Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio
Publication Date: 2012
Type of Book: Realistic Fiction Novel

This novel tells the story of a boy named August. August was born with a facial deformity that has caused many problems for him throughout his life. He has had countless plastic surgeries to try to correct his facial features but people are still in shock when they see him. August has been homeschooled by his mother his whole life, but decided after convincing from his parents to start school for the first time this year. August had a rough start due to the comments, games, and lack of understanding from his peers and the parents of the children at the school. Throughout the story you see August's journey through fifth grade and all the bumps he faces along the way. This is a very inspiring and uplifting story that shows readers that it is not what's on the outside that matters, it's what's on the inside.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. I personally liked how the chapters were short. The short chapters motivated me to read more of the book at one time. I never got to the point of reading a chapter where I became disinterested and wanted to stop reading. I liked how I could easily stop reading after a full chapter instead of stopping in the middle. Another aspect of this book that I really liked was that the story was told from the perspective of the various characters. This made the reading very interesting because it showed the same events but from different points of view. While reading the story I tried to picture in my head what August's face looked like based on the various descriptions from the characters in the book. I also thought that the title of the book was wonder because the reader is supposed to wonder what August's face looks like. It was only until I got to the end of the story that I realized the title of the story is wonder because August's mother said that August truly is a wonder. Another part of the book that I really liked was Mr.Browne's Precepts. I enjoyed reading all of the precepts at the end of the story in the appendix.

I would recommend this story for children in upper elementary school and any adult. This story has a wonderful message that anyone could benefit from. It is pretty lengthy so students have to have the stamina required to read longer books. Children in fourth grade could benefit from hearing the story, but depending on their reading levels the teacher could choose to read the story aloud to the class and then have students participate in whole or small group discussions.

Image References:
http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026