Wonder

In August, Mr. Kiapp and his parents enter the presidency and here they meet the lady.
Garcia, assistant to the principal. The first thing August notices is that the lady, a bit
Like everyone else, when he looks up at her, she lowers her eyes for a second.
in an imperceptible movement. Mrs. G., as she is called by everyone, has a
brilliant smile, too much. Despite everything, August likes it.

Jack Will, Julian and Charlotte

The principal takes August to the office and here two boys and a girl arrive who
they will be with him in class next school year.
The three introduce themselves. August is a little scared to meet new boys. When he was
little was not like that because small children when they say bad things do not mean it.
to hurt. The great ones, on the other hand, know well what they say and intentionally hurt.
the boys lower their eyes as Mrs. G. had done, but the girl does not. The three
they will have to take August on a tour of the new school, of its classrooms and its
laboratories.
On the first day of school, August immediately goes to classroom 301, the one he knows is his.
class, always keeping his head down. Someone looks at him but he applies the technique
I pretend that it isn't so, that no one is watching him, that everything is
normal. When he enters the classroom, he sits pretty far back, so it’s harder to fixate on him.
He immediately notices that no one sits next to him. Of the boys who accompanied him, the
A month before visiting the school, only Charlotte and Jack Will greet him, not Julian. Jack Will.
She sits next to him. In the classroom, there is Professor Petosa who distributes the padlock.
of the cupboard, warning however to try to open it only when she gives permission.
The woman then asks each person to share two things they would like others to know about them.
companions will then have to ask questions. Julian asks August, who likes "
Star Wars, what is your favorite character and then, as if nothing happened, he
he asks what he thinks of Darth Sidions, whose face is set on fire in the third episode
which becomes all deformed. August realizes that he did it on purpose.

The English teacher

The English teacher's name is Mr. Browne. On the first day, he asks what a precept is.
and he writes down a maxim in the notebook, that is, an important thing, which he will dictate a
once a month: the precept of the month of September is 'When you are given the opportunity to

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choose whether to be right or to be kind, choose to be kind. On this principle
everyone will have to write something.

At the table

August chews with his front teeth, so that according to him he looks like a turtle or a
some prehistoric animals. At the lunch table, on the first day of school, he meets a girl,
Summer, who is the only one that sat at his table.

On the evening of the first day of school, August cries and asks his mom why he has to
to be so horrible. The first month of school is terrible for August, both because of the homework from
do and for the end-of-month test, as well as for the behavior of the other boys. His
classmates get used to his deformed face only after a week, the
guys from his year of study (those he sees in the cafeteria, in the courtyard, etc.) after two.
Jack has now become his desk mate and he and August are friends.

October's precept: "Your actions are your monuments"

August is organizing a bowling party for his birthday. He invites everyone but only 5.
people accept the invitation. The party goes very well anyway.

August realizes one day that at school he has a science experiment, and that everyone has
fear of touching it. When a boy, Tristan, accidentally touches it, he immediately goes to wash his hands.
Mani. August compares this thing to an episode from the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid."
in which the boys are afraid of getting 'cheese mites' (the fleas) if they touch a
old piece of cheese rotting in the basketball court.

Halloween party

Halloween pleases August because with a mask no one sees what he is really like,
finally is just like any other kid wearing a mask. At school, they
they all dress up, so he does too. He wants to dress as Boba Fett, a character from
Star Wars and with mom find a dress. In the end, however, she dresses up as a scream.
Bleeding. When he arrives in class, however, he hears what his friend Jack Will does not.
recognizing it, he tells Julian about him, that he is always with August only because he does it for him.
he asked the principal, and runs away desperate. He goes up to the bathroom on the second floor, takes off his
She wears a mask and cries. Then she goes to the infirmary and has her mom come to pick her up.

