Wonder Literary Essay

   In the story, Wonder, the main character is a boy starting middle school with a face much different than everyone else's. In chapter one, Ordinary, on page 3, it says "I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid ........ I know ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go." August is aware that his face looks different from everyone else's. He would probably stare at someone else if their face looked like his. "My name is August, by the way. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." I think the meaning of Wonder is (as it says on the back of the jacket of the book) to never judge a person by their face. I also think that this book by R.J. Polacio is about never giving up.

   Throughout the book, it shows that, in the beginning, August struggles to fit in during his first year of school. It's hard enough starting a new middle school. It's impossible for me to imagine what it would be like starting a new school and having to get through it with a disorder right smack on my face. Where everyone gets looked at the most. This shows that, even when he really wants to and has bad days, August never gives up no matter how much he wants to. No matter how many bad days.

    

   Also in the story, on page 118, part three starts. The narrator is now Summer and the quote showing on the first page is as follows:

“You are beautiful no matter what they say

Words can’t bring you down

You are beautiful in every single way

Yes, words can’t bring you down”

--Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful”

This shows that it doesn't matter what someone says about you that you are still a good person. Being beautiful doesn't always mean that you look good. Sometimes it's about who you are on the inside and not how you look.

   By the end, August is close to "famous" at his school. After the trip to camp, everyone has heard about the fight that August, Amos, Henry, Miles, and Jack had gotten into with Eddie and his friends. Everyone feels bad for him and some people think he is very brave. Everyone except Julian is giving Auggie high fives and patting him on the back and stuff. "Amos looked at me and nodded. 'It was cool ow you stood your ground, little dude,' he said, high-fiving me."