23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Require This One!,
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Wonder (Kindle Edition)
RJ Palacio's "Wonder" should be required reading in the middle grades. The book is told by multiple narrators, so we get to know a lot of feelings and how some misunderstandings develop.
The most important character is August Pullman, a child with severe facial deformities. He has been home-schooled, but now that he's ready for middle school (5th grade in this book), his parents encourage him to try a private school.
Auggie is not too enthused, but he goes along for a "look-see" visit. The counselor and principal have set up some student guides that they can count on to make Auggie feel at home. The visit goes fairly well, and Auggie begins his journey.
He quickly finds out the importance of where you sit at lunch (table = social status). When no one else will sit with him, Summer walks over. They become friends by talking to one another. Summer thinks Auggie is funny. She sees more in him than a face.
Palacio gives us the full gamut of middle schoolers, from the "plague" if you touch the wrong person to the excitement over class projects. The lesson here is kindness. Why not choose kindness when you can?
I like it that Palacio also gives Auggie's older sister, Via, a voice. She has been pushed into the background due to Auggie's various needs and operations. In high school, maybe no one will even care that her brother is Auggie?
Children can learn to get along and to quit bullying. As more and more kids are mainstreamed, it is important for these issues to be talked about. From wheelchairs to feeding tubes to kids with autism--no one should be made afraid at school.