Chapter Two 'Way'

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Via, short for Olivia, is August's older sister. When she describes her family
it does so by talking about planets that revolve around the sun, where the sun is August. In fact, everyone
they are only interested in him, it's as if they live only for him, around him. The only one to be
Outside this galaxy is Daisy, the little dog at home. Via has always been very
autonomous, independent precisely because everyone had to take care of August. No one
she had time for her. Before the little brother was born, she was the princess at home. Little
Before August was born, they had given her a doll to "practice" with.
to do as the sister. The first impression when she had seen her brother, according to some, was
Duration a few moments, for the mother days. But then she had projected herself entirely towards him.
She had never looked at August the way others saw him. She would get angry when he
they fixed or averted their gaze. However, at 11 years old, due to a long hospitalization of the
Brother, she had gone to stay at grandma's and the latter treats her like a
princess. She realizes during that time that, without her brother, no one points anymore with the.
here or this law and the grandmother. So when he returns home his initial reaction is to look at the
Brother, how everyone else looks at him, even if this impression really lasts.
little. According to Via, it is important that all of them had protected August until then,
But now it is right and necessary to let it go, to make it independent.

High School

She is happy to go to high school because there, apart from two of her childhood friends, she doesn't
No one knows her, no one knows that "she is August's sister." Now her friends are
They have grown up and hardly consider her anymore. This hurts her a lot.
The night before Halloween, the grandmother who had taken her in at her house dies.
Mom and dad go to the hospital. It is three hours away from their home. When they arrive, grandma is
already dead and the mother has a fainting spell because she realizes that she has lost, with the
mother, a tremendous support.
On Halloween day, August goes to school and hears what he thinks is his friend who...
he says he pretends to be fine with him because the principal told him to do so. August
he asks to be picked up because he feels unwell. At home, he cries and explains why to the
sister. She still convinces him to do 'trick or treat', which is something that he
he loves it very much because disguised he finally feels like all the other children
disguised, one does not feel different.
Via's dearest friend, Miranda, the one who has grown closest to her little brother, one evening
she called home to talk to August and in the end, she who had distanced herself from her friend,
He says to tell Via that he misses her very much. This makes the girl very happy.
even if she says a 'thank you' as if she didn't care much.

Third chapter 'Summer'

Summer is August's friend. She is the only one who sat next to him on the first day of school.
He has lunch. They found one thing in common regarding their names: her name is
Summer (Estate) and him August (Agosto), which is a month of summer.. They are thinking of forming
a group of people who have something in common with summer. However, they remain

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alone because no one wants to sit next to the boy, to become his friend.
Summer considers these people stupid. She gets along very well with August.
They have a great irony. For others, August is a kind of outcast.
Summer is invited to the Halloween party organized by the most sought-after girl.
famous at school just because they want her to break away from her friend. But when
Summer discovers everything, disgusted she has her mom come pick her up pretending to
to feel unwell.
August tells her about the Halloween episode, asking her if she is pretending too.
to be her friend. She answers no. That same day August discovers that the dad
Summer has died and she misses him very much.
August and Summer are conducting a research together.storyabout the ancient Egyptians. Families
they invite to their home to get to know each other better. The day arrives when the boys have to present
their school work in the school gym. August and Summer are dressed as
mummy. Taking advantage of a moment when she took off the mask, Jack Will approaches.
and Summer asks him why August is angry with him. Summer replies that he has
promised not to tell anyone but leaves him a clue saying 'Bleeding Scream' (the
mask that August wore on Halloween day at school.

Fourth chapter "Jack"

