. It is designed for independent work thus allowing students to have directed work while the teacher is working on small group or individual instruction. Also, the teacher could use this as a guide for a parent or an aide as they direct a student book club or conduct small group discussions of the book. Questions and tasks in the workbook are intended to prompt high level thinking and quality group discussions.

Wonder in a Nutshell:

Published in 2012, this book is R.J. Palacios first novel and it is truly a wonder! Ten year old August was born with rare facial deformities that have

caused his life to be anything but ordinary.and ordinary is what he wishes for more than anything. Auggie feels ordinary on the inside, but he is constantly

reminded of his flaws by how people respond when they see him. August displays

remarkable understanding toward those who make him feel like a monster and he

shows us the bravery it takes to face the world with a severe handicap. One

cannot help but want to be a better person after reading this book. This is a story

that will touch the heart of every reader.

Reading level is approximately 6th grade. Content is appropriate for ages 9-13 (and

even older!).

AWARDS:

2012 NY Times Bestseller

Kids Indie Next List Inspired Recommendations 2012 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Gold Award 2012

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Want to Dig a Little Deeper?

Extensions for Students: Subjects that would be great for digging a little deeper into the story might

include researching some of the quotations that appeared at the beginning of each

Part of the book. A student could bring in a recording of the song a quote came

from (or the poem or play) or research the recording artist or playwright. Another

possibility might be to share which quote was the favorite one or why it might

have appeared at the beginning of that particular section.

MUSIC: Music was big in the life of many of the characters in the book. Most of the quotations were from songs by these artists:

Natalie Merchants Wonder David Bowies Space Oddity

Christine Aguileras Beautiful Andains Beautiful Things

Eurythmics Beautiful Child

LITERATURE: Some of the quotations were from books or plays:

Shakespeare, Hamlet

Bernard Pomerance, The Elephant Man

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Extensions for Teachers: www.rjpalacio.com : information about the author, additional questions to use in

the classroom; book reviews; comments from the author about some of the

characters that appear in Wonder.

http://choosekind.tumblr.com/: more information about the book and the author.

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Student _________________________

WONDER

As you read, keep track of words that are new or unusual (or words that you think might be new to students in your book club). Write them on the lines below and be sure to include the page number that you found them on so that you can relocate them if you need to. Continue on the back if you run out of space.

word pg # __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student _________________________ WONDER

As you read, keep track of words that are new or unusual (or words that you think might be new to students in your book club). Write them on the lines below and be sure to include the page number that you found them on so that you can relocate them if you need to. Continue on the back if you run out of space.

word pg # __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By R. J. Palacio

1

Assignment One: Read pages 1-40 (Part One: Ordinary through-The Performance Space)

Day/Date of next meeting _______________________________________

Complete all work in this assignment and bring it to your book club meeting.

Youve been introduced to several characters. Pack each of the boxes with information that you have learned about the characters named below; see how many interesting facts you can include!

August: Via:

MOM:

Julian Albans:

DAD:

Jack Will:

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Assignment One, pages 1-40, continued

Setting The setting of a book includes both the location of the story and the time period when it takes place. Show what you know about the setting so far by filling the circles below with words that answer the questions:

1. In the first chapter we read, The only reason Im not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way. Tell who is talking and explain the meaning of this statement in a short paragraph, using examples from the story. _________________________________________________________________

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2. Describe one thing that happened to August that you think would be especially difficult to experience. _________________________________________________________________

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VOCABULARY PRACTICE Below are a few quotations from the reading. Define each word or phrase in bold letters. 1. I am pretty much totally and completely petrified. (p.4) ______________________________

2. They told Mom and Dad I had a cleft palate. (p.6)__________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. They called it small anomalies. (p6)_____________________________________________

4. Im not exaggerating when I say this (p20) _____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5. my heart literally started beating like Id just run the longest race in the world. (p20)

______________________________________________________________________________

Good readers should always make pictures in their minds of what they are reading. In the space below, draw something from the reading assignment that you could visualize well. Include a caption to identify your illustration.

CAPTION: _________________________________________________________________

4

Assignment Two: Read pages 41-80 (Part One: Around the Room -through-Names)



POINT-OF-VIEW: Who is Telling the Story?

When we talk about how an author tells a story, we are referring to POINT-OF-

VIEW. There are three main ways that an author can choose to tell a story.

1) Sometimes an author uses the first person point-of-view to tell the story.

Here the story is told by one of the characters in the story and the pronoun I is used

by the storyteller as he or she tells the story.

2) Once in awhile an author uses the second person point-of-view. Second

person refers to the fact that someone who is not actually a character in the story is

being told the story. The narrator uses the word you as the story is told to that

person.

3) Often an author tells a story in the third person point-of-view which means

that the story is being told by a narrator who tells the reader what the characters

are thinking, feeling, and doing. This is probably the most common point-of-view.

Answer & discuss with your literature group: What point-of-view does R.J. Palacio use to tell this story? ______________________________________________________________

How did you decide that? Use examples from the book to support your opinion and share these with your book group: ______________________________________________________________

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Assignment Two, pages 41-80, continued

Write two questions to ask your group at your next meeting. Try to make them OPINION questions, such as Why do you think, or How did you feel when, or What would you do if. Write your own answers in parenthesis after each question.

