by R. J. Palacio pop up and happened to notice it on the bookshelf of the family I was nannying for, so I decided to read it myself!WOW! If you have not yet read this book, GO GO buy it now and wait for the reading journey of a lifetime!
"August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. " - Amazon.com
I was swept away in this book. The characters are so real, authentic, and instill such an amazing message in the reader. I felt a very strong emotional connection with the characters and was amazed at R.J. Palacio's ability to make such a sensitive topic in classrooms something that any child could relate to. I decided that I would start the year with this book as my read aloud although I was unsure of how 5th graders would react to the deeper meaning and characters in this book.
Although I am in a very early stage in my teaching career, I know that one moment from my first day reading this book has forever changed me. After reading the first chapter and talking about what the book is about I had the students write a journal entry in a comfy spot in the room. I told them to write about a time that they felt different and that no one would ever read this, it was a personal reflection.
I had a student, I will call him Kyle, who brought up his notebook and handed it to me. I told him that I did not need to read it but he insisted that he wanted me to. It said something like, "I am different everywhere. Other kids stare at me like I am a monster. I look different so they look at me like I am not human. It makes me wonder if I am. Who am I? Why don't other kids talk to me like I am one of them. What is wrong with me?" It literally broke my heart and as a first year teacher on my FIRST DAY, I almost started to cry and just wanted to hug him. However, I thanked him for sharing with me and told him he will talk about it at the end of the day (when the rest of the class couldn't hear us). Kyle felt such a strong connection to this book, everyday that we read his face would light up with hope that one day he would be accepted.
This really inspired me to do class bonding activities and creating a family in which every person was appreciated for what made them unique. It was so heartwarming how they rose to this expectation. Towards the end of the school year my mom came in to visit my classroom, we had each student share something about themselves with her. Kyle told her that this year he has made the best friends he has ever had in his life. YAY!!! SUCCESS!
It was clear that Wonder inspired my classroom to view acceptance in a very different light and really be kind to everyone. One moral/ tagline from this book is CHOOSE KIND. This has become a personal tagline for my life inside and outside of the classroom. You never know how children are feeling and what books can address a topic in which they really need support. This book NEEDS to be part of your read aloud list.
We finished this book in October after days of my class begging for my to read more and clapping/ crying through the ups and downs. However, we referred back to this story for point of view, theme, summary, compare and contrast, EVERYTHING! All year I referenced this book. Go buy your copy today and be ready to change lives!
Happy Reading!
Becky
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