The principal calls Jack's parents before school starts because the boy,
together with others, get to know the new classmate (August) and show him around the school. He at first
he refuses because he remembers having met that boy: he had seen him for the first time
when he was 5 or 6 years old. Jack was frightened at the sight of it and made a sound of
who had noticed Via, the brother of the child. The babysitter who was with Jack and with the
little brother takes them away in a hurry, feeling ashamed, while August's mom brings
he saw the boy and his sister. After that episode, he had often seen the boy around the
neighborhood, sometimes with a helmet on his head (which had been given to him by Miranda, the friend of
Via). Jamie, Jack's little brother, was also scared when he saw August.
Mom, when she finds out, gets angry, because she thought her children were
sensitive people.
Jack then learns that the principal has also called Charlotte and Julian and then
I decided to accept the proposal to introduce August to the new school by explaining
that when he heard that even a small child like his brother, who is usually
quite polite, he manages to be so cruel, then he understands that he will have to help the
new boy because someone like him wouldn't have a single chance of survival
in middle school.
In the end, you get used to August's face and the guy is really sharp, funny.
and very intelligent. At first, Jack confesses that he was only being friends with August because
the principal had asked him, but now he realizes that it is he who wants to be his
friend and he would have chosen him as a friend among all the boys in middle school.
In August, from one day to the next, she stops greeting him and he doesn't understand why. Since then
he is no longer friends with August, the other boys look for him a lot. However, he doesn't have fun that way
so much to be with the group of 'populars', that is, the coolest guys, and realizes that with
the old friend was having more fun.

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One day it starts to snow and school is closed. So Jack goes out to play with the sled.
with his father and little brother. While he is leaving, he sees a half-broken sleigh.
leaning against a monument. He, believing it to be abandoned by someone, takes it.
to restore it to new. Later, he discovers that the sled belonged to Miles, one of the boys.
of her new group, which had simply left her there.
The English teacher, Mr. Browne, invites the students to write an essay on the precept.
In December, "Fortune favors the bold." Jack would like to write that the most
The brave thing she did was to become friends with August. She doesn't.
clearly, he decides to write about when, as a child, he was afraid of the ocean.
Meanwhile, Mr. Science assigns a research project in class. Jack doesn't like science and
when the professor talks about research, a bleeding ghost that screams comes to his mind
"Noooo!" It is at that very moment that he understands what Summer had meant to tell him.
when he whispered to him 'Bleeding scream': he recalls the day of the party of
Halloween reminds him of a mask that had entered the classroom. He realizes that it
It was about August and the boy had heard all the talks he had about his friend.
with Julian. At that point, he can no longer hear anything that the professor
he is saying. At the end of the lesson, groups are formed and he is placed with August.
Julian would like to change groups and refers to August as Monster.
Jack then punches him.
For this episode, he is called by the principal and 'suspended' for two days before the
vacation. He does not reveal the reason why he hit Julian but apologizes with a
Email both the principal and the boy. Julian's mom also sends an email to the parents of
Jack says that according to her the boy has become this way because he is "forced to take responsibility"
"about the friendship with August. Jack's mom replies to her not to worry about this."
because it is absolutely not true.
The principal also replies to an email from Julian's mother saying that the admission
At school, August has been completely regular and the boy is very good.
In the meantime, Jack and August become friends again. After the Christmas holidays, upon returning from
school, Jack realizes that most of the students avoid him because he is
August's friend. Julian has convinced almost all the boys not to be friends with them anymore.
Jack then goes to sit with August and Summer and the girl gives him a list that contains
written who is on his side, who is on Julian's side and who is, instead, neutral.
For the science research, Jack goes to August's house and here he meets Olivia and her boyfriend,
Justin.
Thanks to Summer, Jack and Auggie become friends again, even though they have to confront Julian and
other boys then begin to target the two friends with acts of bullying until
most of the tired boys and girls approach
Auggie leaving Julian more and more alone. During a mountain trip, a group of
middle school kids insult Auggie and take away his hearing aid. Jack him
defends, and with the help of some boys from Julian's group, manages to escape. These
boys become a bit like his personal bodyguard. At the end of the year, Auggie is
awarded a medal for his greatness and for his human value. At home the
mom hugs Auggie telling him that he is a true prodigy

ENVIRONMENT

TIME

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CHARACTERS
The protagonist is August, nicknamed Auggie. He is ten years old and suffers from a disease that has affected him.
He deformed his face. He lives with his family and his little dog Daisy. He loves 'Star Wars' and is intelligent.
sensitive, funny, and brave, despite the looks and offensive words from many boys.
The protagonist's helpers are: Auggie's parents who always love and support him; Olivia, his ...
sister who is proud of her little brother even if, at times, she wishes she had a more normal life; Justin, boyfriend of
Olivia and her childhood friend Miranda; Jack and Summer who are mocked by others for being friends of
Auggie; Principal Kiap who welcomes him to school and will present him with an award at the end of the year.
The antagonist is Julian, one of the most popular boys in school, who behaves like a bully towards Auggie and with
who is his friend.
The antagonist's helpers are: all those kids at school who consider Auggie a monster from whom
stare away and not to touch as if it were sick with the plague.

