A Book Report

Don’t judge a book boy by its cover. his looks

 Wonder
R.J. Palacio
Setting
“I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.”
–August Pullman
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?

Overview
Wonder is a wonderful book, )I don’t think there is a better way to describe it!( It
just shows you the hard truth of the way we, as humans, vision the world. It is
one of the most profound and beautifully written books; the narrative will make
you laugh and cry, as it follows young August in his journey, across the ups &
downs and the twists & turns that he has yet to face, the way the story was
written also played a played a part on how we picture small little Auggie as life
shows him what a horrible person it might be, we also get to travel down the
lane of memories and remember what is it like to be a kid struggling through the
daily troubles of middle school what is it like to face bullies and conquer through
what seemed at that time the impossible.

Themes
The whole story was divided to eight parts although it is primarily told from
August’s perspective; it switches to a few other points of view. With a total of six
different voices, every person offered an insight into August’s beautiful
personality and amazing life in a way that would be impossible to otherwise
know, makes the story more real for all kinds of readers. Not everyone sees
August in the same light, and each has their own way of coming to understand
and love him. Each part had a quote of a book in the very beginning of it; there
are references to books like: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, lines
from Shakespeare's Hamlet, and one of the most profound quotes from Lewis'
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and all the quotes are meaningfully
connected with the characters.
The story mostly takes place in August’s new school and his home which gives
you an insight of what a fifth grader’s life mainly consists of, but one of the things
that stood out was the English teacher at August’s new school, Mr. Browne’s
'precepts' which are a kind of motto for his class to follow each month, another
great idea that is subtle but so effective, the author also gives you the full list of
precepts at the end of a book.

Story and Plot

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a genetic defect that changed his face.
He and his family are perfectly aware of the attention he attracts, and the
decision to send him to 'outside school' for the first time in Grade 5 was not taken
lightly. This is the story of August's life through middle school, and it is an
unbelievably inspiring, life-changing journey. If you remember how terrifying it
was to be a kid on a day to day basis, you’ll appreciate August’s story. 10-year-
old Auggie is going to school for the first time in his life, and he has to navigate
new rules, learn to interact with teachers, and figure out how to make new
friends. In addition, he also has a severe facial deformity that stops strangers in
their tracks, so all the usual perils of the fifth grade take on even more
heightened stakes.
The story is told from different perspectives of the different children in August's
class; you could see how the other children perceived his disfigurement, and
some never mentioned the issue and others have burning questions which they
are not sure how to ask. Others' points of view are interspersed with his own, and
it's beautiful to see his character grow: what a transformation from the
beginning to the end; what a lot he has to go through. Initially he shows us an
excusable frustration with his condition and people's reaction to it, and his
middle childhood growing pains are so much more acute than those of others.
But more than this, we see the strength of his loving family which nurtures in him
the qualities that make him so special: courage, kindness, friendship, character,
helping him become someone truly great, someone "whose strength carries up
the most hearts by the attraction of his own."
August’s smart, funny personality will win over readers who will agonize with him
over the complicated web of friendships and family even as they cheer for him
as he learns some of life’s big and scary lessons. Even with a positive attitude
and smart, loving parents, however, August’s story is not an easy one to read
and emotions will run wildly from sadness to hilarity to terrible anger at what
happens to him. Not all kids are nice. Some kids behave one way in front of
adults and another way in front of kids. Some adults are downright cruel. And
just when you think life can’t possibly get any harder or more challenging,
sometimes it does.
Characters

August has always felt like a bit of an outsider compared

to his peers; he's undergone countless operations and
has been home-schooled all his life. Needless to say,
when he and his family make the decision for him to
start 5th grade in public school, he didn't exactly warm
August Pullman to the idea at first. August has the ability to cope, to be
genuinely happy and make a comedy out of his
situation. August faced many mixed reactions when
starting school; there were lots of supportive people and
an equal number of not so supportive people but he
never let that stop him from having the best of times.

