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Wonder (Wonder, #1)

R.J. Palacio,

Raquel Jaramillo

Why we're reading this: I read this book recently for my son's elementary school Principal's book club. I thought it was great - …more
[close] I read this book recently for my son's elementary school Principal's book club. I thought it was great - very moving and thought-provoking, especially as a parent.

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Nov 22, 2019 Little rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Like Out of My Mind, this is an award-winning book about a child with significant disabilities written by an adult with no disabilities that has a lot of good in it, and also some really big problems.

There are a lot of reviews that will go into great detail about the things that this book has going for it: a believable storyline, a fairly nuanced main character whose differences affect him in profound ways but don't define him, a happy-cry optimistic ending, and a lot of explicit messages about Like Out of My Mind, this is an award-winning book about a child with significant disabilities written by an adult with no disabilities that has a lot of good in it, and also some really big problems.

There are a lot of reviews that will go into great detail about the things that this book has going for it: a believable storyline, a fairly nuanced main character whose differences affect him in profound ways but don't define him, a happy-cry optimistic ending, and a lot of explicit messages about kindness.

Underneath those positive messages about kindness, though, there's this unpleasant thread through the whole book about the types of differences that are acceptable to the author. The protagonist, August, has craniofacial differences, and Palacio is clear that the readers should sympathize with him and understand that he's a "normal" kid. There are paragraphs dedicated to explaining that he's not disabled, he doesn't have special needs, he's not a moron, not a cretin, not an idiot, and definitely not "the R word." He's a normal kid with a physical difference, and it's clear from this novel that physical differences are just fine. But all of that emphasis on how August certainly doesn't have intellectual or cognitive differences also makes the point that those kinds of differences are not acceptable in the same way the physical differences are. Palacio is clear that kids who look different are still "normal," but by virtue of contrast with August, kids with intellectual and cognitive differences are not.

Now, you can make the argument that the book encourages kindness, and it never specifies that you shouldn't be kind to people with intellectual and cognitive differences. But while the book is very clear that people like August deserve dignity, respect, humanity, and kindness, it is also clear that plenty of people are not "people like August," but rather some other category of disabled. And if your major point is "be kind to people who are different," you rather undermine that message by separating out categories of difference.

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Apr 27, 2017 whitney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a really sweet story. I loved the way it was told from multiple perspectives, and how imperfect but understandable everyone was. And the focus on kindness is right up my alley. I think this is one I'd like to share with M in a few years. ...more

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