Wonder by R.J. Palacio

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, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face.

I started to read this right after watching the viral video on YouTube that shows 10 minutes of a group of 7th grade boys savagely taunting a 68 yr. old bus monitor. I was feeling depressed wondering how we as a society have reached this point in which children treat an elderly woman with such unfathomable maliciousness without any remorse.

Then I read this book and it touched me so. I think it is one of the best books I have ever read. I think every child should read it. I do hope this wins the Newbery this year. Although it is only June, I can't imagine there will be another book in the next 6 months that could make me change my mind. Absolutely beautifully written. Absolutely touching.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." —1 John 5:4, King James Bible

Precepts from the book... 

1. "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind." —Dr. Wayne Dyer
2. "Your deeds are your monuments." —Inscription on ancient Egyptian tomb
3. "Have no friends not equal to yourself." —Confucius
4. "Fortune favors the bold." —Virgil
5. "No man is an island, entire of itself." —John Donne
6. "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." —James Thurber
7. "Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much." —Blaise Pascal
8. "What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful." —Sappho
9. "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can." —John Wesley
10. "Just follow the day and reach for the sun." —The Polyphonic Spree
11. "Everyone deserves a standing ovation because we all overcometh the world." —Auggie Pullman