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R. J. Palacio

Wonder Hardcover – February 14, 2012

by R. J. Palacio (Author)

82,697 ratings

Book 1 of 1: Wonder

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Millions of people have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face—who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart we are. Read the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement, a major motion picture, and the critically acclaimed graphic novel White Bird.

And don't miss R.J. Palacio's highly anticipated new novel, Pony, available now!

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

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.

R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

Reading age

9 - 11 years, from customers
Book 1 of 1

Wonder
Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

790L
Dimensions

5.69 x 1.25 x 8.56 inches
Publisher

Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date

February 14, 2012
ISBN-10

0375969020
ISBN-13

978-0375869020
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.
Highlighted by 14,116 Kindle readers
WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.
Highlighted by 13,075 Kindle readers
‘Shall we make a new rule of life … always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?’
Highlighted by 10,033 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

Celebrate 10 years of Wonder the novel that has reached over 15 million readers world-wide!

Wonder showed us the power of kindness. Pony shows us the power of love.


	Pony	Wonder: Illustrated Edition	White Bird: A Wonder Story	Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories	365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Precepts	We're All Wonders
Read more of the beloved books from RJ Palacio!	Join a boy on a quest to rescue his father, with only a ghost as his companion and a mysterious pony as his guide.	A stunning, color illustrated edition of the New York Times bestseller, Wonder.	A graphic novel about Grandmère from Wonder and her harrowing childhood during World War II.	A collection of stories from the world of Wonder through the eyes of Auggie’s friends and his bully.	A companion book to the New York Times bestseller Wonder, full of life lessons and inspiration.	Choose Kind with this gorgeous picture book, featuring Auggie and Daisy on an original adventure.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month for Kids, February 2012: Wonder is a rare gem of a novel--beautifully written and populated by characters who linger in your memory and heart. August Pullman is a 10-year-old boy who likes Star Wars and Xbox, ordinary except for his jarring facial anomalies. Homeschooled all his life, August heads to public school for fifth grade and he is not the only one changed by the experience--something we learn about first-hand through the narratives of those who orbit his world. August’s internal dialogue and interactions with students and family ring true, and though remarkably courageous he comes across as a sweet, funny boy who wants the same things others want: friendship, understanding, and the freedom to be himself. “It is only with one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” From The Little Prince and R.J. Palacio’s remarkable novel, Wonder.--Seira Wilson

Review

#1 New York Times bestseller
USA Today bestseller
Time Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time
New York Times Book Review Notable Book
Washington Post Best Kids' Book

A School Library Journal Best of Children's Books

A Publishers Weekly Best of Children's Books

A Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books

A Booklist Best of Children's Books

Slate:
"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year."

Entertainment Weekly:
"In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for."

The New York Times:
"Rich and memorable...It's Auggie and the rest of the children who are the real heart of 'Wonder,' and Palacio captures the voices of girls and boys, fifth graders and teenagers, with equal skill."

The Wall Street Journal:
"What makes R.J. Palacio's debut novel so remarkable, and so lovely, is the uncommon generosity with which she tells Auggie's story…The result is a beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation.”

The Huffington Post:
"It's in the bigger themes that Palacio's writing shines. This book is a glorious exploration of the nature of friendship, tenacity, fear, and most importantly, kindness."

"Full of heart, full of truth, Wonder is a book about seeing the beauty that's all around us. I dare you not to fall in love with Auggie Pullman."
- Rebecca Stead, Newbery award-winning author of When You Reach Me

"It is the deceptive simplicity and honesty of the work that make Wonder so memorable. Every single character seems real and well drawn and oh-so human...This book is beautiful." - Christopher Paul Curtis, Newbery award-winning author of Bud, Not Buddy

"A beautiful story of kindness and courage. There are many real and well-developed characters, and they each have their shining moments. Of course, Auggie shines the brightest." - Clare Vanderpool, Newbery award-winning author of Moon Over Manifest

"Wonder is a beautifully told story about heartache, love, and the value of human life. One comes away from it wanting to be a better person." - Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time Newbery honor-winning author of Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods

"Wonder is a shining jewel of a story that cannot help but encourage readers of all ages to do better, to be better, in how they treat others in life. I'm totally in love with this novel." - Trudy Ludwig, anti-bullying advocate and author of My Secret Bully, Confessions of a Former Bully, Better Than You, and Just Kidding

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly:
“Few first novels pack more of a punch: it's a rare story with the power to open eyes--and hearts--to what it's like to be singled out for a difference you can't control, when all you want is to be just another face in the crowd.”

