Wonder

Auggie Pullman is an ordinary 10-year-old boy with an extraordinary face. He’ll never look normal, so how can he convince his new classmates he's really just like them?

Auggie has been home-schooled his whole life because of a severe facial deformity. Now, for the first time, his parents are sending him to a real school – and he's terrified.

Originally published in 2012, Wonder was inspired by the author's real-life encounter she had with her own kids. They were at an ice cream store next to a girl with a severe facial deformity. When Palacio's three-year-old son cried in fear, the writer grabbed her kids and fled. She says she was trying to protect the girl but ended up making the situation worse.

Wonder is told from six points of view, as the audiobook takes us on a journey with Auggie as he struggles to fit in and find true friendship. Beecher Prep is a school where bullies and fake friends abound.

While several chapters are told from the standpoint of Auggie’s sister and friends, the story begins and ends with his own. Diane Steele employs a raspy, childlike voice to convey his strength and tenderness, while Kate Rudd and Nick Podehl bring a unique lens to the additional characters.

This funny, heartwarming story isn’t just for children. According to the Guardian, Wonder is ‘a bold, brilliant book for anyone who is prepared to be amazed’.

First published in 2012, R.J. Palacio’s Wonder is the winner of many children’s book awards. It has been translated into 29 languages and sold over two million copies. In 2017, a feature film adaptation starring Jacob Tremblay and Julia Roberts grossed US $305 million worldwide.

In the lead-up to the release of the film, the message of Wonder even inspired a movement. The Choose Kind Movement is named after a memorable moment between Augie’s teacher Mr. Browne and his class: ‘When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind’.