Wonder

Title: Wonder
Genre: Bluebonnet
Author: R.J. Palacio
Major Awards: New York Times Best Seller, Texas Bluebonnet Award master list
Age Group: 3rd-8th grade

Wonder is an incredibly moving story about a fifth-grade boy named Auggie. Auggie has a condition called Mandibulofacial Dysostosis, which is a malformation of the facial structures. Up until this point, Auggie has been homeschooled. The thought of him going to "real school" is enough to send him into a panic. In this story, the reader gets a front-row seat into the life of a child with a major disability tackling school for the first time. Different people in Auggie's life also write about their perspective on Auggie and his disability. Auggie knows that he is anything but normal, but the reader sees a shift in his confidence throughout the story. He goes from a child who is afraid to be seen and stared at, to a child who does not let his disability define him. Along the way, he discovers who his true friends are, while also realizing how important it is to be surrounded by people who love him. At the end of the book, he attends his fifth-grade graduation and award ceremony. The last award called, the Henry Ward Beecher medal was for a student who showed bravery, character, and strength throughout the school year. Auggie's name was called for this medal, and he was in complete shock. Up until this point, Auggie felt so isolated and different from everyone else. When receiving this honor, Auggie realized that maybe he was normal, after all. He felt a sense of pride and felt truly loved by the people in his life.

I would use this book in my classroom, for sure. This book has many important lessons that children can learn, with the number one lesson being to treat everyone how you would want to be treated. I would explain to my students that others might look or act different than you, but everyone should be treated with respect. Also, I would tell my students to be a friend to others who may not have a friend. By doing so, you will learn the importance of kindness, and might also gain a best friend in the process!

I think that the appropriate grade levels for this book would be third through eighth grade. I believe that by third grade, students should be mature enough to handle this books' content. The author may have intended for this to be a children's book, but I think that anyone older than eight years old would benefit from reading this novel. There are just so many lessons and inspirational messages that come from this book for adults not to read it, too!

In my classroom, I would like to do a unit about kindness and incorporate this book into the lesson. I would like to give each student a paper astronaut helmet, and have them write on the helmet what makes a person a "Wonder." I also think it would be a neat learning experience to pair up students who normally do not interact and have them talk to each other to see if they have any common interests. By doing so, students will most likely find out things they have in common with their classmates, and may end up finding a new friend. The importance of friendship and kindness would also be discussed with the students!