Starred Review, Booklist:
“Palacio makes it feel not only effortless but downright graceful, and by the stand-up-and-cheer conclusion, readers will be doing just that, and feeling as if they are part of this troubled but ultimately warm-hearted community.”

Starred Review, School Library Journal:
"Palacio has an exceptional knack for writing realistic conversation and describing the thoughts and emotions of the characters...A well-written, thought-provoking book."

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews:
“A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.”

About the Author

R. J. PALACIO lives in NYC 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 novel. She did not design the cover, but she sure does love it.

Learn more about R.J. Palacio and the world of Wonder at wonderthebook.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Ordinary

I know I’m not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I mean, sure, I do ordinary things. I eat ice cream. I ride my bike. I play ball. I have an XBox. Stuff like that makes me ordinary. I guess. And I feel ordinary. Inside. But I know ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don’t get stared at wherever they go.

If I found a magic lamp and I could have one wish, I would wish that I had a normal face that no one ever noticed at all. I would wish that I could walk down the street without people seeing me and then doing that look-away thing. Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.

But I’m kind of used to how I look by now. I know how to pretend I don’t see the faces people make. We’ve all gotten pretty good at that sort of thing: me, Mom and Dad, Via. Actually, I take that back: Via’s not so good at it. She can get really annoyed when people do something rude. Like, for instance, one time in the playground some older kids made some noises. I don’t even know what the noises were exactly because I didn’t hear them myself, but Via heard and she just started yelling at the kids. That’s the way she is. I’m not that way.

Via doesn’t see me as ordinary. She says she does, but if I were ordinary, she wouldn’t feel like she needs to protect me as much. And Mom and Dad don’t see me as ordinary, either. They see me as extraordinary. I think the only person in the world who realizes how ordinary I am is me.

My name is August, by the way. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

Why I Didn’t Go to School

Next week I start fifth grade. Since I’ve never been to a real school before, I am pretty much totally and completely petrified. People think I haven’t gone to school because of the way I look, but it’s not that. It’s because of all the surgeries I’ve had. Twenty-seven since I was born. The bigger ones happened before I was even four years old, so I don’t remember those. But I’ve had two or three surgeries every year since then (some big, some small), and because I’m little for my age, and I have some other medical mysteries that doctors never really figured out, I used to get sick a lot. That’s why my parents decided it was better if I didn’t go to school. I’m much stronger now, though. The last surgery I had was eight months ago, and I probably won’t have to have any more for another couple of years.

Mom homeschools me. She used to be a children’s-book illustrator. She draws really great fairies and mermaids. Her boy stuff isn’t so hot, though. She once tried to draw me a Darth Vader, but it ended up looking like some weird mushroom-shaped robot. I haven’t seen her draw anything in a long time. I think she’s too busy taking care of me and Via.

I can’t say I always wanted to go to school because that wouldn’t be exactly true. What I wanted was to go to school, but only if I could be like every other kid going to school. Have lots of friends and hang out after school and stuff like that.

I have a few really good friends now. Christopher is my best friend, followed by Zachary and Alex. We’ve known each other since we were babies. And since they’ve always known me the way I am, they’re used to me. When we were little, we used to have playdates all the time, but then Christopher moved to Bridgeport in Connecticut. That’s more than an hour away from where I live in North River Heights, which is at the top tip of Manhattan. And Zachary and Alex started going to school. It’s funny: even though Christopher’s the one who moved far away, I still see him more than I see Zachary and Alex. They have all these new friends now. If we bump into each other on the street, they’re still nice to me, though. They always say hello.

I have other friends, too, but not as good as Christopher and Zack and Alex were. For instance, Zack and Alex always invited me to their birthday parties when we were little, but Joel and Eamonn and Gabe never did. Emma invited me once, but I haven’t seen her in a long time. And, of course, I always go to Christopher’s birthday. Maybe I’m making too big a deal about birthday parties.

How I Came to Life

I like when Mom tells this story because it makes me laugh so much. It’s not funny in the way a joke is funny, but when Mom tells it, Via and I just start cracking up.

So when I was in my mom’s stomach, no one had any idea I would come out looking the way I look. Mom had had Via four years before, and that had been such a “walk in the park” (Mom’s expression) that there was no reason to run any special tests. About two months before I was born, the doctors realized there was something wrong with my face, but they didn’t think it was going to be bad. They told Mom and Dad I had a cleft palate and some other stuff going on. They called it “small anomalies.”