Olivia has been through a lot as August's elder sister, and

though she's one of the most generous, loving sisters
ever, the pressures of high school are taking their toll. But
for her brief moments of weakness she more than makes
up with a determination to start over that makes this
Olivia (Via) Pullman
story inspiring and relevant for every teen. As one of her
most memorable sayings was "My worst day, worst fall,
worst headache, worst bruise, worst cramp, worst mean
thing anyone could say has always been nothing
compared to what August has gone through” which
shows you how much she cares for her little brother.

Jack is a kid who has cause to regret a friendship

bungle, and who, in the process, learns so much about
Jack Will the kind of person he wants to be. He discovers what is
important and what is vulnerable in his short 10-year-old
life all because of August.

Summer is one of those extraordinary kids who observe

with their heart and are not afraid to act, as she is one of
the first people to approach August, it might have been
Summer Dawson
out of pity in the beginning but as the days go by and
she discovers what kind of a wonderful person August is,
a true friendship is born.
 Olivia's old friend, perhaps has it hardest of them all, and
her difficulties seem set to ruin her life. Yet she is one of
Miranda
the few who have always seen August as the wonder he
truly is, and because of him she finds her way home.

Olivia's new boyfriend, is an easy-going, down to earth

character, yet somehow his simplicity allows him to
perceive things at a deeper level than most. His
Justin thoughts about whether 'the universe' was really unkind
to August Pullman had a perfect conclusion. As he
thought “It (the universe) care of its most fragile
creations in ways we can’t see”

Evaluation and impression

What can I say? Where do I begin? How do I express what reading this book
made me feel? It's not a book, it's a journey. It's a tragedy and a comedy and
true and false at the same time. I feel the need to mention the fact that this is a
children’s book, ages 7-11, but even if you are in your 70’s sitting on an old
rocking chair you should read this, because this book shows you the truth about
how we see people.

Because it's true, the thoughts and ideas in this book challenge your perception
of today's society. There is so much focus on body-image and peer pressure in
the media, by reading this you get a chance to take a step back and re-
evaluate your own worries about body image by listening to someone who
deals with the daily stares and crude remarks from the public. In fact, what is
truly important can only be felt with the heart – love, friendship and truth. “The
most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with
the heart.” ―Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince. These are the values that can build
relationships and create a harmonious society. Can today’s generation also
learn from them and discover what is truly important? This is the key to our
happiness and our future.
 "Be kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be
kinder than needed." Palacio's words will teach you to always be kind to
everybody you meet, because equality matters. And August's right, I don't want
to imagine him. I don't want to avert my eyes from his face. I don't want to hurt
his feelings and feel like I behaved like all the other people did. But
you know that it would happen if you saw him. That's the strength of this book. It
makes you realize how superficial we truly are even when we profess not to be.

Author
R. J. Palacio lives in New York City with her
husband, two sons, and two dogs. For more
than twenty years, she was an art director
and graphic designer, designing book
jackets for other people while waiting for
the perfect time in her life to start writing her
own novel. But one day several years ago,
a chance encounter with an extraordinary
child in front of an ice cream store made R.
J. realize that the perfect time to write that
novel had finally come. Wonder is her first and only book.

“no, no, it's not all random, if it really was all random, the universe would abandon us
completely. and the universe doesn't. it takes care of its most fragile creations in ways
we can't see. like with parents who adore you blindly. and a big sister who feels guilty
for being human over you. and a little gravelly-voiced kid whose friends have left him
over you. and even a pink-haired girl who carries your picture in her wallet. maybe it is
a lottery, but the universe makes it all even out in the end. the universe takes care of
all its birds.” –Justin about whether 'the universe' was really unkind to August Pullman.

“The best way to measure how much you've grown isn't “...YOUR DEEDS ARE LIKE
by inches or the number of laps you can now run
around the track, or even your grade point average-
YOUR MONUMENTS. BUILT
though those things are important, to be sure. It's what WITH MEMORIES INSTEAD
you've done with your time, how you've chosen to
OF STONE.”
spend your days, and whom you've touched this year.
That, to me, is the greatest measure of success.” - August Pullman

August Pullman