The children’s book Wonder by R.J. Palacio, centers around 5th grader Auggie Pullman. Auggie has never attended school before his 5th grade year because of an extreme facial deformity, which makes his face look like “his features … have been melted.” Wonder is the story of his classmates, his family, and Auggie himself learning about acceptance, belonging, forgiveness, tolerance, and friendship. At first, Auggie’s classmates don’t seem to be able to get past his facial deformity, and he feels it is all they see when they look at him. Meanwhile, Auggie’s high school-aged sister, Olivia, is having issues of her own, but since Auggie has always, necessarily, been the center of attention at home, Olivia must figure out how best to handle the teenage drama with which she is dealing.
Halloween has always been Auggie’s favorite holiday, since it is the one day you have permission to hide behind a mask. This year, though, when Auggie comes to school, disguised by a mask, he makes some unsettling discoveries about how his classmates really feel about him. How he deals with these discoveries, and how the rest of his 5th grade year goes is for you to discover when you check Wonder out from our church library.
Natalie Panshin, February 2014