There were two nurses in the delivery room the night I was born. One was very nice and sweet. The other one, Mom said, did not seem at all nice or sweet. She had very big arms and (here comes the funny part), she kept farting. Like, she’d bring Mom some ice chips, and then fart. She’d check Mom’s blood pressure, and fart. Mom says it was unbelievable because the nurse never even said excuse me! Meanwhile, Mom’s regular doctor wasn’t on duty that night, so Mom got stuck with this cranky kid doctor she and Dad nicknamed Doogie after some old TV show or something (they didn’t actually call him that to his face). But Mom says that even though everyone in the room was kind of grumpy, Dad kept making her laugh all night long.

When I came out of Mom’s stomach, she said the whole room got very quiet. Mom didn’t even get a chance to look at me because the nice nurse immediately rushed me out of the room. Dad was in such a hurry to follow her that he dropped the video camera, which broke into a million pieces. And then Mom got very upset and tried to get out of bed to see where they were going, but the farting nurse put her very big arms on Mom to keep her down in the bed. They were practically fighting, because Mom was hysterical and the farting nurse was yelling at her to stay calm, and then they both started screaming for the doctor. But guess what? He had fainted! Right on the floor! So when the farting nurse saw that he had fainted, she started pushing him with her foot to get him to wake up, yelling at him the whole time: “What kind of doctor are you? What kind of doctor are you? Get up! Get up!” And then all of a sudden she let out the biggest, loudest, smelliest fart in the history of farts. Mom thinks it was actually the fart that finally woke the doctor up. Anyway, when Mom tells this story, she acts out all the parts--including the farting noises--and it is so, so, so, so funny!

Mom says the farting nurse turned out to be a very nice woman. She stayed with Mom the whole time. Didn’t leave her side even after Dad came back and the doctors told them how sick I was. Mom remembers exactly what the nurse whispered in her ear when the doctor told her I probably wouldn’t live through the night: “Everyone born of God overcometh the world.” And the next day, after I had lived through the night, it was that nurse who held Mom’s hand when they brought her to meet me for the first time.

Mom says by then they had told her all about me. She had been preparing herself for the seeing of me. But she says that when she looked down into my tiny mushed-up face for the first time, all she could see was how pretty my eyes were.

Mom is beautiful, by the way. And Dad is handsome. Via is pretty. In case you were wondering.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0375869026
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (February 14, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375969020
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375869020
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 11 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 790L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.69 x 1.25 x 8.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Children's Books on Disabilities
- #1 in Children's Books on Diseases & Physical Illness
- #4 in Children's Self-Esteem Books

Customer Reviews:
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R. J. Palacio

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R. J. Palacio was born and raised in New York City. She attended the High School of Art and Design and the Parsons School of Design, where she majored in illustration with the hopes of someday following in the footsteps of her favorite childhood author-illustrators, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Maurice Sendak, and the D’Aulaires. She was a graphic designer and art director for many years before writing Wonder. We’re All Wonders, which is based conceptually on the themes of her novel, represents the fulfillment of her dream to write and illustrate her own picture book. R.J. is also the author of Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories and 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts. She lives in Brooklyn, where she is surrounded by magical water towers, with her husband, their two sons, and their two dogs, Bear and Beau. Learn more about her at rjpalacio.com or on Twitter at @RJPalacio.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

82,697 global ratings

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4 star		11%
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jean marie sanjurjo

Great Book Great Story

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

Wonder was a great book with an interesting story. The book was about a kid named August who was deformed, and was considered an outsider. He had been left out of friend groups, activities, and friendships to be had. People would ignore him because of his looks. August needed to use his funny personality to win people over, and it worked. He had become popular and started to gain more and more friendships. People started to look past his looks, and started to like him for his personality. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested. I thought that the book had a good thought out idea and story, and the characters added extra detail to it. The biggest lesson that this book reminded me of is to be nice to everyone. Wonder was a great read, and I hope to use the lessons and ideas that I have learned from the book, and use them in everyday life. I really enjoyed Wonder, and I hope that when anyone reads this book that they also take away the same lessons and ideas that I took away from it. I gave this book a 5/5 because I thought that detail, story, and characters were all great.

5 people found this helpful

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Lori from Olympia

This book will stay with me FOREVER .

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

Wonder is a beautiful story . It's about courage, determination, family. Mostly it's about a little boy . It's about the family who loves him, the friends who share his school life, the grit he has to make living-day-to
day with a handicap. And it has a happy ending.
I loved it, my grandkids loved it, my elderly parents loved it ~ and I'll never forget Augie.

