Wonder was a sensation when it was first published in 2012, and the story of Auggie and his fight to be accepted as a normal boy has now hit the big screen in a movie starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Daveed Diggs, and Mandy Patinkin. This is a special film tie-in edition. Frank, powerful, warm and often heart-breaking, Wonder is a book you'll read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page. This is a wonderful debut from a storyteller with a great future if this book is anything to go by and her characters are intensely likeable.
'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.'
Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all? Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.
'Remarkable . . . It has the power to move hearts and change minds' Guardian
Incredibly charming, brutal and brilliant' Observer
'It wreaks emotional havoc . . . To finish it with a firm resolve to be a better person - well, you can't ask much more of any book than that' Independent
'When the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it. Everybody should' Financial Times
'What a gem of a story. Moving and heart-warming. This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me cry' - Malorie Blackman
‘An uplifting, hopeful and important book.’ - The Bookseller
'A story of intense action and intense introspection . . . a beautifully told lesson in empathy that requires that the reader find sympathy for each of the principle actors in the story. Palacio is a wonderful storyteller and her characters are bright, well-rounded and intensely likeable. Wonder is a beautiful book that is full of sorrow and triumph, emotional without being manipulative - highly recommended.' - Cory Doctorow, boingboing.net
'Can I just say right now that I loved Wonder by R.J. Palacio? I want EVERYONE to read it. (That's right, I shouted!) In fact, if it were out right now I'd be buying copies to give to other people to read. I loved it, it was so sweet and real. It's sad, funny, inspiring, infuriating, eye opening and awesome! It's hard for me to express just how much I loved this book. It's an eye opener for any age' - Attack of the Book
'From the incredible first paragraph...you are hooked into August's life and boy what a life he leads. It's an emotional roller coaster as you find yourself wanting to protect this fictional character... The book is one that you continue to think about days after reading it. I was told it was geared to kids but really don't think that this is a book that can be pigeon holed into one genre. The writing is beautifully crafted to embrace the many complex emotions most of us has endured at one time or another. It also covers many difficulties that people of all ages continue to battle in adulthood. I'd be very surprised if this doesn't win awards.' - Mardixon.com
'The moment I began reading Wonder for the first time, I felt just like I had pulled the best prize out of a lucky dip, or I'd been told some unexpected and wonderful news - I knew I had something truly special in my hands..' Editor's Choice, Random House Librarians' Newsletter
Author
About R. J. Palacio
R. J. Palacio is a graphic designer by day and a writer by night. She lives in New York City with her family and a black dog called Bear. The Times chose her as one of their 100 people to watch in 2012.
Kids love to read and so in addition to our Lovereading expert opinion one of our members also shared their thoughts on this title. You can read the full review below.
Tegan Butler-Moore, age 10 - Wonder is a thought provoking tale about a deformed boy. He starts the scary life of a high schooler. All eyes are on him and his unusual appearance, but his friends are there for him, or are they...
This book really made me think, and is sure to get the cogs in your brain running. It is amazingly real and makes you respect and admire August and his strong personality. But not all is perfect when he starts school for the first time and certain people just can’t get over his unique appearance. He knows for certain his family will always be there for him, but are his friends?
Wonder is the first book since The Notebook to make me cry to sleep. So sad, emotional and powerful, this is a book everyone needs to be aware of.
August is a young boy that has a health condition, which is why his face looks different than other people’s faces. But he is just as normal and ordinary as any other kid.
When his parents decide it is time for him to go to school instead of being home-schooled, he is afraid. Because children are honest, and sometimes unintentionally mean,
“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”
Wonder by R.J. Palacio is just a book that is here to remind us to be kind and to be humble. A book I highly recommend to everyone. I also recommend the movie as well, but only after you have read the book.
Wonder is the first book since The Notebook to make me cry to sleep. So sad, emotional and powerful, this is a book everyone needs to be aware of.
August is a young boy that has a health condition, which is why his face looks different than other people’s faces. But he is just as normal and ordinary as any other kid.
When his parents decide it is time for him to go to school instead of being home-schooled, he is afraid. Because children are honest, and sometimes unintentionally mean,
“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”
During this book, we see August’s point of view, his daily life and making friends with Jack and Summer.... Read Full Review