Discover Wonder

When I tell you this book is about a boy starting 5th grade, I know what you are going to say.  You are going to say you're too old for the book.  You are going to say you can't relate.  You are going to say it's lame.  But you will be wrong.  Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a book which will touch and inspire people of any age.

I read Wonder last fall after hearing a lot of buzz about the story of a boy who is different, but what I discovered is a book about how we are all different and why this needs to be celebrated.  What I love about the book is it is filled with surprises.  Just when you think you have a character figured out, you learn something new.  Teaching us that people can't and shouldn't be pigeon holed into one category.

The story is about August Pullman who was born with facial deformities so severe he has been homeschooled his entire life until he decides to attend public school for the first time.  The book recounts his experiences during this year of school.

In addition to the story's message, one of the aspects of the book that makes it a must read for me is that the story is told through the perspective of multiple narrators including August's friends and family. This reinforces the ideas that this isn't just a story about one boy trying to fit in; it is about how we all need acceptance.

Wonder isn't just on my top 10 list of must reads, it has received many accolades.  Wonder was #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List.  It won the Texas Bluebonnet Award and was chosen as Amazon's best book of the month.  I hope you add Wonder to your own list of must reads