October 28

‘Wonder’ by R. J. Palacio

wonder“I know I am not an ordinary 10 –year- old boy, but I know for sure ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming.”

Things are not the same for Auggie Pullman. Everyone sees him as different.

 

 After being homeschooled for years, Auggie Pullman is about to start fifth grade at a public school. But Auggie is a little bit worried; he doesn’t know how he will fit into middle- school life when he looks so different from his peers. How will they treat him? This is a question that keeps constantly running though Auggie Pullman’s head.

Auggie has had 27 surgeries to correct facial problems since he was born. But his face has earned him some terrible nicknames: freaking man, lizard boy and gross-out boy. His main features have been melted away as some kids describe it, “ like the drippings on candles.” He always dreamed that he would make it in the world as a normal 10-year-old boy and with some great friends, he might be able to succeed. But that all changes as his world turns upside down.

 

The main characters in the story are August Pullman, Via Pullman (sister), Summer, Jack, Justin (Via’s boyfriend), Miranda, Julian and Mum and Dad.

 

I have really enjoyed the book Wonder because it’s a story about a 10 year old boy who has so much bravery and compassion which he shows towards his family and his peers. In the book Wonder Auggie Pullman needs to learn to accept himself for who he is and not try to compare himself to everyone else. After reading the first page I was so touched by how this boy feels. Imagine going to school every day and being tortured about your face; it really is terrible. But this little boy has a strong heart which has helped him make his way though middle school. This kept me reading throughout the book.

 

R.J Palacio has put some excellent descriptions and details in Wonder, which have helped me portray different images in my head. The language in the book has helped me concentrate and give my full attention to every line I read.

 

The ending was so enjoyable and has made me realize that no one in the world should feel the need to bully someone, or for someone to experience being bullied.

        

I recommend this book to teens and young adults between 10-20 years of age who are interested in heart and mind books, who enjoy reading about the love and sacrifice that some human beings are capable of. This book is a truly wonderful read. I guarantee you’ll cry after reading the first page. I’d rate the book Wonder a 5 out of 5.

Maddison. L, Year 9

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

 

Wonder, written by R.J Palacio, is an inspiring novel about the everyday struggles of a 10 year-old boy with a horrific facial deformity. August “Auggie” Pullman wants to be normal but no matter how hard he tries, a visit to the playground, going out for ice cream or even walking down the street becomes a show, a freak show, with him centre stage as the main attraction.

Just as August is becoming comfortable with his life, his parents announce that he will be starting school. For August, he feels like “a lamb to the slaughter”. All of Auggie’s life, people have stared and children have run away in fright. What will happen when he faces a school full of strangers for the first time? What will August have to go through to show his classmates he is no different from them? In this heart-felt novel, Auggie’s new adventure makes the reader laugh, cry and most importantly make the reader think about the things we take for granted and the challenges that others have to overcome.

 

Wonder isn’t just about Auggie and his facial deformity. R.J Palacio has portrayed many issues throughout the novel, such as young love, coping with the death of a loved one, bullying, sibling rivalry, peer pressure and the importance of friendship. Wonder also teaches that, “Heroes are made by the paths we choose, not the powers we are graced with.”

Brodi Ashton, novelist.

 

I loved Wonder and my rating would be 4 out of 5 stars. R.J Palacio’s use of clever language, fantastic writing techniques and emotion-packed sentences, keeps the reader interested at all times. I recommend this book for people aged 10 and up who are looking for an inspiring, uplifting and warm story that will have readers laughing one minute and crying the next.

 

Katie R, Year 9

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“Mummy, why does that boy’s face look all weird?”

     

      Have you ever been asked this? No? Well, August Pullman has.

      Auggie, as his friends call him, wants to be an ordinary boy. He does ordinary things, he’s friends with ordinary people and he is an ordinary boy but only on the inside. Auggie was born with a facial deformation, the kind that scares little kids and attracts the unwanted attention of many.

      Star Wars obsessed Auggie was home-schooled for the first ten years of his life due to the surgeries he needed. Now that he doesn’t need another surgery for a while, his mother has decided it was time for Auggie to go to school. He’s been shielded from most of the negativity and brutality of the outside world. Auggie is going to be thrown head first into a school full of kids that don’t care what they say and he’s not looking forward to it. Auggie wants nothing more than to be accepted by his peers for the way he is, I mean, is that so much to ask for?

     “Wonder” is a phenomenal book written by R.J. Palacio. It was captivating and immensely powerful. It’s such an easy to relate to book, even if you don’t have a massive face deformation, in a way that it makes you understand how Auggie feels, which makes it even more compelling. This book teaches you so many lessons such as never to judge someone by the way they look. Society today is willing to throw someone under the bus for being different. R.J. Palacio has written this book in such a direct and unpretentious manner that it’s not difficult to understand. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while.

      ‘Wonder’ is a powerful and well-written story that I would recommend to anyone between the ages of 11-16. No matter what genre you prefer, this book will capture your heart and make you want to read it again and again.

 

– Dita.L, Year 9

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“What’s the deal with your face?”

August Pullman does not have an easy life, getting weird looks from everyone around him and from all the surgeries he has had. But after all the years August has been home-schooled, August is going to school for the first time.

August is starting school at Breecher Prep for 5th grade, just like everyone else. But the problem is that no one wants to be around August because of his looks. August is worried about how other people may treat him. He knows what people say behind his back: ‘Freak’, ‘Monster’, ‘Lizard boy’. But August finds some friends, Jack and Summer. But after one day, the friendship starts to break apart.

Even though he has had 27 surgeries, all August has ever wanted is to be normal and to be treated like an ordinary 10-year-old boy.

‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio is a perfect example of how people get bullied, and how the victim gets treated. It shows how people think about each other and how they want to fit in. Wonder also shows what other people think of August and what happens to the people closest to August, like his sister, Via. It shows how her life is affected by August. Wonder shows how not only August got bullied, but how Jack and Summer start to get judged and bullied by other people in the school.

R.J. Palacio created a magnificent book that shows love, loneliness, sadness and judgment. He creates a perfect example of what a child’s life could be.

Reading ‘Wonder’ made me happy and I wanted to read on. Wonder is a heart and mind book and I would recommend this book to anyone of any age because it is perfect. I would rate this book 5/5 star.

Ruby, Year 9

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Posted October 28, 2013 by marjk in category Realistic fiction, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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