"Wonder" by R J Palacio

'Wonder' tells us the heart touching story about a boy with facial deformity who enters school for the first time. The first day of school is always difficult but Auggie (pet name for the protagonist August) with his facial deformities heads straight into middle school, he has alway been home-schooled hitherto.

This book makes one introspect and realise how all our tall morals of kindness and passion disappear in front of those who need it the most. The line in the book that moved me the most was "You don't need to mean to hurt someone's feelings to hurt them".

Classmates avoid him and find him "repulsive", wash their hands if they happen to touch him, and act as though his face were contagious. 

He is offered real friendship by two of them who are eventually boycotted by the entire class.

Thus, courage is another theme of this book.

It also brings out the strength displayed by the entire family of the protagonist, who were his pillars of support. His sister who yelled at anyone who would make a face at him, his mother who spent sleepless nights wondering whether she had wronged her child by sending him to school, his father who couldn't bear his son trying to hide his face.

Despite all the difficulties, Auggie graduates from middle school and receives a standing ovation from all parents, students and staff, because his completing this journey was simply a WONDER!

- Shaelja Mishra