Wonder
For the remainder of the Summer term, Year 7 learners are studying the challenging text Wonder; written by RJ Palacio and first published in 2012. The story is told from the point of view of a 10-year-old boy called Auggie. He's about to start middle school, having been home-schooled up until the story begins.
Auggie suffers from a rare condition (Treacher Collins Syndrome) which means his face is not like those of his fellow peers. His disfigurements have led to dozens of surgeries, countless hospital visits and lots of strange curious looks from people he meets. His family have become very protective of him and his first few weeks at school hold a lot of challenges for him. His parents’ struggles play a big part of the story too.
As well as teaching us all to accept those who are different to us, the story gets learners to think about their own judgements and prejudices.
The learners’ response so far has been very encouraging. They can’t wait to see how the story turns out.
Learners are also enjoying the film version of the story. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson star as Auggie’s parents and the film received dozens of awards and nominations.