3 people found this helpful

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G. Jones

A DEFINITE MUST READ!!!!!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2017

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Review by: Maggie Jones

This book is one of the most exceedingly heartwarming and inspiring books that I’ve ever read. August Pullman’s adventure is very difficult as he goes through a tough year to find his inner self with courage, confidence, and compatibility. This book has heartfelt emotion so that you can relate to the characters more, it’s hard to put down, and has action so that you’re not bored while reading the book. In the end, we learn not to judge a book by it’s cover, which is what many kids did at Beecher Prep, the school that Auggie went to.

Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, takes place in modern day. August was born with facial deformities, so he hadn’t gone to a normal school...until now. He is in the fifth grade and is starting school at Beecher Prep. Being a new kid is hard enough, but looking like Auggie is unimaginable. Kids just aren’t used to seeing faces like that. Unfortunately, people underestimate August’s knowledge, only because he looks different. He is a totally normal person, on the inside, that is. The book is about how August struggles through fifth grade and picks up friends (people who can look inside August without being bothered by his looks) along the way.

Auggie has a life with a lot of drama and emotion. He hears people talk about him all the time behind his back. “The tears were so thick in my eyes I could barely see, but I couldn’t wipe them through the mask as I walked. I was looking for a little tiny spot to disappear into I wanted a hole I could fall inside of: a little black hole that would eat me up.” (page 78) Everybody was dressed up on Halloween at school and August had overheard his best friend, Jack, talking to the mean kids about him. This shows the emotional experiences that Auggie has. Another time that you could really feel Auggie’s feelings is when he has problems with his family. “ ‘Stop lying to me mom!’ I shrieked. ‘Stop treating me like a baby! I’m not retarded!’ I know what’s going on!’ I ran down the hallway to my room and slammed the door so hard that I actually heard little pieces of the wall crumble inside the door frame.”[...]”If I could walk around with a pillow over my face all the time, I would.” (page 218) This shows that August has relatable emotion in his life because he has family problems just like us.

This book is hard to put down. In a lot of parts I find myself struggling to put the bookmark on the page, and one part was when Auggie’s sister came into his room with terrible news. “ ‘Auggie,’ said Via. ‘Come quick. Mom needs to talk to you.’ “[...] “ ‘Come say goodbye.’ I pushed the pillows off my face and looked up at her. That’s when I saw she was crying. ‘What do you mean ‘goodbye’?”(page 220)This was a very suspenseful part and it was a cliffhanger! You can see how hard it was for me to leave my book now.
This book has a lot of action so that you don’t get bored while you’re reading it. For example at one pat August and his friends run into a couple seventh graders that were up to no good. One of the seventh graders were picking on Auggie and of course his friends defended him. That just lead into a major brawl. “Everything got really crazy after that. Someone pulled on my sleeve and yelled, ‘Run!’ and [...] for a few seconds I actually had two people pulling the sleeves of my sweatshirt in opposite directions. I heard them both cursing [...] We were running like crazy, and whenever I started to slow down, the guy pulling my arm would yell, ‘Don’t stop!’ “ (page 267) This part was so suspenseful and exhilarating that I almost couldn’t handle it!

Throughout the book, August is constantly making friends and seeing the better in people. We learn that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, and in this circumstance the “book” is Auggie. Also, we learned that you should get something done that you are passionate about, no matter the obstacles. I highly suggest Wonder and give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