NARRATION
The events are narrated in the first person both by the protagonist, August, and from the perspective of the other characters.
tied to him for various reasons.

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK 'WONDER':

August Pullman is a 10-year-old boy who is about to start middle school.

But August is an unusual child: he is, in fact, affected by a dysostosis.
mandibulo-facial, caused by a mutation in the TCOF1 gene on chromosome 5,
complicated by hemifacial microsomia, which has led to serious and permanent
facial deformities.
During his short life, Auggie has undergone numerous surgeries, and the
Parents, to protect him from the comments of others, have never enrolled him in school.
public.
I know I'm not a normal 10-year-old boy. Yes, in short, I do things.
normal, of course. I eat ice cream. I ride a bike. I play ball. I have
the Xbox. And things like these make me a normal person. I suppose. And I
I feel normal. I mean inside.
But now that he is starting his middle school journey, the time has come to
going to school together with others.
Mr. Kiap, the principal of Beecher Prep School, wants Auggie to feel at
feel at ease in the new school and assigns the task of showing the school to the newcomer
student to three students: Julian, Jack Will, and Charlotte.
Despite the good intentions of the boys and the principal, it won't be easy for August.
to be accepted by everyone and will have to face various adversities to survive the
"jungle" of the first year of middle school.
"But it took about a month for the rest of the school to get used to me."
face. They were the boys who attended all the other years. Some were
big. Some had crazy hairstyles. Others wore small
nose piercing. Some were even full of pimples. But no one had a
face like mine.

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ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK 'WONDER':

August Pullman: he is 10 years old and suffers from mandibofacial dysostosis.

caused by a mutation of the TCOF1 gene on chromosome 5, complicated by a
microfacial microsomia, which has resulted in severe and permanent facial deformities.
However, Auggie is a child with truly extraordinary qualities: he manages to
turning one's weaknesses into strengths.
A big Star Wars fan, he often compares his life to that of his
idols "it was a bit like in the last scene of Star Wars Episode IV - A
new hope, when Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca receive
the applause for having destroyed the Death Star
Olivia "Via" Pullman: fifteen-year-old sister of Auggie. She is an extremely
Positive: with small gestures of affection, he always manages to lift his little brother's mood.
NateeIsabel Pullman: parents of Olivia and August. They embody the prototype of the
a model couple and the perfect parents. They loved Auggie unconditionally until
from the very first moment and have protected him from the outside world for years.

Now that their son is about to start middle school, they have decided that
his moment has come to face others. And they will be forever on his side.
side by side, facing together every adversity and every obstacle that little Auggie
will meet in his new life path.
Summer Dawson: Auggie's schoolmate. The first girl who manages to
to see well beyond Auggie's face, reaching right into his soul.
-Jack Will: desk mate of August. Although he initially approached
August only because requested by the principal, in time he will be able to go well beyond.
to the physical appearance, learning to appreciate the true Auggie.
Julian Albans: the main antagonist in Auggie's life. Julian is a little boy.
arrogant and mean, which hides a great insecurity.
-Charlotte Cody: one of the best girls in the school, who makes friends with
Auggie just to not disobey Principal Kiap's orders.
-Justin: boyfriend of Via. After a brief initial hesitation, he will succeed in
accepting Auggie, helping him on various occasions.
Miranda: one of Via's best friends. She has known Auggie since he was born and she
he considers him like his little brother.

SETTING PLACES OF THE BOOK ''WONDER'':

The story told in 'Wonder' takes place in North River Heights, at the tip
the extreme of Manhattan, where the Pullman family lives.
The main place where the events unfold is represented by August's school,
Beecher Prep School.
For August, middle school represents the beginning of a new life, as it is the
first time interacting with teachers, but above all, with his peers.
Therefore, the school represents the focal point for August's new life.

