Wonder Review Part 2

Start to finish, Raquel J. Palacio weaves a story full of complex issues; all the while somehow managing to capture a multitude of different character's personalities and emotions. 

 A lot of events happen in the second half of the book and one of the most significant parts was reading and learning more about Jack. During the Julian and Jack war, it was sad to see Julian try to turn everyone against Jack just so he would stop being friends with Auggie. I loved when Jack comments to Auggie and Summer how weird it is to have people pretend that you don't exist. Auggie replies with welcome to his world. I love those little scenes! This section was a turning point for Jack's character. For so much of the book he was painted as a betrayer and a villain; we finally see that he may not be nearly as mean as what we originally thought. It was also interesting to see how Palacio adds in a bit of socioeconomic tension between Jack and the other students. Jack has more than the usual middle school issues to deal with, his chapter adds in how hard it can be to be a kid who has to deal with kids like Julian who come from families with much more financial wealth. 

One little part which I think could be a key discussion point for students is when Jack makes a point that it's not only the "jerks" who are mean to Auggie; even the kids that you would consider to be nice are mean. Sometimes nice kids, even adults, don't realize how things they say can be taken in a very hurtful manner. Another interesting part was Miranda’s section! She made up so many stories that involved Auggie just to be pitied or be the center of attention. I understand that she was going through a tough time dealing with her absent and broken family but that’s not a good enough reason to turn into someone who lies consistently. How do you trust them? This could be an interesting debate with students. Do you think it was okay for Miranda to lie? How would you defend your claim?

A little wish that I have for this book is that we could have read parts with Auggie's mom and dad's point of view. It would have been interesting to read about their worries. Is my son being bullied? did something happen on Halloween? Why is Via not speaking with her friends? Reading about a parent's point of view could bring up lots of good discussion points with students. Do my parents ever think similar things? Does that change how you feel about certain situations? This may be one of those books that I NEVER go see the motion picture of. I definitely don't think that any movie could capture the different sides, the multiple problems, or the heart of this book. Because of how much the book entails, it can be used in so many thematic units! Courage, bullying, friendship, love, perseverance, lying, etc. Even doing a jigsaw where different groups analyze different parts of the book might help students understand the text on a deeper level.  

I was trying to pick a favorite character in this book but I just can't decide. Auggie of course because of his character and personality, and I love Summer for being so loving, Jack for finding himself, and I could go on and on. I love, love, love Auggie's Dad! His conversation with Auggie about the astronaut helmet is one of my absolute favorites in the whole book. It's so sweet, sad, and tugs at your heart strings. "Come on, Auggie, please try to understand...You were wearing that helmet all the time. And the real, real, real, real truth is: I missed seeing your face, Auggie. I know you don't always love it, but you have to understand...I love it. I love this face of yours, Auggie, completely and passionately. And it kind of broke my heart that you were always covering it up." Oof what a moment! I also loved the entire camping part...full of so many good moments and friendships changing. Doing a character analysis in pairs or small groups would be quite fun, especially since there are so many major characters in the book. Read this book! It has so many other funny and heartwarming moments and appeals to readers young and old.