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Wonder (Palacio novel)

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Wonder AuthorR.J. PalacioCover artistTad CarpenterSubjectPrejudiceSelf-acceptanceMiddle schoolFriendshipBullyingGenreChildren's novelPublisherAlfred A. Knopf14 February 2012Pages310AwardsMaine Student Book AwardVermont's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book AwardMark Twain AwardHawaii's Nene AwardJunior Young Reader's Choice AwardISBN0375869026OCLC726819876
Wonder is a children's novel written by R. J. Palacio, 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.

Several spin-offs, including the calendar book 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts and Auggie and Me have been published. A film adaptation was released in 2017.

Plot
August "Auggie" Pullman is a home-schooled fifth-grader living in North River Heights in Upper Manhattan with his parents. He has a genetic condition, called Treacher Collins syndrome , which has left his face disfigured. Due to his condition, August has been home-schooled by his mother; however, wanting him to experience a larger world, his parents enroll him into Beecher Prep, a private school, for the start of fifth grade. Auggie has a sister, Olivia "Via" Pullman, who is older than he is and often puts her brother's needs before her own.

Before his first day of school, Auggie's mother takes Auggie to the school to meet the principal, Mr. Tushman, who also invites three other students � Jack Will, Charlotte, and Julian � to take him around, and help him start getting the feeling of what it's like to be with other people. Auggie is immediately bullied by Julian, who acts "like an angel" in front of adults. Jack and Charlotte instantly start defending him, but Auggie still doesn't feel comfortable around Julian. On his first day of school, Auggie tries not to draw attention to himself. His efforts are in vain, and Julian and his friends immediately start bullying him about his appearance. August's hopes for the school year are later raised slightly when he forms friendships with classmates Jack and Summer, both of whom defend him from Julian's taunts.

The situation comes to a head on Halloween when Auggie, disguised as Ghostface when he had told Jack he would be Boba Fett, overhears Jack joining in with the bullying. As August isolates himself from his classmates and family, his sister Olivia's frustration grows, fueled by years of feeling ignored by her family. Returning to school, Auggie ignores Jack but admits to Summer that he had overheard the incident. Jack feels ashamed for his actions, and punches Julian in the mouth, causing him to get suspended from school. Over the winter break, Jack reconciles with Auggie, telling him the truth of how he didn't mean any of the words he had said.

As the school year progresses, the bullying Auggie faces becomes more serious and extends to Jack as well. Julian manipulates several friends into turning against August and Jack. In addition, Julian's mother voices her concerns over Auggie attending the school, citing that his appearance may be too much of a burden for the other students to handle. Via confides in her mother that she does not want Auggie to attend her school play, as she had found comfort in the fact that nobody at her new school knew about her brother's condition. August overhears and storms out of the room angrily, upset that his sister too is ashamed to let her new friends see him. When he expects his mom to come into the room, time only passes until Via does. When Via does enter his room, she is upset and tells Auggie that the family dog, Daisy, is in a bad condition. They say goodbye and Daisy goes into a taxi with Auggie's mom.

Meanwhile, Via's best friend Miranda has started avoiding her, for reasons unknown to Via. Both Miranda and Via audition for the lead in their school play and Miranda gets the part. However, on opening night, Miranda sees Via's family in the audience and feigns illness so Via, her understudy, can play the lead. It is revealed that Miranda (an only child upset by her parents' divorce) felt isolated at summer camp and pretended Auggie was her brother, gaining sympathy and friendship from other campers. Miranda's guilt over this deception had led her to avoid Via, but allowing Via to take the lead role provided a way for the two friends to reconcile. Via's family celebrates by taking both girls out for dinner.

At the end of Auggie's school year, the fifth grade class goes on a three-day trip to a nature reserve. Auggie is initially concerned about going. However, upon hearing that Julian will not be attending (because of being suspended for two weeks for his behavior), August decides to join his friends on the trip. He has fun until the last night when he and Jack go exploring in the woods. They are attacked by seventh graders who mock Auggie and start to beat him and Jack, but Julian's friends find them and fight off the bullies. Auggie starts to feel closer to the other students after this ordeal.

With summer vacation approaching, Auggie is relieved to hear that Julian will not be returning to Beecher Prep. At graduation, August is awarded the 'Henry Ward Beecher Medal' for being 'notable or exemplary in certain areas throughout the school year'. Extremely proud of her son, August's mother comments that he is a 'wonder'.

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