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another important place mentioned in the story is represented by Broarwood Nature
Reserve, in Pennsylvania, where the field trip for the seventh-grade students takes place.
It will be the events that take place in that place that will determine a turning point.
crucial in Auggie's life.

TIME (TEMPORAL SETTING) OF THE BOOK 'WONDER':

The novel 'Wonder' takes place in New York and is set in modern times.
No specific date is mentioned, but from the text it is clear that we
let's find some weeks before the start of school.
In fact, soon little Auggie Pullman will start middle school, and for him, who does not
I have attended public schools, it will be a real adventure.
The story mentions some special dates: Auggie's birthday on
October, the Halloween celebration, Carnival, and finally, the end of school year party.
Among all these holidays, the one that August likes the most is Halloween: "I can
wandering around all day disguised like everyone else and no one
You think I'm strange. No one takes that second to look at me.
No one notices me. No one knows me.
In conclusion, the story takes place over a time span of about a year, the first
Auggie's school year.

Therefore, the novel highlights a simple, trivial, and linear writing style.
through the use of a language and terminology typical of adolescence.
It is interesting to note how the writing style changes depending on the character.
Auggie has a simple yet refined narrative style;
Via has a simple, linear, and flowing narrative, while Justin has a
elementary writing style, sometimes with some grammatical inaccuracies.
However, such a varied narrative does not create confusion in the reader, but allows
a comprehensive understanding of the different characters in the story.
In conclusion, a novel narrated by young people, but that manages to make it not trivial.
the reading, engaging even the most adult reader, without boring them.

NARRATOR OF THE BOOK 'WONDER':

"Wonder" is a novel by RJ Palacio and features an internal narrator: this

this characteristic engages the reader in feelings and emotions related to the voice
narrative.
Furthermore, the internal narrator of the book changes from chapter to chapter: each one of the
main characters, take turns, narrate the unfolding of events from their own perspective
view. In particular, August is the narrator in the first, sixth, and eighth parts; Via
in the second part; Summer in the third; Jack in the fourth; Justin in the fifth and
Miranda in the seventh.

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The fact of recounting the same event from different points of view allows the
Reader a comprehensive view of August's life, his family, and friends.
Therefore, the reader is not only fully informed about the succession of
events, but includes emotions and sensations of each individual character.

THEMES TREATED IN THE BOOK 'WONDER':

Wonder tells the story of a really special boy, August Pullman, who has a condition
from a mandibular-facial dysostosis, which made his face different from that of the
his peers.
If I found a magic lamp and could make a wish, I would like to
to have such a normal face that it goes unnoticed. I would like to walk through
a street where people, right after seeing me, turn the other way. And
I have come to this conclusion: the only reason I am not normal
it's because no one considers me normal
Therefore, the main theme of the novel is based on physical diversity and
on the acceptance of those who are not like us.
In an interview, RJ Palacio recounts that the idea for Wonder was born from a personal experience.
personal experience: one day at the park, with the children, met a little girl
affected by Treacher Collins syndrome and her first reaction was to stand up
jumping from the bench and moving away, out of fear that his children might
to get frightened. This action unleashed in her a deep inner turmoil, which
then, I began to write this story.

The text quotes a phrase from John Merrick in 'The Elephant Man' that fits well.
A brush in August's story: "Sometimes I think my head is so big
because it is full of dreams." A phrase that encompasses a sweet meaning: not
never give up in the face of difficulties, but always look for the positive side even of that
which at first glance appears as a condemnation.
A simple and innovative novel, an engaging plot and a story that
touching: these are the ingredients of the novel that has sold millions of copies all over
Europe.
Absolutely recommended reading for everyone, not just for young people.
And to conclude, I'll leave you with a quote from little Auggie: 'Everyone should
to receive a standing ovation at least once in a lifetime, because everyone
let's conquer the world