Wonder part 2

                Wouldn’t it be great to know what other people thought about you? I know I would love that sometimes. What do people really think about when they meet me or after they spend time with me. In Wonder, R.J. Palacio, allows the reader to hear from different characters, not just the main character. The reader reads about that character’s life and how they interact with the main character. In the second part of Wonder you hear from Jack Will and how he is trying to repair his relationship with August. Because Jack still wants to be friends with August and he punched Julian in the face, people started a war between the boys. This is fifth grade, should there really be any kind of war or bad blood between students? If this is what it is going to be like every year for August and his friends, well school is going to feel really long.

              The next character we get to hear from is Olivia’s boyfriend, Justin. I thought this was a very minor character to put into the story. I think that it is a very interesting chose to put this character into the book because he gets to not only interact with Olivia, but August as well. I don’t think Olivia really prepared Justin very well for meeting her brother, he seemed very surprised by seeing him. One of the lines that I think stuck out the most in Justin’s chapters was when he was remembering what Miranda told him she said, “the universe was not kind to auggie Pullman.” She is right, the universe was not very kind to Auggie.

             After we hear from Justin we hear from August again. Auggie ends up getting hearing aids because he is starting to lose his hearing. He does not like them at first because it would be another thing to make him standout, but it turns out that he really likes them. Then Auggie’s dog Daisy dies. Daisy was always there for Auggie, and there to comfort him. Losing Daisy was really hard for Auggie and the rest of the family. Another big part in the book was when Auggie and Olivia’s mom finds out that Olivia is going to be in a play. The problem is that Olivia did not want anyone from her family to go. She knew if her family went then Auggie would be there and she is trying to keep her home and school life separate. She never came out and said the reason she did not want her family there because of August, but it was very much implied. They did end up going to the play, and Olivia did great. One of the most touching scenes in the book was at the end. At the end of the book, Auggie goes on a weekend trip with his class and there are other schools there too. Some seventh-grade students from another school start making fun of Auggie. Auggie stands up for himself and Jack, but that does not stop the seventh graders. Some other fifth grade students that are not really friends with Auggie come by and help him. They end up running away. The most significant part was that when they came back to finish watching the movie everything had changed between the other fifth grade students and Auggie. They saw Auggie as one of them. At the end of fifth grade they have a graduation and at the graduation Auggie receives an award called the Henry Ward Beecher medal which is about recognizing greatness. When he gets this award, people start clapping and giving him a standing ovation. Then at the very end his mom says something so touching. She says “Thank you, Auggie,” …”For everything you’ve given us. For coming into out lives. For being you. You really are a wonder, Auggie. You are a wonder.” Sometimes having a parent say something to you that is heartfelt is worth much more than an award.

           As I was reading this book, I was trying to come up with an ideas for assignments, but I got so into the book I sort of forgot. I think that sometimes just reading the book and having a discussion is all you need, especially for a great book like Wonder.  I think that different parts of the book, split up into characters, could be a great assignment. What I was thinking is for students to write themselves into the book as a character. How did they meet August? What is their relationship with him? How did they see him when they first meet? How do they see him now? As a friend? As weird? What is something that they learned by being friends with August? Does their perception of people with disabilities change after meeting someone with a disability or deformation? I think this activity would get students thinking and get them to be creative. I also like the assignment the teacher had the students do in the book. The teacher had students write their own precepts. I think having students do this activity gets them thinking about what they find important in life and something they feel can be inspirational.

          I loved this book. I could go for hours talking about all the parts I loved, that made me sad or made me laugh. I think that this is a book all students should read because it is so great and very inspirational.