Wonder by RJ Palacio

Overview August Pullman “Auggie” was born with a severe cranial/facial (skull and face) deformity and the resulting medical complications and surgeries have prevented him from attending school… until now. Auggie is about to enter school for the first time as a fifth grader. The problem is that when you look like Auggie middle school can be a nightmare. How are new students typically treated at Maryvale?

Author Information Author RJ Palacio is a former graphic artist who came up with her idea for this novel after an encounter at an ice cream shop with a little girl who had facial deformities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh5qbE62IyY

Empathy Empathy means to put yourself in someone’s else situation to understand how they are feeling Think back to the ice cream shop scenario that RJ Palacio talked about. How do you think you would have reacted in the same situation (if you were unexpectedly seated near someone with severe deformities)? Be honest. What do you think would be the best way to react when thinking about the girl and her mother? Remember empathy.

Definition: Write two original sentences using the word wonder in each of the ways listed above. In one sentence wonder should be a verb. In the other, it should be used as a noun.

“Wonder” by Natalie Merchant Read the lyrics as you listen to the song Explain what you think this song could be about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQyyvOeFRFg

Think About It… Appearances are very important in this novel. On a scale of 1-10, how important are appearances to you? Explain the reason for your rating. The main character declines to describe his appearance, “I won’t describe myself. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.” (p. 3). How would you describe yourself? Be honest and detailed.

Text Structure The novel is told from the revolving viewpoints of six different characters (some of them very minor characters). Have you ever read a book like where first person viewpoint varies? If yes, did you like that technique? Why would an author chose to write a novel with six different points of view (what could be the positives to that format)? Look at the cover of the book and Part One on p.1. Each part starts off with a similar-style illustration of the narrator and a quote from a song or book. Why do you think the author uses this type of faceless graphic?

Vocabulary Look over your vocabulary list from Wonder. Write a paragraph on any topic using ten (10) of the words from the list. Be sure to use the words correctly and highlight them as you use them. Turn in your paragraph.

Book Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgB7_KpBDss

Advantages and disadvantages of Auggie being home-schooled. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Disadvantages: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

So far, what do you know about… Auggie: His mom: Julian: Via: His dad: Jack:

Empathize with Auggie Write about a time you started something new where you may have felt uncomfortable, nervous, or anxious. Recreate that scenario in detail and explain how it turned out for you. Complete two drafts and turn in your final draft. This should be written in paragraph form. This is due by tomorrow.