1)____________________________________________________________

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2)____________________________________________________________

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VOCABULARY PRACTICE For each vocabulary word on the left, circle the best definition on

the right according to the context where it was found in the book.

VOCABULARY POSSIBLE DEFINITIONS

apprentice (p. 43)

motivate (p.46) to wave ones arm in a signal

to make someone

enthusiastic about

doing something

to change directions

without warning

precept (p. 46)

contagious (p. 61) courageous ugly, disgusting likely to spread to someone else

mortality (p. 65)

aversion (p. 70) strong dislike upside down a rough surface

elective (p.71)

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Sometimes an author doesnt come right out and tell us how a character feels, but instead lets us figure it out by reading carefully and putting ourselves in the characters shoes. That is, the author is allowing us to infer or make inferences about how the character probably feels.

1. On the first day of school, Ms. Petosa asked each student to share two things you want other people to know about you. What things did August share and why do you think he chose those?

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What questions did Julian ask August and why did Auggie want to slide under the desk? (p.43) What other questions did Julian ask him? Why do you think Julian asked those questions?

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2. Mr. Browne was Augusts ______________ teacher. He introduced a new precept to the class each month and each student was to write that months precept in their notebook. Writing down the first precept made August realize that I was going to like school. No matter what.

(p48). Why do you think August feels that way? Explain.

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3. In the chapter, One to Ten, August is feeling mad at his mother but hes not sure why.(p 55) Reread that section of the story; then put yourself in his shoes and see if you can figure out why he is mad. Explain your thoughts. _________________________________________________________________

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4. For Halloween, August had planned to dress as Boba Fett, but at the last minute he decided to wear his old Bleeding Scream costume. Explain how this decision ended up affecting August.

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Assignment Three: Read pages 81-117 (Part Two: Via)



VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Directions: The words in the box all appeared in your reading assignment. Decide which of these words can be used to replace the word or phrase in bold in the sentences below. Write it on the line next to the sentence where it belongs. Spelling counts!

splay fashionista celestial mischievous inappropriate pettiness

flabbergasted nauseous catastrophe bizarre sarcastic meticulously

1. Angels are heavenly beings. ___________________________________________________

2. Augusts teeth are small and spread far apart. ______________________________________

3. Grans felt unusually sick to her stomach so went to the hospital.________________________

4. Miranda surprised Via with her surprisingly odd choice of pink hair._____________________

5. Via considered her mother to be a very stylish woman in her younger years._______________

6. Being ignored by her friends made Via feel spitefulness toward them. ___________________

7. Via noticed that when Auggie was in a teasing mood, his mouth went straight. ______________

8. When Via asked Auggie if the kids had been mean, he replied, Why would kids be mean to

me? in a mocking voice. ________________________________________________________

9. Looking in the mirror, Auggie carefully worked to get his hair just right. __________________

10. The Halloween party turned out to be a disaster for August. __________________________

11. Jacks badly chosen response to Julians question hurt Auggies feelings. _________________

12. Via was stunned when she learned that Miranda had called to talk to Auggie and not to her.

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Assignment Three, pages 81-117, continued

1. How is the point-of-view in Part Two different from what you found in Part One? _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

2. A simile is a writing craft that uses either the word like or as to compare two different things in order to provide better understanding. Below are some similes found in this assignment. Locate each one in your reading and read the sentences around it to better understand the context. Then, complete the chart below with your interpretationthe first one is done for you as an example.

3. Like a simile, a metaphor is a comparison between two things. However, a metaphor does NOT use either like or as to compare those things. Instead, a metaphor says one thing IS another thing. Study the example below and complete the chart.

simile pg interpretation

And suddenly there I was, like all those people who would stare

or look away.

86 Via realized that after being away from August she now was shocked to see his appearance and she couldnt help but be

repulsed by what she saw.

I held on to that secret and let it cover me like a blanket.

87

his features look like theyve been melted, like the drippings on

the side of a candle.

88

we circle around him like hes still the baby he used to be.

90

metaphor pg interpretation

August is the sun. 82 August is the center of attention just like the sun is the center of the universe.

Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the sun.

82

family and friends are asteroids and comets

82

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In Assignment Two, Auggie described what his first Halloween at school was like (p 73-80). In Assignment Three, Via talked about that same Halloween in the chapters called October 31 and Trick or Treat (p 109-117). Even though it was the same topic, the information given by Via was not always the same as that given by Auggie.

Review the two selections above before responding to the questions below.

1. What details did you learn from Via that you did not already know about from reading Auggies description? List at least three.

2. What details did you learn from Auggie that Via did not tell you about? List at least three.

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Pause and Reflect As you read Assignment 3, you learned a lot about what it would be like to live with a sibling like August. In what ways did having August for a brother affect Vias life? (Include examples from the text.) How do you think it would change your life if August were your brother? Write your responses in two separate paragraphs below. _________________________________________________________________

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Assignment Four: Read pages 118-159 (Part Three: Summer and Part Four through Seasons Greetings)



QUOTATIONS: The words a character speaks can give the reader important information about the characters, the plot, or the theme of the story. Find three places in this assignment where you learned important or helpful information from something a character said. Write a quotation in each speech bubble (remember to use quotation marks) and next to that write which character said it. Then write why you think this is an important quotation; what information does it give the reader?