13 people found this helpful

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Ivan Friant

Wonder gives a great look into the minds of people affected by disabilities

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 16, 2018

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I saw the trailer for the movie based on this book and decided that I had to read it! Holy. Cow. Prepare yourself for all the feels . . . ALL of them. This is another one of those books that my husband took one look at me and said, “are you ok?” The last time I cried so hard during a book was during A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (maybe I should go back and do a review on that one too, huh.). Anyways, I knew this book was going to be emotional, considering I cried during the movie trailer. Wonder gives a great look into the minds of people affected by disabilities. And to say that people with disabilities are the only ones who hurt is incredibly unfair. August, Via, and their parents all must face life’s problems in various ways. Mr. and Mrs. Pullman have to learn how to let their children grow up. Via has to figure out how to accept her brother while trying to be accepted herself. And Auggie, seriously one of my favorite book characters ever, has to do the growing up. He has to learn how to deal with real life. There are many of us who went to the same school with all the same people in all the same buildings with all the same teachers all the way through our educational careers. Auggie doesn’t have that kind of foundation. Homeschooled by his mom from kindergarten through 4th grade, he is suddenly faced with going to a “real school” with the normal kids, trying to overcome his abnormalities. This story takes place during Auggie’s 5th grade year, and Via’s high school freshman year. Transitions galore! Auggie tries to make friends, but how can he do that when everyone is too busy staring at him and trying to avoid touching him? Via has had the same friends since before Auggie was born, but she gets left behind when they redefine themselves for high school. At first, Jack, Summer, Julian, Charlotte, and all the other kids at Beecher Prep just see a new kid with a weird face. But as the year progresses, they all learn those important lessons about how to treat people. As a teacher, I’ve seen the unpopular kids trying so hard to fit in. But I’ve also seen the other kids being forced to accept these misfits. I realize this is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I do not believe in forcing kids to spend time with each other. No, making fun of and bullying other kids is unacceptable no matter what. But insisting that kids do anything more than show a little kindness by saying a simple “hello” while walking down the hallway is unfair to both groups. I believe that forcing acceptance on kids does nothing more than shows those kids who don’t fit in that they deserve pity, and cultivates annoyance and antagonism towards those misfits by the kids being forced. In Wonder, Auggie has to deal with that same pity from kids who were chosen specifically so they could “be friends” with him. Can he make any friends on his own? I’ll be your friend, Auggie! I love you!!!!! So I absolutely recommend this book to parents and teachers, most of all. I’ve already purchased a copy for my dad, who is a 6th grade teacher. But fair warning, lots and lots of waterworks. Seriously, I told my husband that I finished the book and his response was, “oh good! You cried so much!” Of course I did, you unfeeling Neanderthal!!!! 😉 I love him, he just doesn’t know how to deal with a crying woman! So please read this book. I leave you with the same thing Mr. Tushman gave to the kids during his graduation speech: “But in another book by J.M. Barrie called The Little White Bird, he writes, ‘Shall we make a new rule of life . . . always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary.’”

5 people found this helpful

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Leonidas Dimakopoulos

One of my favorite books

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 31, 2018

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I am almost 10 years old and I recently finished reading "Wonder". It is one of my favorite books so far. I would like to say that I would like to go on a walk and meet all the characters, except Julian and the boys that bullied Augie. This book showed me that you don't judge a boy by his appearance because that's on the outside. I would cheer for everybody. I would cheer ten times for Augie: "AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE, AUGIE!!!!!!". Then for Olivia: "OLIVIA, OLIVIA, OLIVIA, OLIVIA, OLIVIA!!!!!" Then for Isabelle: "ISABELLE, ISABELLE, ISABELLE, ISABELLE, ISABELLE!!!!!" and then for Nate: "NATE, NATE, NATE, NATE, NATE!!!!!". Also for Summer: "SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER!!!!!". For Miranda: "MIRANDA, MIRANDA, MIRANDA, MIRANDA, MIRANDA!!!!!" For Ella: "ELLA, ELLA, ELLA!!!!". For Jack: "JACK, JACK, JACK, JACK, JACK!!!!!". For Henry: "HENRY, HENRY, HENRY!!!!!". For Amos: "AMOS, AMOS, AMOS!!!". For Miles: MILES, MILES, MILES!!!. For Charlotte: "CHARLOTTE, CHARLOTTE, CHARLOTTE!!!". And for all of Augie's classmates and all the teachers and the school principal!!! And if there were more than 5 stars in the rating system, I would definitely give the author as many stars as possible!!!

69 people found this helpful

Luschka van Onselen

Beautiful, made me laugh and cry

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 8, 2019

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When your nine year old recommends a book, you don't expect to sit down and finish it in one sitting. You also don't expect to laugh and cry, to feel the pain and joy of a mother, and to come away feeling so grateful for your own life, and so moved by someone else's story, even though this isn't actually based on any particular person's reality, but rather the collective experiences of many turned into one.

Who said "Children experience the world as it is presented to them." Google doesn't even seem to know. Maybe I made it up, but I was struck by that in this fantastic story about a boy born with not one, but two genetic defects that made him intellectually 'normal' but physically very different. He wasn't disabled or handicapped, just deformed, and though he knew himself to be different, he was just that - himself. As he leaves homeschooling and goes to a private, but normal, schoolhe faces the challenges you'd expect - the 'assigned' friend who becomes a real friend, the betrayal of people who pretend to be his friends, the discovery of true friendship by a child who chooses kindness. While the book glosses very briefly over a lot of the reality of being a person who has to undergo numerous surgeries time and again, and the physical impact that has on said person, it does a good job of presenting the world through the eyes of a 9/10 year old boy. It looks at one year of school through a variety of different points of view and takes not only the main character but all the other characters through a growth journey.

