Wonder

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Summary: August Pullman loves Star Wars, his family and his dog Daisy. He is about to start a new school – his first one, really, since he’s been homeschooled. And while that is stressful for just about anybody, it will be even harder for Auggie. He was born with a genetic anomaly that has warped and twisted the features of his face. He has spent his life watching people stare, point, and even get frightened by how he looks. All Auggie wants is to be seen as just another kid, but he knows that it’s never going to be easy for him. You can probably figure out what life will be like for Auggie  in his first year of middle school, but you’ll be surprised by how he responds to it.

Told in the honest and heartfelt voices of Auggie, his sister Via and other people who get to know them, Wonder does a great job of telling what might be a familiar story in a new and exciting way. This isn’t a just story about the negative effects of bullying. Wonder is about how each of us have our differences and the ways we might choose to be kind instead of cruel and worry a little less about what ‘everyone’ else is thinking. Auggie is one of those great characters that you wish existed in the real world so you could hang out together.

Who will like this book?: It’s hard to think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy this story. It’s something to be shared with everyone in the family.

If you like this, try this: My Life in Black and White by Natasha Friend.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian