Wonder

This is a beautiful book that every middle schooler should read. I am holding off reading it to, or having my 9 year old read it, only because she is a sensitive kid and not quite ready to process the cruelty suffered by poor Auggie through much of the book, even at the hands of some adults. I look forward to her reading it, and us discussing its themes, in a year or two.

Amazing book! One of my favorites! I love how the readers can see the perspectives of not just August, but also Via and her friends and Jack Will. It has plenty of positive role models and messages (too many to count), but Auggie, his family, Mr. Brown, Mr. Tushman, and others are positive role models. One positive message is that Mr. Brown puts up a precept every day for his class, which is a wise quotation from someone. F.Y.I. there is another book of 365 precepts, one for each day of the year, so that you can ponder on them every day and find more about what they mean. Some perspectives are not included in the original book and are instead separate books: Julian’s perspective is “The Julian Chapter”, Christopher’s perspective is “Pluto”, and Charlotte’s perspective is “Shingaling”. This book is a must-read for everyone, and I was hooked within the first few pages. However, something to be aware of is that there are A LOT of emotional moments, since the book is all about Auggie and his facial deformity and how certain people view it. It shows how people who look normal take it for granted. But besides the emotional moments, it is entertaining and funny at times.