Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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Wonder
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BOTM for April - WONDER
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My library has this one so I'm in!
I just placed a request at my library - I've been wanting to read this, so yay!
This is a fantastic choice, and I'm not just saying that because of all the Star Wars references in the book.
Woohoo! I have this one. When I taught fifth grade (briefly) last year, I was given a free copy! Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts.
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I stayed up last night till four reading Wonder. It's been on my TBR list for awhile, so I was happy to see it nominated. I worked in Special Ed. and was an EI teacher for years, so I have a natural interest in works featuring individuals with special needs.
August's story elicited some strong emotions. I think partly b/c I identified him with a five year old boy in the mainstreamed school I taught in. The difference is, August didn't have the opportunity to start school young like this boy did. Also, the boy's peers were in a mainstreamed environment, so they were used to children who might look or act differently than them.
I'll never forget when my supervisor introduced him to the class (he started the year late). The children included this cheerful, fun boy into their play, no questions asked. After the boy left, my supervisor spoke to them, and asked if anyone had anything to say about their new friend. Some kids noted what a tall tower he could build, that he laughed a lot, had shoes with lights, etc.
Not one kid asked about his face, or even why he didn't have a nose.
Of course, if August was in school from a young age, his story wouldn't have been as poignant.
I don't have an agenda to push mainstreaming, but when I read his story last night, it shook me up and brought back this incident -- which says for itself how mainstreamed kids truly come to see the real person.
August's story is one that needs to be told. So many children (and adults) don't have the experience of mainstreaming, and are downright scared when they encounter someone different than them. Wonder is a safe way for readers to become comfortable with others that are different, and face on their own insecurities. Further, at some level many middle graders can relate to August's self- consciousness.
And his humor and charm prove it is worth the while to scratch beneath the surface!
L.R. wrote: "I stayed up last night till four reading Wonder. It's been on my TBR list for awhile, so I was happy to see it nominated. I worked in Special Ed. and was an EI teacher for years, so I have a natur..."
Great insights, L.R. I had my both my boys read this the summer it came out because I thought seeing the world from Auggie's POV would help them empathize with real world people they meet with disabilities. To understand that inside we all want the same things -- to know and be known for who we are.
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I read Wonder a couple of months ago and loved it. For me, my favorite part was that there wasn't just August's POV, but also his sister's and it dealt with what it's like to be the sibling of someone with a deformity. Not that August's POV wasn't awesome. But having the different POV's gave the story a whole new dimension because there is a lot of emotions and thoughts going on all around someone with physical differences. For the person and those close to them.
Autumn wrote: "I read Wonder a couple of months ago and loved it. For me, my favorite part was that there wasn't just August's POV, but also his sister's and it dealt with what it's like to be the sibling of some..."I enjoyed all the POV,and what they contributed to the story, but (besides August's) none of the others were as raw as hers. Her conflicted emotions were so authentic -- and from my experience at least, quite common for kids with siblings w/ illnesses or special needs to harbor.
M.G. wrote: ...I had my both my boys read this the summer it came out because I thought seeing the world from Auggie's POV would help them empathize with real world people they meet with disabilities. To understand that inside we all want the same things -- to know and be known for who we are. "M.G., when kids have parents with sensitivities such as yours, I think by osmosis they will likely come to share these attitudes.
David wrote: "This post contains spoilers. I'm hoping they are hidden below...[spoilers removed]"
Hmmm. I didn't think of that. Probably because while that's something that onlookers could be rooting for, that's not always how life works out. And Palacio was doing a wonderful job with taking things that could be super dramatic and toning them down so that they were more on a real life level. Not that there wasn't drama, it was just all believable. And there are people who learn nothing. So I feel like that was very intentionally done, with that feeling of "Why wasn't there more?"
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I loved Wonder, and especially enjoyed the multiple viewpoints. It's been a while since I read it (last year). I do remember wishing for the antagonist's POV. I don't remember his name now, but I would have liked to know his motivation for treating Auggie so horribly. Overall, it was a great book!
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Rebecca wrote: "That's a great point, Dawn! Justin could have been something a little more 3-dimensional. I finished the book yesterday, and I did feel like the final scene was a little over the top."The final scene was over the top. However, I do like how Palacio had the character say that he didn't deserve it, and that getting through fifth grade was difficult for any kid.
I really enjoyed this book very much. I liked the different view points and thought that it showed each character's thoughts and feelings very well.
