Wonder introduces August "Auggie" Pullman, a 10-year-old boy with Treacher Collins syndrome, who has been homeschooled his entire life. When his parents enroll him in Beecher Prep for fifth grade, Auggie faces the daunting challenge of fitting in and being seen as an ordinary kid despite his extraordinary face. The novel masterfully weaves together multiple perspectives, including Auggie's, his sister Via's, and several classmates, to paint a rich picture of a community grappling with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. It's a powerful story about overcoming adversity, the impact of bullying, and the transformative power of kindness, making it an essential read for middle-grade children and their families.
Wonder is a children's novel written by R. J. Palacio,[2] published on 14 February 2012. R. J. Palacio wrote Wonder after an incident where her son noticed a girl with a severe facial difference and started to cry. Fearing he would react badly, Palacio attempted to remove her son from the situation so as not to upset the girl and her family but ended up worsening the situation. Natalie Merchant's song of the same name made her realize that the incident could illustrate a valuable lesson. Palacio was inspired by Merchant's lyrics and she began writing. She named the book directly after the song and used the song's chorus as the prologue of the first chapter.