Wonder
I recently read a new book that has gotten some really good reviews--Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
It's about a young, 5th-grade boy named Auggie who has many severe facial birth defects. He has had many surgeries in his short life and has always been home-schooled. His parents decide, and he reluctantly agrees, that it is time for him to attend regular school. The main story is about Auggie's experiences as he deals with his classmates' reactions to how he looks.
The book moves the narrative along--sometimes from Auggie's point of view, sometimes from his friends' points of view, sometimes from his sister's point of view. The parts where Auggie's sister is the narrator are particularly poignant.
Have any of you read this book yet? What did you think about it?
I just finished it this weekend. I probably didn't love it as much as Out of My Mind by Draper, but I still liked it. I felt there were a few sections, especially toward the end, that were a little flat, a little slow. Another book it made me think of was Schooled by Korman - an hilarious story of a homeschooled boy attending middle school for the first time.
ReplyDeleteHaven't read it...sounds like it's worth a try!
ReplyDeleteI recently read this book. It is really popular right now. I was hold #67 at the public library and had to wait awhile before I got it. This is information from NPR about how the author came to write this book.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2012/03/22/149082674/wonder-what-its-like-to-have-kids-stare-at-you
The author and her children encountered a young person on the street who had severe facial abnormalities, and she felt that she and her children did not react in a way that she was proud of. That incident was the idea for this book.
This reminds me of the book...I think called Fire Girl...about a girl whose face was horribly disfigured in a fire and a boy who befriends her. It was so well written that I felt like I was friends with the characters and didn't want it to end.
ReplyDelete