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Readers!
I hope you had an enjoyable summer break. While I am a deep lover of the sun and open and free days of the summer season, there is always something exciting about an approaching fall and the start of a new year. I know its isn’t always exciting. New year means new growth, new changes, new people, all things we will get into with our September book, Wonder by R. J. Palacio
.There is definitely a TON of hype around this book when it came out 10 years ago and still to this day really. This book was inspired by a real life incident with the author and her son. Upon seeing another child with a facial deformity Palacio’s son broke out into tears and Palacio thought a few things. One, that she didn’t handle the situation well, and two, that this way a great opportunity to think about the perspective and story of someone with this genetic condition. A song by singer Natalie Merchant called Wonder was also a major inspiration. Before you read any further in the book. I would encourage you to listen to the song and the lyrics and think about the message and how it connects to this book.
Summary (p. 1-80)
In this section we met August (Auggie) Pullman, a 10 year old boy from upper Manhattan. A genetic condition and countless surgeries has left him with a facial deformity. After being homeschooled for his whole life, Auggie starts middle school. Yikes! I mean, middle school is already pretty rough. It is safe to say Auggie leans a lot about himself and how others really are.
Vocab words
A couple of good words to know. Schlep is my favorite. I probably overuse it!
Choose Kind
Choose kind was a precept from Auggie’s English teacher. The quote is: “If you have a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind." This concept was meant to set the tone for the school year. It was meant to help kids when they ask themselves, how should I be? What kind of person do I want to become? It is also a main theme or topic in this novel. I am happy to say, this concept was not limited to the world of the novel. In fact, it started a bit of a movement. Kids and classrooms across the country organized to act and spread kindness.
I know this isn’t a typical “classroom” but I still have an idea to put this idea into practice. Every Time you do an act of kindness, put a piece of paper in a jar. If it’s a small act like holding the door open, rate that a 1 or 2. If you help someone who needs it thats a 5 or 6. Pick a number like 100 that you want to reach. You and your parents can decide what happens when you reach that.
Discussion Questions
Why does Auggie choose not to describe himself?
Do you think that not describing himself is better or worse for the story?
What factors lead Auggie to agree to go to school?
What are some of the behaviors Auggie notices that people do around him?
What does “If you have a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind" mean to you?
Wonder 1/4