Tomorrow is the first Kindness Day, a new initiative which hopes to encourage everyone to spread a little kindness every day. Inspired by our Book of the Week, Wonder by R. J. Palacio, and supported by Penguin Random House and the Diana Award, you can find out more by watching the video or visiting the official sites.
To celebrate Kindness Day on Friday 12th June, Book of the Week is the book that inspired it – Wonder, by R. J. Palacio. Wonder is the incredibly moving story of Auggie, who is desperate to fit in, but was born to be different.
‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’
Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.
The CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlist was announced last week and I obviously have some reading to do, because I have only read three of the eight books on the list. The shortlist consists of:
If you would like to read any of these books you can request them by asking at the Library desk.
“Wonder” by R. J. Palacio tells the story of ten-year-old August as he goes from the sheltered, home-schooled life to life at a real school. His main problem is this: no amount of operations have been able to repair the badly disfigured face he was born with.
I found this book very emotional, as the point of view the story is being told from changes multiple times throughout the book. This meant that we could see how much of an effect August’s condition had on those around him and see how it even affected distant people, such as his sister’s ex best-friend.
Another aspect of this book I enjoyed was how believable the characters were. August wasn’t shown as some perfect, kind, easily forgiving saint; Via’s actions regarding the school play were realistic and understandable, and even Jack’s actions at Halloween could be justified.
Wonder is emotional hell. There were many parts that drove me to tears. August, a boy born with many facial deformities, struggles to make friends with the people at school. He pretends not to notice their yelps and flinches at the sight of his face, but it starts to add up. Wonder is a great book, and I recommend it to all readers interested in an eye-opening adventure of friends and prejudice.
Wonder is by R J Palacio.
This week’s Book of the Week is Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, (which I have read from cover to cover twice in a row this weekend). It is the story of Auggie who is completely normal on the inside but whose face is different, and of the power of kindness.
The blurb simply says:
My name is August.
I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking it’s probably worse.
Wonder is now on my list of books that I think everyone should read.