Don’t judge a book boy by its cover. his looks

Wonder-R.J.

PalacioA Book

Report

Setting“I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably

worse.” –August Pullman

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

Overview Wonder is a wonderful book, )I don’t think there is a better way to describe it!( It just shows you the hard truth of the way we, as humans, vision the world. It is one of the most profound and beautifully written books; the narrative will make you laugh and cry, as it follows young August in his journey, across the ups & downs and the twists & turns that he has yet to face, the way the story was written also played a played a part on how we picture small little Auggie as life shows him what a horrible person it might be, we also get to travel down the lane of memories and remember what is it like to be a kid struggling through the daily troubles of middle school what is it like to face bullies and conquer through what seemed at that time the impossible.

Themes The whole story was divided to eight parts although it is primarily told from August’s perspective; it switches to a few other points of view. With a total of six different voices, every person offered an insight into August’s beautiful personality and amazing life in a way that would be impossible to otherwise know, makes the story more real for all kinds of readers. Not everyone sees August in the same light, and each has their own way of coming to understand and love him. Each part had a quote of a book in the very beginning of it; there are references to books like: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, lines from Shakespeare's Hamlet, and one of the most profound quotes from Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and all the quotes are meaningfully connected with the characters.

R.J. Palacio

Wonder

The story mostly takes place in August’s new school and his home which gives you an insight of what a fifth grader’s life mainly consists of, but one of the things that stood out was the English teacher at August’s new school, Mr. Browne’s 'precepts' which are a kind of motto for his class to follow each month, another great idea that is subtle but so effective, the author also gives you the full list of precepts at the end of a book.

Story and PlotAugust (Auggie) Pullman was born with a genetic defect that changed his face. He and his family are perfectly aware of the attention he attracts, and the decision to send him to 'outside school' for the first time in Grade 5 was not taken lightly. This is the story of August's life through middle school, and it is an unbelievably inspiring, life-changing journey. If you remember how terrifying it was to be a kid on a day to day basis, you’ll appreciate August’s story. 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. 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.

The story is told from different perspectives of the different children in August's class; you could see how the other children perceived his disfigurement, and some never mentioned the issue and others have burning questions which they are not sure how to ask. Others' points of view are interspersed with his own, and it's beautiful to see his character grow: what a transformation from the beginning to the end; what a lot he has to go through. Initially he shows us an excusable frustration with his condition and people's reaction to it, and his middle childhood growing pains are so much more acute than those of others.

But more than this, we see the strength of his loving family which nurtures in him the qualities that make him so special: courage, kindness, friendship, character, helping him become someone truly great, someone "whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own."

August’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. Even with a positive attitude and smart, loving parents, however, August’s story is not an easy one to read and emotions will run wildly from sadness to hilarity to terrible anger at what happens to him. Not all kids are nice. Some kids behave one way in front of adults and another way in front of kids. Some adults are downright cruel. And just when you think life can’t possibly get any harder or more challenging, sometimes it does.

Characters

August Pullman

August has always felt like a bit of an outsider compared to his peers; he's undergone countless

operations and has been home-schooled all his life. Needless to say, when he and his family make the

decision for him to start 5th grade in public school, he didn't exactly warm to the idea at first. August has the

ability to cope, to be genuinely happy and make a comedy out of his situation. August faced many mixed

reactions when starting school; there were lots of supportive people and an equal number of not so

supportive people but he never let that stop him from having the best of times.

Olivia (Via) Pullman

Olivia has been through a lot as August's elder sister, and though she's one of the most generous, loving sisters ever, the pressures of high school are taking their toll. But for her brief moments of weakness she

more than makes up with a determination to start over that makes this story inspiring and relevant for every teen. As one of her most memorable sayings

was "My worst day, worst fall, worst headache, worst bruise, worst cramp, worst mean thing anyone could

say has always been nothing compared to what August has gone through” which shows you how much

she cares for her little brother.

Jack Will

Jack is a kid who has cause to regret a friendship bungle, and who, in the process, learns so much about the kind of person he wants to be. He discovers what is important and what is vulnerable in his short 10-

year-old life all because of August.

Summer Dawson

Summer is one of those extraordinary kids who observe with their heart and are not afraid to act, as she is one of the first people to approach August, it might have been out of pity in the beginning but as

the days go by and she discovers what kind of a wonderful person August is, a true friendship is born.

Miranda

Olivia's old friend, perhaps has it hardest of them all, and her difficulties seem set to ruin her life. Yet she is one of the few who have always seen August as the wonder he truly is, and because of him she finds her

way home.

Justin

Olivia's new boyfriend, is an easy-going, down to earth character, yet somehow his simplicity allows him to perceive things at a deeper level than most.

His thoughts about whether 'the universe' was really unkind to August Pullman had a perfect conclusion. As

he thought “It (the universe) care of its most fragile creations in ways we can’t see”

Evaluation and impression

What can I say? Where do I begin? How do I express what reading this book

made me feel? It's not a book, it's a journey. It's a tragedy and a comedy and

true and false at the same time. I feel the need to mention the fact that this

is a children’s book, ages 7-11, but even if you are in your 70’s sitting on an

old rocking chair you should read this, because this book shows you the truth

about how we see people.

Because it's true, the thoughts and ideas in this book challenge your

perception of today's society. There is so much focus on body-image and

peer pressure in the media, by reading this you get a chance to take a step

back and re-evaluate your own worries about body image by listening to

someone who deals with the daily stares and crude remarks from the public.

In fact, what is truly important can only be felt with the heart – love,

friendship and truth. “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen

or touched, they are felt with the heart.” ―Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince.

These are the values that can build relationships and create a harmonious

society. Can today’s generation also learn from them and discover what is

truly important? This is the key to our happiness and our future.

"Be kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should

be kinder than needed." Palacio's words will teach you to always be kind to

everybody you meet, because equality matters. And August's right, I don't

want to imagine him. I don't want to avert my eyes from his face. I don't

want to hurt his feelings and feel like I behaved like all the other people did.

But you know that it would happen if you saw him. That's the strength of this

book. It makes you realize how superficial we truly are even when we profess

not to be.

Author R. J. Palacio lives in New York City with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. For more than twenty years, she was an art director and graphic designer, designing book jackets for other people while waiting for the perfect time in her life to start writing her own novel. But one day several years ago, a chance encounter with an extraordinary child in front of an ice cream store made R. J. realize that the perfect time to write that novel had finally come. Wonder is her first and only book.

“no, no, it's not all random, if it really was all random, the universe would abandon

us completely. and the universe doesn't. it takes care of its most fragile creations

in ways we can't see. like with parents who adore you blindly. and a big sister who

feels guilty for being human over you. and a little gravelly-voiced kid whose

friends have left him over you. and even a pink-haired girl who carries your picture

in her wallet. maybe it is a lottery, but the universe makes it all even out in the

end. the universe takes care of all its birds.” –Justin about whether 'the universe' was

really unkind to August Pullman.

“...YOUR DEEDS ARE LIKE YOUR MONUMENTS. BUILT WITH MEMORIES INSTEAD OF STONE.”

- August Pullman

“The best way to measure how much you've grown

isn't by inches or the number of laps you can now run

around the track, or even your grade point average-

though those things are important, to be sure. It's

what you've done with your time, how you've chosen

to spend your days, and whom you've touched this

year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of

success.”

August Pullman