Wonder (Wonder #1) by R.J. Palacio

I know I’m not an ordinary ten-year-old kid…I know ordinary kids don’t make other kids run away screaming in playgrounds.  I know ordinary kids don’t get scared at wherever they go.  My name is August, by the way, I won’t describe what I look like.  Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August may not look like an ordinary kid, but he loves to do things that ordinary kids like to do such as play games, joke with friends, and do things with family.  He was born with a facial malformation and has undergone extensive, painful surgeries that have eventually improved many factors of this life.  However, the kids at his new school don’t understand why August is different.  As August says, “They were just being normal dumb kids.”

You see August has been homeschooled by his mother all his life and his parents finally decided that it may be beneficial for August to go to school and try to interact with kids his own age.   At first, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but he made a few friends and he really liked going to school, until he runs into some problems that may change his mind.

This book is ultimately about August and how life affects him and is not only written in his point of view but in other points of view such as his sister Via, his new friend Jack and Summer, and others he meets on the way which are very important to the story as well.

How can I express my feelings for this book?  It is funny, moving, and thought-provoking.  It is wonderfully written and the characters are real.  I recommend that everyone of all ages read this book and hopefully it will make you reflect on your life and how you feel about yourself and others.  One could only hope to become the person that August is.  August is cool beans!

Thank you to R.J. Palacio, Random House Children’s Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.   Ms. Palacio’s blog is at http://rjpalacio.tumblr.com/.  Wonder is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many other bookstores.

Wonder Series

   1. Wonder (2012)
   The Julian Chapter (2014)
   2. 365 Days of Wonder (2014)
   Pluto (2015)
   Shingaling (2015)
   Wonder Journal (2015)
   Auggie & Me (2015)
   White Bird (2017)
   We’re All Wonders (2017)
   Choose Kind Journal (2019)