IN THE COMMUNITY HERE IS WHERE WONDER HAS BEEN

IN THE COMMUNITYIt’s rare to come across a middle-grade bookwith writing powerful enough to make bothadults and young readers see the worlddifferently. WonderWonder, by R.J. Palacio is such abook. It has reached over 1 million readers andcounting, and every day is adapted by moreclassrooms, schools, and communities all eagerto choose kind and help spread the wonder ofwonder.When reading Wonder,Wonder you see what it is likenot only to be Auggie, but to be his parent, hissibling, his teacher, his classmate, and finallyhis friend. Wonder is truly the portrait of andtribute to a community.After you have gotten to know WonderWonder, we hopeyou will consider sharing Auggie’s story andintroduce him to the people of your town bysetting up a community-wide reading.Here are some tips on how to set up acommunity-wide reading of Wonder:Wonder The American Library Association has createda guide on how to set up a community readsevent. Use this document as a guide on howto budget for, plan, fundraise, and advertisea Wonder community read s/onebookguide.pdf R.J. Palacio is part of the Random HouseSpeakers Bureau. If you think yourcommunity event would benefit froman author visit, please see http://www.rhspeakers.com/speaker/r-j-palacio/ toinquire about hosting Raquel and to findmore information on the book.HERE IS WHERE WONDER HAS BEEN SPOTTED!The students at Rossville ConsolidatedSchools in Rossville, Indiana, had a birthdayparty for Auggie on October 10. They wereinstructed to write only their name on a blueaffirmation sheet that read “ is awonderbecause . . . . ” Have members of your community sign thepledge to choose kind here: .php Visit: http://choosekind.tumblr.com/resources to download images that can beshared on social media when marketing yourevent. Public libraries and independent bookstoresare a natural and great fit in marketingcommunity reads events and distributingpromotional materials. Below please find alist of possible program partners you mightapproach in your community:Theater Companies Art GalleriesMuseums Reader’s Theater EnsemblesLiteracy Organizations Local BusinessesMinority Group Associations City CouncilElected officials (i.e., state and U.S.representatives/senators) MediaArea business owners Local clergyParis ME Elementary SchoolChoose Kind Before You Enter!After singing and cake, the classes gaveeach other standing ovations. Next, thestudents taped their affirmation sheets ontheir backs and took turns writing why eachof their classmates “is a wonder”.Read more about the celebration at -thewonder-of-wonder-by-sherry-gickLetters to author R. J. PalacioPRAISEThe students at Greenwich Academy inGreenwich, Connecticut, created a “Pit ofWonder” to help their students talk aboutfriendship and kindness! Read moreabout the project at bit.ly/1gmXi2i“I believe without hesitation that every middle-grade classroom in Americashould have a copy of R. J. Palacio’s Wonder.”— Colby Sharp, fourth grade teacher“[Wonder]Wonder] will lead to amazing discussions in classrooms about Auggie’sWondercourage, the need for kindness, and the fact that bravery can take manyforms.”—KatherineKatherine SokolowskiSokolowski, fifth grade teacher“A great discussion starter about love, support, and judging people on their appearance.A well-written, thought-provoking book.”—SchoolSchool Library JournalJournal, Starred“A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.”—Kirkus Reviews, StarredRose Eaton Public SchoolPrecept Bulletin BoardPrepared by Susan Geye, Director of Library Services, Everman ISD, Texas.Random House Children’s Books School and Library Marketing 1745 Broadway, Mail Drop 9-1New York, NY 10019 BN1320 02/14IncludesConnections toCommon CoreStateStandardsClassroom &Community Reads GuideYou can’t blend in whenyou were born to stand nder

IN THE CLASSROOMABOUT THE BOOKHow does being kind help someone overcomechallenges?Give the class an overview of Treacher-CollinsSyndrome using information from thefollowing 24BULLYING—Kids that are different are almostalways bullied in some way. How does Auggieknow the first time he meets Julian that hewill be a bully? In what subtle ways does Julian bully Auggie? What purpose does Julian have in bullying Jack? What powerdoes Julian have to force the other studentsto join in his cruelty toward Auggieand Jack? What prompts the seventhgraders to attack and bully Auggie? In general,what is Auggie’s response to the bullying?QUESTIONS FOR GROUPDISCUSSIONAfter being home-schooled for four years, Auggie,who suffers from a severely deformed face, entersthe fifth grade at Beecher Prep School anddoes his best to be just an ordinary kid with anextraordinary face.FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS—Discuss Auggie’s relationship with each of his family members. Howdoes Via react to Auggie’s deformity? How is Via’slife affected by Auggie’s deformity? She says,“I’m always going to be the sister of a kid witha birth defect; that’s not the issue. I just don’talways want to be defined that way.” (p. 91)What does Via mean by this statement? Howcould her parents help Via’s life be more normaleven though Auggie’s isn’t? What sacrificesdoes Via have to make in her relationshipwith her parents? What qualities doAuggie’s parents possess that helpthem to be good parents toAuggie? How do respect andtrust play a role in their familydynamics?The first few days of school are more than difficult. Try as he might to ignore them, Auggie mustendure the looks and whispers—even the cruelgame, “The Plague,” where everyone is afraidto touch him. Julian especially causes Auggie’sdays to be miserable, making references aboutAuggie’s face and veiled threats to harm him. Theflip side is that Auggie has the steadfast supportof his first friend, Summer, and his best friend,Jack, and his teachers and the principal