Character speaking: _____________________________

This tells me __________________________________

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Character speaking:________________________

This tells me___________________________________

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Character speaking: ____________________________

This tells me___________________________________

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Assignment Four, pages 118-159, continued

A Character Trait is a word that describes a characters personality or actions . Some adjectives that might refer to a characters traits are greedy, selfish, kind, thoughtful, funny, sly, trustworthy, reliable, unreliable, impulsive, sarcastic, and meticulous (plus many more). Directions to complete the chart below:

1. Write the name of the character whose point-of-view is presented in Part Three. 2. Think of two words that identify traits that you feel the character demonstrated and write

one in each trait box. 3. Give TWO pieces of evidence from the text that you think demonstrate each of those traits

(this could be the characters words, thoughts, or actions that show that trait.

CHARACTER:

trait _______________________

EVIDENCE ________________________________________________________________________________________

EVIDENCE ___________

___________

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trait ____________________

EVIDENCE ____________

____________

____________

____________

____________

____________

EVIDENCE ______________

______________

______________

______________

______________

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______________

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1. Describe Summers reaction when she learned that Julian liked her and wanted to talk to her.

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2. Describe Jacks initial reaction to Mr. Tushmans request that he help out with the new student.

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3. What made Jack decide to say yes to Mr. Tushmans request?

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4. Jack found and fixed-up a sled which he proudly named Lightning. Describe what Jack later learned about this sled and how his feelings toward it changed. _________________________________________________________________

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Assignment Five: Read pages 160-204 (Part Four: Letters, Emails through Part Five: The Universe)



When we read, we understand and picture what we are reading more easily if we can find

some similarities between what is happening in the story and what has happened in our own

life. This is called Making Connections. Describe one connection that you have made between something that has happened in the book so far with something in your own life.

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WRITING CRAFT REVIEW

Earlier in this packet (p.9) you read and interpreted similes and metaphors. Below are some

more examples of those writing crafts found in this assignment. Identify each one by writing

simile or metaphor on the line after each sentence.

Jack crosses the street like nothing happened (p.197) _________________________

He shakes his head like Im hopeless. (p.198) _________________________________

Youve always acted like you dont even know her. (p.202) ________________________

shes a little lost bird looking for its nest. (p.203)____________________________

I give her my wing to hide under. (p.203)___________________________________________

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Assignment Five, pages 160-204, continued

Mrs. Albans (Julians mother) and Mr. Tushman expressed different opinions on whether or not August should be attending Beecher Prep. Carefully review the letters written by them (and you may use any other helpful information from the book) and then summarize their opinions. Then, state and explain your own opinion in the bottom box. QUESTION: SHOULD AUGUST HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO BEECHER PREP?

My Opinion:

My Self Portrait:

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1. In the chapter called Rehearsal, Miranda asked Justin, So, youre okay with it? Justin looked at her and wondered what she meant. What do you think she meant by that question? _________________________________________________________________

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2. In the chapter titled Bird, Via states that she is an awful person. Why do you think she feels that way? _________________________________________________________________

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3. The chapter called Valentines Day ends with Justin telling us that by the time he went home, my tics have all stopped. What are tics and why do you think they have stopped? _________________________________________________________________

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4. In what ways is Part Five different from the other Parts in the book?

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VOCABULARY PUZZLE

1 2 3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10 11

12

13

14

15

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www.CrosswordWeaver.com

ACROSS

4 very small models of something

6 someone who pretends to have admirable principles or feelings but behaves in a different way

7 muscle twitches often brought on by stress

9 punishment given by a court to someone convicted of a crime

12 uncontrollably

13 old fashioned knee-length pants worn by boys

14 gives somebody an acceptable reason or excuse for doing something

15 in a mocking way 16 mathematical formulas

that can be proven

DOWN

1 overexcited 2 so worried about

someone's safety that you prevent them from being independent

3 stringed instrument from the violin family

4 a long speech given by one actor

5 taking no sides in a dispute or controversy

8 absolutely clean; extremely neat

10 cajun dance music 11 treated rudely or without

respect

WORD BANK: justifies (161), dissed (168), neutral (173), hypocrite (175), sarcastically (176), miniatures (180), fiddle (184), zydeco (184), hysterically (185), tics (190), immaculate (188), overprotective (192), manic (193), knickers (196), monologue (200), theorems (204), sentence (204)

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Assignment Six: Read pages 205-248

(Part Six and Part Seven)



Reading Skill: Clarify

Good readers need to stop and clarify when they read expressions that are new or unusual. Below are some interesting expressions and statements found in this assignment. Look at the context where each one is found and think about what the expression or statement means. Then, in your own words, explain its meaning. 1. All those eyes are compasses, and Im like the North Pole to them. (p 206) _________________________________________________________________

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2. I guess its true that like seeks like, said Mom. (p 207)

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3. I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives. (p 231) _________________________________________________________________

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4. That, I admit, was a little bittersweet for me.(p 246)

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Assignment Six, pages 205-248, continued

VOCABULARY

Below are some challenging or unusual words that appeared in this reading assignment (along with the page number where they can be found). Find them in the text and determine their meaning; you may use a dictionary or online resource to help you if needed. Create your own sentence using that word showing you understand the meaning of the word and can use it appropriately. 1. impressions (p211)___________________________________________________

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2. taciturn (p216)____________________________________________________

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3. bionic (p216)______________________________________________________

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4. understudy (p229)_________________________________________________

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5. ovation (p231)_____________________________________________________

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6. et cetera (p237)___________________________________________________

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7. badmouthed (p239)_________________________________________________

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8. prude (p239)_____________________________________________________

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9. mayhem (p246)___________________________________________________

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Assignment Six, pages 205-248, continued

The definition of a hero is a person who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an

admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character.

