Wonder

Wonder is a heart-warming, love-filled, inspirational novel written by R.J. Palacio.  As a realistic fiction novel, you begin to understand why choosing kindness any day is the best option.  In the book, Auggie, the main character, is a child with a very rare birth defect who does not automatically enjoy going to school but with the help of his friends Summer and Jack helps them to understand why being kind to their friend goes a long way.  I would reccomend this book to be read to students in grades three and up when they begin to learn about kindness towards their peers.  This book can be used during national bullying prevention week as well. Learning about being kind and using literature to do so kills two birds with one stone and allows educators to reveal the secret that literature can be used for almost every situation. We're All Wonders was also written by R.J. Palacio.

Classroom Activities:

1.) Students can read the book and then watch the movie.  After doing both, have students discuss what they feel about reading what is happening to Auggie compared to seeing it played out on the big screen.

2.) Have students be artistic with writing the word WONDER.  Students can use paint, crayons, magazine clippings, markers, pencils, or any type of art they decide to use to make the word look as beautiful as they want.  Have students say nice things about each others paintings as a "be kind" gesture.

Goals:

• These activities will help students understand what it means to be nice and how it can brighten the day for their peers and other people in their community.

Bibliography:

Palacio, R. J. (2012). Wonder. United Kingdom: Penguin Books Ltd.