‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio

"Wonder" is just as it states on the front cover: A story of "quiet transformation," per the The Wall Street Journal. 

Told by the points of view of a variety of characters throughout the novel, "Wonder" tells a strong story of not only one boy's journey through the fifth grade, but of his classmates, friends and family members as well. As a quiet, home-schooled child born with a heaping dose of bad luck, the book begins with the decision to integrate Auggie into a classroom for the first time. As he progresses through the school year, he must deal with bullies, stares and The Plague, but gradually kids at school start to realize how funny he is and begin to look past his facial anomaly. They accept Auggie for who he is and overlook their initial shock of his physical appearance. 

The novel focuses on Auggie, but it also touches on his family and the difficult truth that comes with being a family member of someone with medical struggles and the sacrifices they make every day because of the love they have for one another.

The fifth grade class' acceptance of Auggie is a reminder to us all to "be kinder than is necessary" (as Mr. Tushman says) and to be accepting of everyone around us, you never know what they're like beneath the surface.