Now that you have read so much of the book, you should be able to identify characters that fit the definition above of a hero. Who do you think has shown special courage, bravery, or strength of character? Select two characters from the

story that you would consider to be heroes (or heroines). Write a paragraph about each one. Identify the character and explain why you would consider him or her to

be a hero or heroine. Use examples from the text.

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Assignment Seven: Read pages 249-END (Part Eight and Appendix)



Authors write books for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is to try to teach (or inform) the reader about something, sometimes the purpose is to entertain the reader, and sometimes it is to persuade (or convince) the reader. As you read this last section of the book, think about why R.J. Palacio wrote this book. Explain your opinion on the lines below, including some examples from the text. _________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________ Why do you think Palacio gave this book the title of WONDER? Where did it come from? What does it mean? Does it in some way reinforce her purpose for writing? _________________________________________________________________

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Assignment Seven, pages 249-END, continued

VOCABULARY Each of the words in the shaded box below appeared in this assignment. Find each one in the text and use the context to help you figure out the definitions. Write the word from the shaded box next to its definition on the right.


electrocuted (254)

compartment (254)

lightening (256)

poncho (258 )

mosquitoes (258)

rappelled (259)

concession (260)

jock (260)

brainiac (260)

venture (261)

imbeciles (277)

seismic (282)

attribution (288)

quantifiable (300)

verbosity (301)

infamous (301)

abolitionist (303)

ruminating (303)

1. getting lighter____________________________________

2. climbed by means of a rope ________________________

3. small flies that feed on the blood of animals _______________

4. person working to eliminate slavery _____________________

5. student who plays a lot of sports ______________________

6. killed by electric shock ____________________________

7. small business outlet often selling food __________________

8. recognition of the source of a quotation __________________

9. a type of raincoat made of a single large square of plastic or rubber

that slips over the head and covers clothing __________________

10. a student considered to be very smart ___________________

11. undertake a risk _________________________________

12. able to be calculated or counted _______________________

13. a section or separate part of something __________________

14. insulting word for people considered stupid _______________

15. extremely large or great ____________________________

16. use of too many words _____________________________

17. having a bad reputation _____________________________

18. thinking carefully about something ______________________

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Now that youve read the whole book, see how good you are at figuring out whos speaking in the quotations below! Choose names from the box to write on the

appropriate blanks. Names may be used more than once.

1. I did my thing of pretending not to notice. ___________________________

2. I am very proud to award the Henry Ward Beecher medal to the student whose

quiet strength has carried up the most hearts. ______________________________

3. You really are a wonder, Auggie. You are a wonder. _____________________

4. I wore that helmet all the time; I was so bummed when it got lost. __________

5. Oh, it didnt get lost. I threw it out. _________________________________

6. I can bring Baboo with me. ________________________________________

7. Mr. Davenport, Im sorry but I cant go on stage tonight.__________________

8. Why do you have that tiny braid in the back of your hair? ________________

9. Precepts are rules about really important things. ________________________

10. I wanted to be a unicorn for Halloween. ______________________________

11. Grans told me she loved me more than anyone else.____________________

12. I gave Auggie an astronaut helmet. _________________________________

13. I sit with Auggie at lunch because hes a nice kid.______________________

August Mr. Browne Miranda

Mrs. Pullman Mr. Tushman Julian

Mr. Pullman Summer Via

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Mr. Brownes Summer Assignment

Above is the assignment that Mr. Browne handed out to the class on the last

day of school. Pretend that you are one of the students in the class. On the

postcard below write the precept that you would send to Mr. Browne.

Please send me a postcard this summer with YOUR personal precept. It can be something you made up for yourself or something youve read somewhere that means something to you. (If so, dont forget the attribution, please!) I really look forward to getting them. (p.288)

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ANSWER KEY:

A Novel Study for WONDER

Assignment One: Read pages 1-40

(Part One: Ordinary through-The Performance Space)

Youve been introduced to several characters. Pack each of the boxes with information that you have learned about the characters named below; see how many interesting facts you can include!

August: 10 years old; born with rare facial deformity that made others stare at him and resulted in some children running away screaming; wished he was ordinary; going to public school for the first time;

Via: Augusts older (age 14) sister, pretty; feels August needs to be protected;

MOM: Augusts mother; beautiful. Used to be childrens book illustrator, her life seems to be devoted to Auggie now. She homeschooled him till now and she thinks hes ready for public school now.

Julian Albans: one of the kids asked by the principal to show August around before school started; seems rude.

DAD: Augusts father; handsome; only person always able to make August laugh; kind and understanding and supportive; very close to son, Auggie; talks to him a lot. Supports the idea of him going to public school.

