...then you probably hate puppies and small children as well...there isn't much to say that hasn't been said. Every child should not only read, but learn the spirit of this book. I would hope that in my life i'd be more like Summer than anyone else, but there are very few Summers, a lot of Jacks and, sadly, a lot of Julian's out there...Julian's are the ones that need to learn this story the most, but most won't get it.

Self acceptance and anti-bullying extraordinair

The Play

Very clear and understandable

A Forgiving Heart Succeeds

I think this should be required reading in the schools.

Great story, great performance. You want to cry for Auggie, you want to cheer for Auggie. You'll love it!

Going to a new school is always hard, especially if you have to be the new kid in a middle school, but for Augie it is even more difficult than that. August has never attended school before; he has been home-schooled because he could not attend consistently since he was busy having so many surgeries.

He had to have surgeries because he was born with several different facial malformations. His face does not look like everyone else’s; he is used to being around people who know him and love him, but to suddenly find himself in a school with a bunch of adolescents he doesn’t know is pretty scary. He is not sure if he will find a place to fit in, and if everyone will get to know who he is beyond his outward appearance.

Who is the real Augie and can he manage to get known for something other than his unusual face?

If you enjoy reading books about kids who overcome obstacles, you might also enjoy Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erksine, Anything But Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin, or Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper.

The whole family has enjoyed this book. The many pov make for good discussions. Wish there was pov of one of parents. I recommend for family listening.

One of the most inspiring stories I've ever heard. Its reality at its peak. Its definitely a book i would recommend to any and every one. So many wonderful lessons to be learned through this beautiful young man! Being and staying humble is one!

I bought this as my first audio book when I lost my voice for a couple of weeks. I was reading Wonder with my fourth grade students as a read-aloud and thus needed some tech help at that time. We absolutely loved the performance and the different voices for the different perspectives. My students were absolutely enthralled with the story and the narrators. I love it because I can focus on teachable moments and observing the children's reactions as they listen, needing only to pause the recording to talk about something important. Very impressed and excited to continue my journey into audio books for my students and myself!

This is a tough book for me to review as it's written for middle grade readers, and I graduated from that group long, long ago. It was so highly reviewed that I decided to read it. I think the 4 and 5 star reviews may be from people that like happy endings and can better imagine how this book will be received by the intended audience than I was able to.

Things I liked about Wonder:
*August is an engaging, original protagonist.
*Palacio's use of different points of view. August's sister, Via, had an amazing exploration of what it was like to be the non-sick, normal kid in the family. She hit on all the aspects, positive and negative, avoidable and unavoidable. I actually found Olivia to be the most interesting character.
*Palacio's whole exploration of "beauty is only skin deep" and "it's what's on the inside that counts" from many angles. Even after reading Wonder, I'm still not sure what my reaction to a person like August would be, or what the best response might be.

Things I didn't like about Wonder:
*I wish there had been more detailed medical information. The lack of detail is most likely because it's not something the intended audience needs or wants, but I think more information would have added to a better understanding of exactly what August had gone through during his ten years. There is a mention of his 27 surgeries, and that he suffers from Treacher-Collins syndrome combined with some rare mystery syndrome, but a bit more background would have added to exactly what a wonder he was.
*I wish there had been more development of Julian. He played a big part in the story, but was the least explored.
*I wish the ending had not been so "happily ever after". There were pat resolutions on all fronts and this is not how things would have worked out.
*I listened to this as an audiobook, and the voice of August was horrendous. I almost gave up in the first ten minutes because it was so bad. Another reviewer describes the voice as sounding like "a slightly retarded Marge Simpson" and I completely agree.
*The cover! Is it meant to be slightly disturbing without too much attention to detail? It's certainly not a depiction of August with one eye and the presence of ears! It may seem like a silly detail, but covers are important to me, and I think think this book deserved a far better cover.

Overall, 3 stars for a book that takes an overly simplistic approach (even for middle grade readers) to a very complex subject.

I loved the beautiful, honest, truthful storytelling. I felt the character's thoughts and actions were well developed as children on the cusp of adulthood.

The standing ovations---at Oliva's play and at August's graduation.

Yes. The only problem with the narration was the way August's character was voiced. He sounded much younger than he was. Overall, the narration was very good!

Yes, I laughed and I cried. I finished the book yesterday, and I am still emotionally engaged with it!

A great read, for adults and young adults. This book has encouraged me to live my life with more kindness.

This book ranks pretty high for one of the best stories I've listened to.
There are several voices that read for different characters in the book.

This book should be a must read for all young adults and ADULTS. The thought of kindness around every corner would be a dream!