Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Book Summary) - Minute Book Report

This is a quick book summary of Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This channel discusses and reviews books, novels, and short stories through . This is a story about a boy with a disfigured face named August Pullman who lives in New York with his father, mother, and sister, Via. Having been homeschooled for most of his childhood, August is surprised to hear from his parents that he is enrolled for fifth grade in a local prep school called Beecher Prep. At first, August is nervous about the school, but after a quick orientation with a group of students, he looks forward to entering school for the first time. August becomes friends with a boy named Jack and they have a lot of the same classes. August is also friends with a girl named Summer and they eat lunch together everyday. A popular boy named Julian teases August and spreads rumors about him to the rest of the school. Via enters a new high school, but is struggling to adjust as her old friends are branching off and she is forced to make a new group of friends. August is excited about Halloween because everyone can wear costumes and he can hide his face. However, when he gets to school, August overhears Jack talking to some boys about him in a bad way and leaves the classroom crying. Meanwhile, Summer is invited to a party with popular kids and asked why she hangs out with August. She leaves the party and continues her friendship with August at school. Jack can’t figure out why August stopped being his friend, but when he learns that August overheard his hurtful words, he’s sorry and wants to be friends again. Jack and August are paired up to be science fair project partners and when Julian wants to be Jack’s partner and Jack refuses, Jack punches Julian. Jack and August restore their friendship, but Julian excommunicates Jack, telling most of the boys to stop talking to him. Via starts dating Justin, a high school musician, who stands up for Jack against Julian and some bullies. After battling with an illness, Daisy, the family dog, dies. Via invites the family to her play, even though she is only an understudy, but when she fills for the lead, she does an amazing job. Over time, most of the boys stop siding with Julian and start saying hello to Jack and August. August’s class goes on a camping trip. August has a great time, except that one night, seventh graders from another school push him, but Jack and some other boys fight back and protect August. News of the fight makes it around school and people begin talking to August. August attends the Beecher Prep graduation ceremony and is awarded the Henry Ward Beecher medal for his strength throughout the school year and the impact he had on other students. In the end, August and his family celebrate and August thanks his mother for making him go to school. Facebook Page - Paper by Fifty Three was used to make this video. Music from Audioblocks.