Jack Will: voluntarily sat by August on 1st day of school when no one else would; one of the kids asked by the principal to show August around before school started

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Setting The setting of a book includes both the location of the story and the time period when it takes place. Show what you know about the setting so far by filling the circles below with words that answer the questions:

1. In the first chapter we read, The only reason Im not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way. Tell who is talking and explain the meaning of this statement in a few sentences. August Pullman is talking; he wishes he was ordinary on the outside but instead he was born with rare facial deformities which cause people to stare and consider him a pariah. He feels normal (except for all of his surgeries and except for when he looks in the mirror) and can do all the things that other ten year olds do except for looking normal. 2. Describe one thing that happened to August that you think would be especially difficult to experience. Responses will vary.

Present Day North River Heights in

Manhattan, New York

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VOCABULARY PRACTICE Below are a few quotations from the reading. Define each word or phrase in bold letters. 1. I am pretty much totally and completely petrified. (p.4) very scared

2. They told Mom and Dad I had a cleft palate. (p.6) birth defect consisting of a gap in the roof

of mouth making speech and eating difficult

3. They called it small anomalies. (p6) irregularities

4. Im not exaggerating when I say this (p20) making it sound more extreme than it is

5. my heart literally started beating like Id just run the longest race in the world. (p20)

actually; in reality; without exaggeration

______________________________________________________________________________

Good readers should always make pictures in their minds of what they are reading. In the space below, draw something from the reading assignment that you could visualize well. Include a caption to identify your illustration.

CAPTION: Responses will vary.

29

Assignment Two: Read pages 41-80 (Part One: Around the Room -to- Names)

POINT-OF-VIEW: Who is Telling the Story?

When we talk about how an author tells a story, we are referring to POINT-OF-

VIEW. There are three main ways that an author can choose to tell a story.

1) Sometimes an author uses the first person point-of-view to tell the story.

Here the story is told by one of the characters in the story and the pronoun I is used

by the storyteller as he or she tells the story.

2) Once in awhile an author uses the second person point-of-view. Second

person refers to the fact that someone who is not actually a character in the story is

being told the story. The narrator uses the word you as the story is told to that

person.

3) Often an author tells a story in the third person point-of-view which means

that the story is being told by a narrator who tells the reader what the characters

are thinking, feeling, and doing. This is probably the most common point-of-view.

Answer & discuss with your literature group: What point-of-view does R.J. Palacio use to tell this story? First person How did you decide that? Use examples from the book to support your opinion and share these with your book group: Responses may vary but should include the fact that it is being told by August.

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Write two questions to ask your group at your next meeting. Try to make them OPINION questions, such as Why do you think, or How did you feel when, or

What would you do if. Write your own answers in parenthesis after each question. Responses will vary. Students should have two open ended questions along with their own responses to the questions.

VOCABULARY PRACTICE For each vocabulary word on the left, circle the best definition on

the right according to the context where it was found in the book.

VOCABULARY POSSIBLE DEFINITIONS

apprentice (p. 43)

motivate (p.46) to wave ones arm in a signal

to make someone

enthusiastic about

doing something

to change directions

without warning

precept (p. 46)

contagious (p. 61) courageous ugly, disgusting likely to spread to someone else

mortality (p. 65)

aversion (p. 70) strong dislike upside down a rough surface

elective (p.71)

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Sometimes an author doesnt come right out and tell us how a character feels, but instead lets us figure it out by reading carefully and putting ourselves in the characters shoes. That is, the author is allowing us to infer or make inferences about how the character probably feels.

1. On the first day of school, Ms. Petosa asked each student to share two things you want other

people to know about you. What things did August share and why do you think he chose those? August shared the facts that he has a sister, Via and a dog, Daisy. Responses to the second part of the question are subjective and will vary(likely response may

be to make him seem more normal or ordinary).

What questions did Julian ask August and why did Auggie want to slide under the desk? (p.43) What other questions did Julian ask him? Why do you think Julian asked those questions? First Julian asked August why he had a tiny braid in the back of his hair and then he asked if was a Padawan thing and if he was into Star Wars. Students response to why Auggie wanted to slide under his desk may vary: perhaps because he didnt like the spotlight on him or perhaps because he thought Julian was implying that he was

weird. Julian also wondered who his favorite Star Wars character was and if he liked Darth Sidious. Students may respond differently as to why he asked these questions: i.e. most will likely think he was being mean and suggesting that August might look like Darth Sidious others may think the questions were innocent and friendly. They should explain their thinking.

2. Mr. Browne was Augusts English teacher. He introduced a new precept to the class each month and each student was to write that months precept in their notebook. Writing down the first precept made August realize that I was going to like school. No matter what. (p48). Why

do you think August feels that way? Explain. Responses will vary but should EXPLAIN OPINION not just provide a statement.

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3. In the chapter, One to Ten, August is feeling mad at his mother but hes not sure why.(p 55) Reread that section of the story; then put yourself in his shoes and see if you can figure out why he is mad. Explain your thoughts. Responses will vary; look for thoughtful explanations.

4. For Halloween, August had planned to dress as Boba Fett, but at the last minute he decided to wear his old Bleeding Scream costume. Explain how this decision ended up affecting August. His decision to wear the Scream costume meant that none of the students knew who he was: they were expecting him to be wearing a Boba Fett costume. Not seeing Auggie and thinking that he was not in the room, the students were free to talk about Auggie in a way that they would not if they knew that he could hear them. As a result they said things that hurt his feelings and made him distrust Jack who he had considered to be a good friend and also to understand that Julian was every bit as rude as he had

suspected. It made Auggie not want to go back to school again.

