Wonders of the Classroom

We're All Wonders

Written and illustrated by: R.J. Palacio

Published by: Knopf Books, 2017

32 Pages

Realistic Fiction

   Auggie does the same things that kids his age do. But he's still different. He looks different. This book gives young readers a glimpse of what it is like to be different and teaches that it's okay to be different. It's okay to be kind. It's okay to be a friend. No one is exactly the same. 

   Palacio serves as both the author and the illustrator in this book. The vibrant illustrations exhibit a normal childhood, but the reader will find that the character only has one eye. The images portray a lonely boy doing normal things all by himself. As the story progresses,  Auggie gets sad and the pictures become more shadowed.

   Although this book is excellent to teach friendship, empathy, and kindness, I would use it in a first grade class to identify action verbs and linking verbs. Every time we find a verb, we would write it down. At the end of the story we would look at the list of verbs and talk about the difference between action and linking verbs.

   To support gifted students, I would have them create sentences about themselves using the same verbs found throughout the story.