Wonder

Reviewed by Anonymous

R. J. Palacio’s middle-grade novel explores kindness, empathy, friendship, family, bullying, and the challenge of seeing beyond appearance. Told through multiple perspectives, it encourages readers to consider how one child’s experiences affect an entire school community. The accessible prose and emotionally direct situations make it especially suitable for roughly ages 8–13, as well as family or classroom discussion. Its strongest quality is its invitation to choose compassion without denying difficulty. At times, the moral lessons feel overt and some characters are broadly drawn, but the message remains affecting.