Wonder

I am an adult – past middle age—and in addition to adult books I like to read young adult books, children’s fiction and an occasional picture book. I know some of you might think that is a bit peculiar but there are more of us out there than you might guess. 

I heard about my current favorite children’s book on NPR in March. The book is Wonder, written by R. J. Palacio, and it is about a boy named August (Auggie) who is getting ready to attend public school for the first time in his life. He is a fifth grader who has always been homeschooled before – a fifth grade boy whose face is severely deformed and has had too frequent surgeries to attend school before now. The book, Palacio’s debut novel, explores Auggie’s experiences during his first year in public school and the experiences of his sister and his new friends as well. Different sections of the book are narrated by the different characters and the various perspectives on Auggie’s life give the book real depth.

So if you haven’t read any children’s fiction since you were a child, or you haven’t read any since Harry Potter, give this book a try.  It is a wonder.