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Assignment Three: Read pages 81-117 (Part Two: Via)

VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Directions: The words in the box all appeared in your reading assignment. Decide which of these words can be used to replace the word or phrase in bold in the sentences below. Write it on the line next to the sentence where it belongs. Spelling counts!

splay fashionista celestial mischievous inappropriate pettiness

flabbergasted nauseous catastrophe bizarre sarcastic meticulously

1. Angels are heavenly beings. celestial

2. Augusts teeth are small and spread far apart. splay

3. Grans felt unusually sick to her stomach so went to the hospital. nauseous

4. Miranda surprised Via with her surprisingly odd choice of pink hair. bizarre

5. Via considered her mother to be a very stylish woman in her younger years. fashionista

6. Being ignored by her friends made Via feel spitefulness toward them. pettiness

7. Via noticed that when Auggie was in a teasing mood, his mouth went straight. mischievous

8. When Via asked Auggie if the kids had been mean, he replied, Why would kids be mean to

me? in a mocking voice. sarcastic

9. Looking in the mirror, Auggie carefully worked to get his hair just right. meticulously

10. The Halloween party turned out to be a disaster for August. catastrophe

11. Jacks badly chosen response to Julians question hurt Auggies feelings. inappropriate

12. Via was stunned when she learned that Miranda had called to talk to Auggie and not to her.

flabbergasted

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1. How is the point-of-view in Part Two different from what you found in Part One? Both are written in first person point-of-view; however, in Part 2 the point-of-view is that of Via and in Part 1 it is Augusts. 2. A simile is a writing craft that uses either the word like or as to compare two different things in order to provide better understanding. Below are some similes found in this assignment. Locate each one in your reading and read the sentences around it to better understand the context. Then, complete the chart below with your interpretationthe first one is done for you as an example. Possible responses:

3. Like a simile, a metaphor is a comparison between two things. However, a metaphor does NOT use either like or as to compare those things. Instead, a metaphor says one thing IS another thing. Study the example below and complete the chart.

simile pg interpretation

And suddenly there I was, like all those people who would stare

or look away.

86 Via realized that after being away from August she now was shocked to see his appearance and she couldnt help but be

repulsed by what she saw.

I held on to that secret and let it cover me like a blanket.

87 Hearing that her grandmother loved her most

made her feel warm and happy.

his features look like theyve been melted, like the drippings on

the side of a candle.

88 His facial features were lumpy and irregular

looking unlike other faces.

we circle around him like hes still the baby he used to be.

90 The family always looked out for August and

treated him like he couldnt take care of himself.

metaphor pg interpretation

August is the sun. 82 August is the center of attention just like the sun is the center of the universe.

Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the sun.

82 Mom,Dad, and Via are always paying attention to August and keep him in their sight.

family and friends are asteroids and comets

82 We five less attention to other family members and friends that we do to Auggie.

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In Assignment Two, Auggie described what his first Halloween at school was like (p 73-80). In Assignment Three, Via talked about that same Halloween in the chapters called October 31 and Trick or Treat (p 109-117). Even though it was the same topic, the information given by Via was not always the same as that given by Auggie.

Review the two selections above before responding to the questions below.

1. What details did you learn from Via that you did not already know about from reading Auggies description? List at least three. Choices will vary.

2. What details did you learn from Auggie that Via did not tell you about? List at least three. Choices will vary.

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Pause and Reflect As you read Assignment 3, you learned a lot about what it would be like to live with a sibling like August. In what ways did having August for a brother affect Vias life? (Include examples from the text.) How do you think it would change your life if August were your sibling? Write your response in two separate paragraphs below. Possible Response for First Paragraph: Via was less the center of attention than Auggie. Her parents often could not attend her games or other important events in her life because of some emergency having to do with her brother. She became less self-centered as a result because she seemed to understand that Augusts needs were so much more serious than hers were. Second Paragraph will be unique depending on the students own family situation .

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Assignment Four: Read pages 118-159 (Part Three: Summer and Part Four through Seasons Greetings)

QUOTATIONS: The words a character speaks can give the reader important information about the characters, the plot, or the theme of the story. Find three places in this assignment where you learned important or helpful information from something a character said. Write a quotation in each speech bubble (remember to use quotation marks) and next to that write which character said it. Then write why you think this is an important quotation; what information does it give the reader?

RESPONSES WILL VARY

Character speaking: _____________________________

This tells me __________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Character speaking:________________________

This tells me___________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Character speaking: ____________________________

This tells me___________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

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A Character Trait is a word that describes a characters personality or actions . Some adjectives that might refer to a characters traits are greedy, selfish, kind, thoughtful, funny, sly, trustworthy, reliable, unreliable, impulsive, sarcastic, and meticulous (plus many more). Directions to complete the chart below: Write the name of the character whose point-of-view is presented in Part Three. Write two words that identify traits for that character . Give TWO pieces of evidence from the text that you think demonstrate each of those traits

(this could be the characters words, thoughts, or actions that show that trait.

