*Edited 6/27/17: Finally, I am so excited to add the official movie trailer to this post! I can’t wait to see the movie and hope it is as good as the book. So, without further ado, here is the trailer:

Synapsis of Wonder:

August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, above all, 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. Subsequently, these perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, was one of the best, most touching books I have read in a long time. In truth, I could not help but fall in love with Auggie from the very first page, and I am sure other readers did the same. Moreover, stepping into his shoes was eye opening, and you could not help but root for Auggie to succeed. Further, I especially loved the fact that the author included perspectives of several other characters as well; she did this by having certain chapters be from the point of view of one specific character. Additionally, seeing how Auggie was perceived by his sister, friends, and others allows the reader to see all sides of the story, and to empathize not only with Auggie but with those people who interact with him on a daily basis.

Finally, seeing the entire picture truly allows the reader to grasp the difficult lessons presented, and to subsequently fall in love with the book as I did. For all these reasons, I would highly recommend this book to both children and adults.

I choose kind, do you?

Correspondingly, for those wanting to incorporate this wonderful story into the classroom or home-based lessons, here are some great resources to get you started:

Lessons/Teaching Resources

• Fabulous questions for teachers from R.J. Palacio’s Site
• Awesome collection of teaching resources from Mr. W’s Updates.
• Frequently-asked questions about the book answered by R.J. Palacio
• More from the author: Things you might be wondering about, in no special order…
• Choose Kind – Great resources to help parents and teachers preach R.J. Palacio’s message
• Nice collection of resources from DRMS Library Media Center
• Collection of resources from the Children’s Craniofacial Association
• WONDER by R.L.Palacio (Teacher & Student Resources) – Scoop.it! Community Board of Resources
• Reminds Us That Kindness Makes the World Go Round
• Kids’ Wings – large collection of resources 
• Article from NPR: What It’s Like To Have Kids Stare At You?
• Bulletin Board Idea/Word Clouds
• Time for Kids Article: Author R.J. Palacio talks to TFK about her highly praised book
• Photo – Character Traits Anchor Chart

Printables

• Discussion and Educator Guide from Random House – Amazing printable resource!
• Teaching with Trudy Ludwig
• A Novel Study, by R.J. Palacio ($$)
• Vocabulary Pack ($$)
• Cooperative Learning Activities ($$)
• FREE Printable Bookmarks from Concepts for Teachers – super cute!

Since the release of Wonder, even more stories with these amazing characters have been released! Presently, over 1 million people have read Wonder and have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. Now readers will have a chance to hear from the book’s most controversial character—Julian.

From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in the pages of the #1 New York Times bestseller, it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie’s story through six different viewpoints, Julian’s perspective was never shared. As such, readers could only guess what he was thinking.

Until now. The Julian Chapter will finally reveal the bully’s side of the story. For example, why is Julian so unkind to Auggie? And does he have a chance for redemption? Indeed, these are questions that many readers have pondered since reading Wonder.

If you enjoyed Wonder you will also like these fabulous books (click any to see more information):

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