Het wonder door J.M.A. Biesheuvel

Book Report

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

1. August Pullman is a 10-year-old boy from Manhattan. He has a deformed face due to a disease. After several surgeries, his parents think he should go to a real school, instead of being home schooled. Auggie doesn’t like this, of course. He’s afraid that he won’t make any friends because of the way he looks. When he goes to his new school to talk to Mr Tushman, a few children named Jack Wills, Julian Albans and Charlotte Cody showed him around. Auggie likes Jack and Charlotte, but Julian is very mean to him. After that, Auggie tells his parents that he really doesn’t want to go to Beecher Prep. His parents force him and tell him that he will make friends; he can’t be home schooled for his whole life. Auggie goes and he finds out he really loves school. Not necessarily his classmates, but mainly the learning and the teachers. At his first lunch, he sits alone. Not for long, because a beautiful girl named Summer Dawson joins him and talks to him. Auggie likes this and August en Summerbecome friends. Jack Wills becomes also a friend. When August's ‘homeroom’ hosts a Halloween party, Auggie plans to wear a Star Wars-themed costume. Halloween is Auggie’s favourite holiday, because kids won’t see his face that’s underneath the mask, and he’ll feel like just a regular kid then. When his Star Wars-themed costume doesn't work out, Auggie wears a "Bleeding Scream" costume instead. Because his classmates expect him to wear a Star Wars-themed costume, he is being unrecognized and he overhears Jack telling Julian he would "kill himself" if he looked like Auggie. Feeling hurt and betrayed by Jack, from who Auggie thought he was a friend, Auggie wants to quit school. His sister Via convinces him not to. Auggie tells Summer everything. Jack starts to notice that Auggie has become quiet and distant. He asks Summer if she knows why, and though she won't tell him the entire story, she says "Bleeding Scream" as a hint; Auggie wore a Bleeding Scream-costume to the Halloween party instead of the Star Wars one. Jack realizes Auggie had overheard what he said. In science class, Auggie and Jack are partners for a project. Jack sincerely apologized to Auggie, saying he didn't mean to say the stuff he said about him, and they became friends again. Throughout the rest of the school year, Auggie faces many obstacles, most of them due to Julian encouraging his “gang” to avoid Auggie and Jack. However, everything changes during a class camping trip, when Auggie and Jack are attacked by older students from another school who insult Auggie. Not only Jack, but also Miles, Henry and Amos (formerly part of Julian’s “gang”) defend Auggie. Because of this, they befriend each other. At the graduation ceremony, Auggie is awarded the Henry Ward Beecher medal. He gets a standing ovation, takes pictures with everyone (something he had always refused to do). After that, he goes back to his house for a party to celebrate.

2. The main characters are August ‘Auggie’ Pullman, Jack Wills, Summer Dawson, Julian Albans and Olivia ‘Via’ Pullman.

3. August ‘Auggie’ Pullman is a boy with a deformed face. After several surgeries and being home-schooled for 10 years, his parents want him to attend a ‘real’ school. He’s very smart, funny and nice, even though some of his classmates don’t acknowledge that.

Jack Wills is one of the first friends that August made at his new school. At the beginning, he says he’s friends with Auggie, but then he says to a fellow classmate he’s not. But in the end, Jack loves Auggie and sees him as a real friend. He is also very protective about Augie.

Summer Dawson is a girl who was the first one to sit with Auggie at the lunch table. She immediately sees the good in Auggie and befriends him. Summer is a very beautiful girl.

Julian Albans is mean to Auggie. He laughs at him and invents “The Plague”, a game about Auggie. If someone touches him, they get The Plague. Julian also turns the whole grade against Auggie, but Jack and Summer and a few others still don’t want to leave Auggie. Julian is a very popular boy.

Olivia ‘Via’ Pullman is Auggie’s sister. She is very protective over Auggie and loves him very much. She aspires to be an actress and has the leading role in the school play. She also has a boyfriend named Justin and her best friend is called Miranda.

4. I liked Summer Dawson the best, because she immediately sees the good in August even though the others don’t. She’s the first person at Beecher Prep who befriends Auggie. She had to choose between popularity and being friends with Auggie, and she chose Auggie. I think that’s very wonderful and nice of her and a lot of people can learn from that.

5. The story is set at Beecher Prep, Auggie’s new school. This is important, because the whole story revolves around Auggie’s first year at public school and the personal growth he experiences.

6. The story is set in the present. This isn’t really important, because the story of August Pullman could happen in the past, but also in the future.

7. I really loved this book, because it has the power to change minds. After reading this book, I thought about it a long time. It makes you think about how people behave and how they actually should. This book shows you the truth about human behaviour. It made me feel a lot; I laughed, I cried and I got angry.That’s what I look for in a book; if it doesn’t make me feel something, I don’t find it a good book. August Pullman (and Wonder in general) will stay with me for a long time.