WONDER

How does the book enhance your knowledge of the key concepts that we address in this course?

Two years ago, I read the book Wonder out loud to my children. I read the book again last June because it was the required reading for all incoming sixth graders in my school. I felt that it was an incredible read for students and remember thinking how important it was to be sharing it with my own children at the time. As a parent of children without special needs, yet a teacher of students with special needs I thought the book was an incredible opportunity to show how all the sides of the story had great meaning. Not just Auggie or his family, but also the children that he interacted with daily.

As I read the book this semester for our class (as with watching the movie after a few classes) our conversations began to really sink in, reading it with a critical perspective meant more to me. Ideas of disability rhetoric danced through my mind. As I turned the pages, I could see elements of wonderous, exotic, sentimental, and realist rhetoric was present. I still believe that this book is an amazingly written book that really focuses on Auggie’s reality and the reality of those around him. One of the most important pieces was Via’s point of view. I felt that truly helped the reader feel the emotions of a sibling. I also focused a lot on the character of Jack Will and his ability to face his need to be popular while realizing his feelings for Auggie. One of my favorite quotes is found at the beginning of Jack’s point of view~ “Now here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

What is your personal perception of the book and recommendation – what are your reactions to the book (what did you love and appreciate? What moved, challenged, inspired or infuriated you? How did the book make you feel and would you recommend it?

I absolutely LOVE Wonder! I can remember feeling like I was there, I was a part of the journey that the characters traveled. I also loved the fact that as I read it out loud to my own children many years ago that I freely sobbed with them. They got to understand at their young age the importance of accepting people where they are, with what they have, and love them for being themselves.

I have recommended this book to all my friends to share with their kids, but only if they were ready to have an honest discussion with their kids about disabilities. Let’s face it not everyone will be accepting of people with disabilities with arms wide hope, but they should be and with books like this in our schools, it is my hope that students become more aware of others with disabilities. I used this for our sixth graders this year because teaching in a Catholic school you don’t see a lot of diversity or opportunities for kids to become friends with people who are different than them.

I am often moved by the relationships of the characters. Although at times I wonder if the Pullman’s can really get along that well every day 😊 I love the way the book flowed through the year touching on each person’s point of view. My opinion of Auggie winning the Henry Ward Beecher medal at the end of the book did not change, I was ecstatic!. It still made me hopeful that one day people with disabilities will really be looked at through the lens of acceptance. Auggie was defined by himself and all the things he loved, space, Daisy, his family, Halloween. His parents did a lot of hard work in their home to raise him with a sense of himself. As a parent, I have often felt that my relationship with my husband at times has played the second seat to the needs and growth of my children. I identified with their parenting style and although it was often hard on Via, it also gave her the strength to be her own self. As an educator today, I often see children not being encouraged to be their true selves but to go along with a group just to fit in. The Pullman’s definitely lived life in terms of the preceptor “Your Deeds are your monuments”-An inscription on an Egyptian tomb

I will take with me the message of hope and positivity. Wonder truly is Wonderful!