Wonder is a book about a ten-year-old boy called August, or Auggie, who feels normal but looks very different.
What's Wonder about?
Auggie lives with his parents and sister in New York. He is a normal boy in many ways. He rides a bike and likes playing with his Xbox. But Auggie has deformities (畸形) of the face and looks very different from other children. At the start of the book, he tells us, "My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." In the street, people look at Auggie and are frightened.
Auggie has never been to school because he has spent a lot of time in hospital. His mother teaches him at home, but now he's ten, and she thinks he should go to school. At first, Auggie doesn't want to go. He worries that other students will look at him and say terrible things. But when he visits a school with his mum, he likes the headteacher and decides to go. Auggie's first year at school has good times and bad times. He makes some good friends but other children are rude to him. At the end of the year, Auggie goes on a school trip and a frightening event there changes things completely.
Is it a good book?
Wonder is an excellent book. It tells an exciting story that makes you feel many different emotions. It is easy to like Auggie. He has a good sense of humour, so the book has a good mix of funny and sad moments. But the book isn't just about Auggie. We also learn what life is like for his sister, and his friend, Jack. Wonder is popular with people of all ages. Pre-teens, teenagers and adults all love the book.
A best-seller
Wonder is R.J. Palacio's first book. On her website, she explains that she had the idea for Wonder after seeing a girl with deformities on the street one day. Many schools use the book to start discussions about bullying, friendship and being different. The book is very popular and has won prizes. Many people are looking forward to seeing what R.J. Palacio writes next.
