At the recommendation of my niece, Wonder has been on my TBR list for a while.  She enjoyed it this past summer and with this glowing recommendation, my son and I picked it out earlier this month.  He no longer likes to be read to, choosing to read independently, so the initial plan was to keep up with each other.  Today when  started I was pondering what book that I might be able to finish by midnight, he suggested that I go ahead and finish reading Wonder.

Wonder is a great book for the grade 4-6 crowd and tells the story of August (Auggie), a boy born with a severe facial abnormality.  He had so many surgeries that he had been homeschooled up to that point.  His parents felt that it was time to start attending a regular school with his peers.  Although he was used to stares, quiet comments and shock expressed by others related to his appearance, starting grade 5 was not easy for Auggie.  Kids can be mean!  Being different is not easy!

In the end, Auggie makes friends.  He wins them over with his great personality and they learn to accept the differences which make him Auggie.  His family is there supporting him all the way!

This is a great book that would be fantastic to read to a grade 4 or 5 class.  It would prompt frank discussion about others who may have challenges and the fact that EVERYONE is struggling for acceptance and kind words and actions can make ALL the difference!  I liked how the book was broken down into chapters which were narrated by different characters, sharing their individual perspectives.

I enjoyed Wonder and am looking forward to chatting about it with my niece and son but first, I have a New Year’s Eve Scrabble game to get to!

Happy New Year’s to all!!!