It's a serious subject but is presented with lots of laughter and lightness, and I'm so thrilled that Kyra has been reading it and enjoyed it enough to recommend it.
I tell my girls all the time that courage and kindness will get them through life, and this book thoroughly reinforces that point.

A highly recommended read, especially for young people - I believe there's so much value in learning to see the world through others' eyes, and sharing even briefly in their experience.

33 people found this helpful

paperdoll

Overrated

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 28, 2018

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It's a great book to raise awareness of people living with craniofacial abnormality. Also very sad in parts. But I did not like the format, it's not a novel with a storyline more a guide to what it's like to live with craniofacial abnormality. Should be in fact not fiction section in library!

It's okay, nowhere near as good as many reviews make out on here. Perhaps I am so disappointed as my expectations were very high but it's definitely not deserving of the thousands of 5 stars! It is definitely more suitable for children. I found the first part engaging but skimmed the last part which was pretty dull. Nothing really happens and there's no real message in it other than to do what seems obvious to me - look beyond the cosmetic to the person inside. Or look at people with your heart as the Little Prince points out!

Certainly much will be lost on anyone who doesn't get American culture and doesn't have children at middle and high school.

23 people found this helpful

C Knight

Choose Kind

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 13, 2021

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…the universe was not kind to auggie pullman. what did that little kid ever do to deserve his sentence?

Children can be so cruel. I think many of us put our school experiences behind us, it’s part of who we are as adults but it’s not an experience we will be repeating. Wonder made me think back to my school experience. I was overweight, short-sighted with uncool Deidre Barlow glasses and not the most attractive as a child/teenager so I was an easy target in jest and not in many cases. Not the happiest of times.

But this is nothing compared to August Pullman’s experience. He doesn’t go to school until he’s 10/11 as throughout his childhood he’s been in and out of hospital for operations to make his Treacher Collins syndrome, a craniofacial syndrome more manageable. Wonder is his story of going to school for that first year but he’s not the only one to tell the story. I heard from his sister Via, his two best friends Jack and Summer and Via’s boyfriend Justin. All together, these are six very distinctive voices telling their version of events over Auggie’s first year at school.

I have mention Via’s story. Via’s voice is so grown up and yet so innocent in many ways. Some of the things she says are so perceptive for a 14 year old – August is the Sun. Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the Sun. Not only is this girl living through the changes with Auggie but she’s going through her own stuff as she returns to high school and the dynamics in her friendship groups aren’t the same – it’s not easy being a teenager at the best of time but Via is a tough girl. Listening to her tell her story and the concern for her younger brother was emotional.

Auggie’s experience of school changes over his first year but one thing that remains constant is his English teacher’s monthly precepts – Mr Browne sets the precepts at the beginning of the month and at the end of the month, the class writes an essay on what it means to them. These are thought provoking in themselves and I loved the fact that you get a full list of his precepts and those of some of the students at the end of the book. We could all learn from Mr Browne.

When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind

Wonder is an emotional and thought provoking read. It’s a book about growing up, change, loss. It’s a story about being kind and not to take people at face value. It’s so beautifully written I wanted to savour every word. It’s not a long read at 100 pages but Palacio crams masses into these pages. This may be recommended for 9 to 11 year olds but I think it appeals to all ages. #ChooseKind

4 people found this helpful

shivani.rohella

A must read for all the ages

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on April 1, 2019

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"I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse."
🌻
Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a story of a ten-year-old boy named August Pullman. He had multiple surgeries to correct his facial deformity so he was homeschooled. However, his parents decide to send him to a school before he starts studying for fifth grade. The book covers his experiences and struggles in his new school.
🌻
The narrative hit me hard from the very first line. I really liked the spirit of August, who kept a positive attitude even in the midst of hopeless and traumatising situations. I also liked the fact that the author has given multiple point of views in this book. Although the book is written for young readers, I feel that it has a universal appeal. I laughed and I cried while reading this book. There are wonderful lessons about friendship and kindness which everyone should remember and apply in their life.
🌻
Wonder is a wonderful book which will touch the heart and soul of the readers. I loved this book to the core.

51 people found this helpful

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FREE delivery: Wednesday, April 26 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Ships from: Amazon.com

Sold by: Amazon.com

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$8.46