Melissa wrote: "I really enjoyed this book very much. I liked the different view points and thought that it showed each character's thoughts and feelings very well."I really liked all the different POV as well. Staying in Auggie's head for the whole book would have made for a more intense, but not necessarily better read for the story's intended audience. And I agree with what you (and L.R. said earlier), about how authentic the other characters were. I think the other characters help us come to terms with the feelings and reactions any of us might have had, in an honest way.
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I agree that it would have been helpful to see Julian's POV. I guess we get a clue when we learn about his mother, though. What a piece of work she is. Maybe Julian will escape her influence later, but he can't really learn & grow to be a better person while still her little boy.I loved the book for all the reasons you-all did, but I have one quibble/ question. Is is plausible that the 10-11 year-old kids would be so insightful, so articulate about their feelings and those of their family and friends? They seem awfully sophisticated/ wise to me....
I do like how Auggie, at the end, says surviving 5th grade is an accomplishment for anyone. I, personally, think that Jack Will, or maybe Summer, should have gotten that award. Maybe even the two Maxes - I really wanted to get to know them better.
I liked that it took place in the city - not so much about backyards, malls, cars and bicycles, but more about walking to little shops and taking the subway to further places.
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As for being a little unrealistically articulate and insightful, I think that's pretty standard with middle grade narrators. A little stretching of reality to make it work, since too much realism on that front wouldn't make a very good story.
Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I agree that it would have been helpful to see Julian's POV. I guess we get a clue when we learn about his mother, though. What a piece of work she is."I too thought that pretty much explains his attitude. I actually thought that the mother's reaction was so dramatically politically incorrect that it was implausible -- my own reaction when I read her's was "Come on, they don't make mothers like that anymore in this day and age!"
(Well, I hope.)
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I too thought that..."
I fear they probably do. I know that a few years ago when my Eldest Son was in 3rd grade, the teacher discovered there was a "club" based on hating one of the girls in the class. She prohibited the members from participating in the pre-Christmas gingerbread house building project. Several of the parents filed formal complaints with the principal.
Rebecca wrote:"the teacher discovered there was a "club" based on hating one of the girls in the class. She prohibited the members from participating in the pre-Christmas gingerbread house building project. Several of the parents filed formal complaints with the principal."If the children got the impression their parents were o.k. with their hateful behavior, its so sad.
That being said, I don't quite understand the teacher's tactics. Of course the issue demanded attention, but perhaps one less punitive in nature. Her method was bound to build up more resentment toward that girl.
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You may have a point. But there are so few sanctions a teacher can dish out. And there' s no question the message the parents gave was that it was okay. If my kid had been involved, I think my response would have been "you made her miserable for weeks. You can live through being left out once."
Rebecca wrote: "I think my response would have been "you made her miserable for weeks. You can live through being left out once."Tough love:)
Well said.
Too bad you couldn't surreptitiously implant it into the minds of the other parents.
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Tough love:)
Well said.
Too bad you couldn't surreptitiously imp..."
Well, to be honest, it's easy to think that when I've never had to face the issue. My kids have stayed away from that stuff, except for a few years when Eldest Son was the victim of some bullying. So I suspect my sympathies for the bullies don't run very deep :)
Dawn wrote: "I do remember wishing for the antagonist's POV..." Check out what I just saw -- The Julian Chapter!
http://tinyurl.com/p3ly9y6 (Link to the Publisher's Weekly)
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Check out what I just saw -- The Julian Chapter!
http://tinyurl.com/p3ly9y6 (Link to the Publisher's Weekly)"
That is cool! I can't wait to see how she handles him.
L.R. wrote: "Dawn wrote: "I do remember wishing for the antagonist's POV..." Check out what I just saw -- The Julian Chapter!
http://tinyurl.com/p3ly9y6 (Link to the Publisher's Weekly)"
Fantastic interview! I can't wait to read!
I keep seeing this book cover posted around the place, and I've been curious to know a bit more about it. After reading some of the comments here, I've added it to my To Read list. Since I deal with bullying a bit in my books, I'm sure I'll be able to learn something from it, too.
Hide spoilers by typing < spoiler > at the beginning (no spaces) and < \spoiler > at the end (no spaces) and Goodreads magically turns it into a link and hides it. (Thanks to Emily for explaining this last month!) I'm looking forward to some great discussion!
The GoodReads description of this highly acclaimed, award winning book:
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.