Aleeza ahmed

Wonder is a children's novel by Raquel Jaramillo, and was published on 14 February 2012. Palacio wrote the book after witnessing where her son noticed a girl with a severe facial difference and started to cry. The novel follows Auggie's first year of middle school from beginning to end. It takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, as August (the protagonist) faces his the day- to -day challenges with an appearance that he doesn't even bother describing: “I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, its probably worse." The multi-award winning book and #1 New York Times Bestseller is unique to other books. Unlike the very popular “Harry Potter” which is action-packed, and compels the reader to turn the page to find out what happens next. “Wonder” compels and invites readers to engage with characters who are real, who come alive off the page, and who pull the reader into their story. Readers will find themselves deeply affected by the story. The power of the “Wonder” lies in how Palacio creates such a normal, relatable character from a boy living with such an extraordinary physical affliction. Even though "Wonder" is recommended for children ages 9 through 12, the book's themes of identity, bullying and acceptance make it interesting reading for a much wider audience. What make this book stand out is the use of different point of views. Telling the story through the eyes of characters other than August allows the reader to get to know characters like Auggie's sister, Via, who talks about the way her brother takes over the family’s life. However, the use of some other viewpoints—especially of Via’s friends—feels somewhat unnecessary and slackens down the middle of the book. “Bullying” is one of the main themes of this book, it is a topic which many people can relate to - many people are either victims or know someone who has been bullied. However, the twist is Palacio not only includes the victim’s- but also the bully’s point of view. The reader finds out why the bully acted the way he did, what his thoughts were and more. I give this book 5-stars. In my opinion, a powerful book is that which has an impact on the reader for the rest of their lives. The book leaves the reader with many messages that they can hold on to - I first read this book in middle school and till date remember all the pearls of wisdom mentioned in this book, such as: “When given the choice between being right or being kind. Chose kind.” Even though the reader may not be in middle school student like the protagonist, the pearls of wisdom and lessons that can be drawn out from the book can be implemented in the outside world. “Wonder” inspired Random House to start an anti-bullying campaign, called “Choose Kind”, with a site where people can share their experiences and sign a pledge to stamp out bullying.