likehim. But for every positive, there is a negative:Jack betrays him, a gang of kids try to hurthim, and some particularly insensitive parentseven try to have him removed from the school.Yet, Auggie shows amazing understanding andcompassion. As the school year progresses,Auggie learns that, though there will always bepeople who want to taunt him and make his lifemiserable, he can have true friends despite hislooks. The wonder of Auggie’s extraordinarilyunique presence is that the people around himlearn what it is to be kind and to be courageous.Grades 3–7HC: 978-0-375-86902-0GLB: 978-0-375-96902-7EL: 978-0-375-89988-1ABOUT THE AUTHORR. J. PALACIOPhoto by Russell GordonPRE-READING ACTIVITYlives in NYC with herhusband, two sons, and two dogs. For morethan twenty years, she was an art director andgraphic designer, designing book jackets forother people while waiting for the perfect timein her life to start writing her own novel. Butone day several years ago, a chance encounterwith an extraordinary child in front of an icecream store made R. J. realize that the perfecttime to write that novel had finally come.Wonder is her first novel. She did not designthe cover, but she sure does love it.FRIENDSHIP—Discuss thecharacteristics of a goodfriend. Which of Auggie’sfriends demonstrate thesequalities? What characteristicsof a good friend does Auggiepossess? How does Auggie help hisfriends see him as an ordinary kid?How does Auggie’s ability to be comfortable in his own skin make it easierfor his friends and family to relate to him?Share examples from the book to support yourresponses.OVERCOMING CHALLENGES—Auggie’s attendance at Beecher Prep creates issues for students,parents, teachers, and the principal. What aresome of the challenges that arise? How doeseach group of individuals overcome the challenges? What role does Auggie play in eitherhelping or hurting the situation? What lessonsare learned because of Auggie’s attendanceat the school? In Mr. Tushman’s speech at theend of the year, he shares this quote, “Alwaystry to be a little kinder than necessary.”BETRAYAL—Auggie and Jack are great friends;they laugh together, they talk about anythingand everything, and they feel comfortable together. So why does Jack betray Auggie bytalking badly behind his back? How does Auggiefeel when he hears what Jack has said? At thesame time Auggie is experiencing betrayal by hisfriend, Via is also feeling betrayed byher two best friends, Miranda and Ella. How do Mirandaand Ella betray Via? What isVia’s response? How do Via andAuggie resolve their individualconflicts and cope with thepain of betrayal?The above discussion questionscorrelate to Common Core Standard Reading Literature: Key Ideas andDetails: RL.5.1 and RL.5.3; Speaking andListening: Comprehension and Collaboration:SL.5.1; Language: Conventions of StandardEnglish: L.5.1CURRICULUMCONNECTIONSLANGUAGE ARTS—Auggiesays, “I felt verysad and a tiny bit happy at the exact same time,kind of like that laughing-crying feeling.” (p. 33)Most everyone has experienced this juxtapositionof emotions. Ask students to select a partnerand then to write a poem in two voices: onevoice expressing Auggie’s sadness at variouspoints of the story and the other voice expressinghis happiness. Have students read their poemsto the class.Correlates to Common Core State Standards Writing: TextType and Purposes W.5.1SOCIAL STUDIES—Mr. Browne’s monthly precepthelps students to see outside their world andto think about their beliefs. Mr. Browne’sdefinition of a precept is anything that helpsguide you when making important decisions.Ask students to brainstorm precepts that couldbe applicable to all students in their schoolto make it a safer, kinder place to be. Askstudents to work in pairs and then chooseone precept for which they create a posterillustrating its concept. Post the precept postersin all common areas of the school.Correlates to Common Core State Standards Writing: TextType and Purposes W.5.2SCIENCE—Break the class into small groupsto investigate Treachers-Collins Syndrome,answering questions about the causes,the treatment, the life expectancy,and the genetic make-up of thesyndrome. Have studentsdetermine and explainwhy Auggie’s casewas so unusual andsevere. Then haveeach group selectan extensionproject to spotlighttheir research:a classroom display,a PowerPoint or othermedia presentation, anonfiction book, or aninformational brochure.Have students present theirprojects to other classroomsand schools in the districtto start open discussion on this and otherchildhood diseases.FINE ARTS—In small groups or with a partner,ask students to find a scene in the book theycan portray by illustrating the scene, creating amusic montage to accompany an oral reading,or writing and performing the scene. Have students display or present their resulting projectsto the class.Correlates to Common Core State Standards LanguageKnowledge of Language: L.5.3VOCABULARY/USE OF LANGUAGETo help the reader make connections withAuggie and his life, the author uses allusionsto Diary of a Wimpy KidKid, The Wonderful Wizardof OzOz, Star WarsWars, and the Augie Doggiecartoons. Ask students working insmall groups to brainstormother allusions that wouldhelp convey Auggie’s situation and then to writetheir best allusions onfour sentence strips.Have each group swapallusions with anothergroup and discuss howthe allusions apply toAuggie and his situation.Post discussion comments along with allusionstrips around the classroom.Correlates to Common Core StateStandards Language: VocabularyAcquisition and Use L.5.5INTERNET RESOURCESCHOOSE KIND choosekind.tumblr.comInspired by WonderWonder, this anti-bullying initiative encourages young readersto share their story and pledge to choose kind in their school and community.BULLYING: WHAT YOU CAN htmlCHILDREN AND PET article.htmIllustrations 2012 by Tad Carpenter