Traits and Evidence will vary

CHARACTER: SUMMER

trait _______________________

EVIDENCE ________________________________________________________________________________________

EVIDENCE ___________

___________

________________________

____________________________________

trait ____________________

EVIDENCE ____________

____________

____________

____________

____________

____________

EVIDENCE ______________

______________

______________

______________

______________

______________

______________

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1. Describe Summers reaction when she learned that Julian liked her and wanted to come and talk to her. She decided to escape to the bathroom where she proceeded to call her mother and ask her to come and pick her up. She then secretly went upstairs, put on her jacket, and waited outside for her mother to take her to the Halloween Parade.

2. Describe Jacks initial reaction to Mr. Tushmans request that he help out with the new student.

At first, Jack did not want to help the new student because he realized by the description that he knew who it was and decided he was just too gross looking and that it would be too difficult a job to have to befriend him. He was likely also worried about being ostracized for befriending him.

3. What made Jack decide to say yes to Mr. Tushmans request?

Seeing how rude his own, usually nice brother (Jamie) was to August made Jack feel sorry for all the humiliation that August must have had to endure when people saw him, and he decided the least he could do would be to reach out and help him. Without someone to help, he realized that life would be too hard for August at school.

4. Jack found and fixed-up a sled which he proudly named Lightning. Describe what Jack later learned about this sled and how his feelings toward it changed. Jack learned that the sled had belonged to Julians friend Miles whose family and had just bought him a state of the art sled for $800 thus no longer wanting his old piece of junk which he left at the bottom of the hill by a rock (just where Jack had found it). Miles made fun of the fact that some hobo had actually taken it. Jack was likely embarrassed by the fact that he was from a

poorer family and that he had gotten the sled and fixed it up and didnt want Miles to know.

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Assignment Five: Read pages 160-204 (Part Four: Letters, Emails through Part Five: The Universe)

When we read, we understand and picture what we are reading more easily if we can find

some similarities between what is happening in the story and what has happened in our own

life. This is called Making Connections. Describe one connection that you have made between something that has happened in the book so far with something in your own life.

Responses will vary

WRITING CRAFT REVIEW

Earlier in this packet (p.9) you read and interpreted similes and metaphors. Below are some

more examples of those writing crafts found in this assignment. Identify each one by writing

simile or metaphor on the line after each sentence.

Jack crosses the street like nothing happened (p.197) simile

He shakes his head like Im hopeless. (p.198) simile

Youve always acted like you dont even know her. (p.202)simile

shes a little lost bird looking for its nest. (p.203)metaphor

I give her my wing to hide under. (p.203)metaphor

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Mrs. Albans (Julians mother) and Mr. Tushman expressed different opinions on whether or not August should be attending Beecher Prep. Carefully review the letters written by them (and you may use any other helpful information from the book) and then summarize their opinions. Then, state and explain your own opinion in the bottom box. QUESTION: SHOULD AUGUST HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO BEECHER PREP?

My Opinion: Responses

will vary.

My Self Portrait:

NO: Mrs. Albans

doesnt like that August was accepted and feels

like he did not comply

with the same

application process as

other students: no

interview. Also she

thinks he is too different

and adversely effects

students. This is not an

inclusion school.

YES: August doesnt have special needs so

there is no reason he

should not have been

admitted; doesnt fit in inclusion category. The only admittance

procedure that was

changed was to hold

interview off campus.

He is a good student and

role model and has

developed many friends.

42


1. In the chapter called Rehearsal, Miranda asked Justin, So, youre okay with it? Justin looked at her and wondered what she meant. What do you think she meant by that question? She was probably talking about Justins reaction to Augustwondering if he was freaked out by him or not. 2. In the chapter titled Bird, Via states that she is an awful person. Why do you think she feels that way? She likely feels that ways because she has ignored Miranda and felt angry/jealous toward her all the while knowing that they have been friends for so long.

3. The chapter called Valentines Day ends with Justin telling us that by the time he went home, my tics have all stopped. What are tics and why do you think they have stopped? Tics are nervous muscle spasms or habits. His disappeared because he was put at ease by Vias family. 4. In what ways is Part Five different from the other Parts in the book? No capitalization; written from Justins point of view.

VOCABULARY PUZZLE

M O F

A V I

M I N I A T U R E S D

O I R D

N C P L N

O H Y P O C R I T E E

L O U

O T T I C S

G I S E N T E N C E R

U M C A Z D

E M H Y S T E R I C A L L Y I

A I D S

C V K N I C K E R S

J U S T I F I E S C E

L O D

S A R C A S T I C A L L Y

T

T H E O R E M S

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Assignment Six: Read pages 205-248 (Part Six and Part Seven)

Reading Skill: Clarify Good readers need to stop and clarify when they read expressions that are new or unusual. Below are some interesting expressions and statements found in this assignment. Look at the context where each one is found and think about what the expression or statement means. Then, in your own words, explain its meaning. Appropriate responses: 1. All those eyes are compasses, and Im like the North Pole to them. (p 206) Wherever August goes, people stare at him. 2. I guess its true that like seeks like, said Mom. (p 207) People tend to gravitate to other people who are similar to themselves and feel familiar. 3. I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives. (p 231) August thought it would be such a wonderful and powerful experience to have people stand and applaud for something you did and he could imagine how great it must feel for both Via and Justin that he wished that he and everybody could have that experience sometime in their lives. 4. That, I admit, was a little bittersweet for me.(p 246) When Miranda saw the standing ovation that Via and Justin received she felt a combination of envy and happiness: envy because that could have been her if she had not decided to give the opportunity to Via, and happiness because she loved Via and her family and knew how important this moment was for them.

