From the Bookshelf of Erudite Readers…

Wonder (Wonder, #1)

R.J. Palacio

Start date: December 1, 2012

Finish date: December 31, 2012

Discussion: Monthly Reads!

Discussion leader: Jon

Why we're reading this: I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman …more
[close] I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

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Monthly Reads!

March 2013 Nomination Thread
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What Members Thought

May 14, 2012 Mike Mullin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favorites

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Among the best novels I've ever read--note I didn't say best middle-grade novels. This story is so powerful, so beautifully told that it transcends genre. I recommend it for middle-grade students. I recommend it for teenagers. I recommend it for adults--even if you've never read a middle-grade novel, even if you've read and hated middle-grade novels, try this one.

A few months ago, after reading a string of YA novels that equated inner beauty with exterior (an infuri Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Among the best novels I've ever read--note I didn't say best middle-grade novels. This story is so powerful, so beautifully told that it transcends genre. I recommend it for middle-grade students. I recommend it for teenagers. I recommend it for adults--even if you've never read a middle-grade novel, even if you've read and hated middle-grade novels, try this one.

A few months ago, after reading a string of YA novels that equated inner beauty with exterior (an infuriating and lazy trope that has infected YA like, well, vampirism), I spent a few fruitless moments raging at the universe, asking where was the brilliant fiction about ugly people. Normally the universe ignores my rants. In this case, however, the universe dropped WONDER into my lap. (Actually I checked it out from my local library. If the universe had literally dropped it into my lap, I imagine that would have hurt. The universe is nothing if not really, really tall. But having read the library copy, I'm going to buy two tomorrow. One for my wife's fourth-grade classroom, and one for me to keep and re-read. It's so good that I want Ms. Palacio to get paid twice.)

August Pullman was born with a facial deformity so severe that it and the necessary surgeries prevented him from attending school until the fifth grade. And so his first day at school isn't as one of a flock of terrified kindergarteners--instead, he becomes the chum in the shark tank of middle school. What follows is a beautiful, heart-breaking, terrifying, and funny tale about an extraordinary kid, bullying, and, ultimately, the wondrous power of kindness.

The writing is perfect for the story--simple yet lovely, with not an extra word or chapter to mar it. Last year I had a brief conversation with Bruce Coville, in which I argued that a young adult novel with five points-of-view likely wouldn't work or sell, and Bruce argued that I was wrong. Well, I was wrong. (Duh, I know, this was BRUCE FREAKING COVILLE--of course he knows far more about this topic than I!) Anyway, Palacio uses SIX POV characters to get her story across, and does it so seamlessly that there's never a moment where I wondered why she switched viewpoints, or wished she'd get back into Augie's head--although she does, wisely, both begin and end the novel in his perspective.

And Palacio doesn't stop transcending genre tropes there, either. There are parents in this book. Lovely, caring parents, of the sort you either had or wish you did. If you've read much YA or middle-grade fiction recently, you know how rare and therefore precious this is.

So, I know this is a random collection of fanboy raving, and I should really wait to hit Save until I've gone back and edited this review a little, but then you'd have to wait to find out how awesome WONDER is and START READING IT FOR YOURSELF! So I'll clean this up later and repost here and on my blog. In the meantime, why are you still reading this? You could be reading WONDER! ...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Michele C rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, favorite-books-of-2012

Amazing book that I would recommend for everyone to read at least once! If it was possible I would no doubt give this book six stars!

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Aug 10, 2013 Yuman rated it it was ok

pretty good, but a bit unrealistic. I liked the book, it was cheerful and light, but there were some things that stuck out to me and bothered me:
1) first off, August keeps insisting that he's "normal on the inside", and wants to be treated like a regular, ordinary kid, and is apparently upset with his parents sometimes because they pretend that he doesn't understand the meaning behind their sentences. Yet, he always makes them baby him. He insists they go home immediately whenever he wishes; he pretty good, but a bit unrealistic. I liked the book, it was cheerful and light, but there were some things that stuck out to me and bothered me:
1) first off, August keeps insisting that he's "normal on the inside", and wants to be treated like a regular, ordinary kid, and is apparently upset with his parents sometimes because they pretend that he doesn't understand the meaning behind their sentences. Yet, he always makes them baby him. He insists they go home immediately whenever he wishes; he insists that his family do what he wants; he thinks he can just say the word and his parents will immediately obey and in fact pull him completely out of school, without consideration for anyone. Although this isn't a central trait of his, it does seem to me that he can be a bit of a brat.
2) totally unrealistic. I mean really? In real life to you really think what happened overnight with August at camp would really happen? Maybe one kid would defend them, but not everyone will jump on the bandwagon so quick! And at the end of the year speech... what was this all about? August may be the main character, but that doesn't mean he gets all the prizes and references and popularity. When Mr. Tushman introduced the award, I thought it was rightfully deserved by Jack. Yet, because August was the main character and had a deformity, and so had to endure bullying, he happened to end up with the Fantastic student character award. And yet, all of the hardships were brought upon him, not like Jack, who really deserved it for willfully facing the prejudice against August.
3) It was like because August's the main character, we'll solve his problem by giving him a successful year, make everyone happy for August, and then just leave everyone else's problems hanging in midair. I mean, what happened to Miranda's depression and problem with school friends and family. It seems like the only person she loved was August, and the rest of her life depressed her, and August isnt even in her family! So they made August happy, and bam she's out of the story now, because August is happy, so let's just end the book. No sense of closure. Don't get me started on everybody else. What about Jack? Jack deserves some credit, he was an amazing friend and had wonderful character! He is poor too, so what about his problems? He deserved the award, not August for having a deformity, for goodness' sake! And Justin. Justin is miserable, but he randomly gets into their family, is okay with August's face right away, and then August is happy and the book ends and he gets lost. Did Justin ever find a solution or a better life. Did he solve his problems with his mother? No! It's like everyone revolves only on August. In the book, nobody handles their own problems. They just handle August's. Then the rest of their miserable lives go on, as long as their friends August makes out okay. You can't do that! What kind of author cares ONLY about the main character, but not the people of his life?
4) The point-of-views were interesting. Via's and Jack's and maybe even Summer's were necessary, but how does Justin fit in to this loop of people close to August. Did we even need him? No. His point-of-view was extremely unnecessary, a waste of time, and I only read through his in case a new event came up during his point-of-view. I don't think Miranda's was really necessary either.

So that's that. Let me just mention AGAIN that this was an extremely unrealistic story. In real life, August would not have gotten the award, not EVERYONE would have become his friend just because persevered through the bullying because he's got a deformity, and what was up with Julian's quote: Sometimes it's good to start over.? Aee you kidding me? You mean after all of that proving that Julian had a rotten personality, you're actually gonna say he "learned his lesson". Life is NOT like that. Reality Check people!

so yes, I liked it. I cant say it was believable, but it was definitely a happy, light, optimistic read (exactly what I was looking for) that encouraged people to be kind and that God would reward you in the end; just persevere with patience. ...more

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Nov 24, 2015 Caedy Eries rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, social-issues, library, kindle, 2015-challenge

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Format: Paperback
Pages: 315
Date(s) Read: November 20-23, 2015
Rating: 4

Summary:
August Pullman is not your ordinary ten-year-old. Ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run from them on the playground. Auggie was born with a terrible facial defect. He's been homeschooled for his whole life, and for the first time he is being sent to a real school. He wants to be accepted, but will he be?

Review:

Wonder is one of those books that will resonate with anyone tha ...more

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