VOCABULARY Below are some challenging or unusual words that appeared in this reading assignment (along with the page number where they can be found). Find them in the text and determine their meaning; you may use a dictionary or online resource to help you if needed. Create your own sentence using that word showing you understand the meaning of the word and can use it appropriately. Student sentences will varybelow Ive indicated the definition for each word as used in the context. 1. impressions (p211) pressed-in shape made by something hard being pressed into something softer.

2. taciturn (p216 ) silent, uncommunicative

3. bionic (p216) electronically powered

4. understudy (p229) an actor who learns the part of another actor just in case of that actors absence

5. ovation (p231) applause

6. et cetera (p237)and so on

7. badmouthed (p239) criticized somebody cruelly

8. prude (p239) someone who is easily shocked or offended (usually by sexual matters)

9. mayhem (p246) chaos

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The definition of a hero is a person who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an

admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character.

Now that you have read so much of the book, you should be able to identify characters that fit the definition above of a hero. Who do you think has shown special courage, bravery, or strength of character? Select two characters from the

story that you would consider to be heroes (or heroines). Write a paragraph about each one. Identify the character and explain why you would consider him or her to

be a hero or heroine. Use examples from the text. Responses will vary.

Assignment Seven: Read pages 249-END (Part Eight and Appendix)

Authors write books for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is to try to teach (or inform) the reader about something, sometimes the purpose is to entertain the reader, and sometimes it is to persuade (or convince) the reader. As you read this last section of the book, think about why R.J. Palacio wrote this book. Explain your opinion on the lines below, including some examples from the text. Opinion, answers may vary. Likely most students will say that she wrote it to persuade or convince students to be kind to people who are different; to treat people with respect, to be a better person. Why do you think Palacio gave this book the title of WONDER? Where did it come from? What does it mean? Does it in some way reinforce her purpose for writing? On pg 310 Auggies mother called him a wonder; earlier in the book doctors had called him a

medical wonder. The author showed us that Auggie was truly a wonder in many ways: medically, academically, and socially he was able to bring people together and to always be kind and respectful and understanding.

45


VOCABULARY

Each of the words in the shaded box below appeared in this assignment. Find each one in the text and use the context to help you figure out the definitions. Write the word from the shaded box next to its definition on the right.


electrocuted (254)

compartment (254)

lightening (256)

poncho (258 )

mosquitoes (258)

rappelled (259)

concession (260)

jock (260)

brainiac (260)

venture (261)

imbeciles (277)

seismic (282)

attribution (288)

quantifiable (300)

verbosity (301)

infamous (301)

abolitionist (303)

ruminating (303)

1. getting lighter lightening

2. climbed by means of a rope rappelled

3. small flies that feed on the blood of animals mosquitoes

4. person working to eliminate slavery abolitionist

5. student who plays a lot of sports jock

6. killed by electric shock electrocuted

7. small business outlet often selling food concession

8. recognition given to the source of a quotation attribution

9. a type of raincoat made of a single large square of plastic or rubber

that slips over the head and covers clothing poncho

10. a student considered to be very smart brainiac

11. undertake a risk venture

12. able to be calculated or counted quantifiable

13. a section or separate part of something compartment

14. insulting word for people considered stupid imbeciles

15. extremely large or great seismic

16. use of too many words verbosity

17. having a bad reputation infamous

18. thinking carefully about something ruminating

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Now that youve read the whole book, see how good you are at figuring out whos speaking in the quotations below! Choose names from the box to write on the

appropriate blanks. Names may be used more than once.

1. I did my thing of pretending not to notice. August

2. I am very proud to award the Henry Ward Beecher medal to the student whose

quiet strength has carried up the most hearts.Mr. Tushman

3. You really are a wonder, Auggie. You are a wonder. Mrs. Pullman

4. I wore that helmet all the time; I was so bummed when it got lost. August

5. Oh, it didnt get lost. I threw it out. Mr. Pullman

6. I can bring Baboo with me. August

7. Mr. Davenport, Im sorry but I cant go on stage tonight.Miranda

8. Why do you have that tiny braid in the back of your hair? Julian

9. Precepts are rules about really important things.Mr. Browne

10. I wanted to be a unicorn for Halloween. Summer

11. Grans told me she loved me more than anyone else. Via

12. I gave Auggie an astronaut helmet. Miranda

13. I sit with Auggie at lunch because hes a nice kid.Summer

August Mr. Browne Miranda

Mrs. Pullman Mr. Tushman Julian

Mr. Pullman Summer Via

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Mr. Brownes Summer Assignment

Above is the assignment that Mr. Browne handed out to the class on the last

day of school. Pretend that you are one of the students in the class. On the

postcard below write the precept that you would send to Mr. Browne. Precepts will vary

Please send me a postcard this summer with YOUR personal precept. It can be something you made up for yourself or something youve read somewhere that means something to you. (If so, dont forget the attribution, please!) I really look forward to getting them. (p.288)

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111745030 a Novel Study for Wonder by RJ Palacio Created by Jean Martin