Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories

Ordinary

Okay, okay, okay.

I know, I know, I know.

I haven t been nice to August Pullman!

Big deal. It s not the end of the world, people! Let s stop with the drama, okay? There s a whole big world out there, and not everyone is nice to everyone else. That s just the way it is. So, can you please get over it? I think it s time to move on and get on with your life, don t you?

Jeez!

I don t get it. I really don t. One minute, I m like, the most popular kid in the fifth grade. And the next minute, I m like, I don t know. Whatever. This bites. This whole year bites! I wish Auggie Pullman had never come to Beecher Prep in the first place! I wish he had kept his creepy little face hidden away like in The Phantom of the Opera or something. Put a mask on, Auggie! Get your face out of my face, please. Everything would be a lot easier if you would just disappear.

At least for me. I m not saying it s a picnic for him, either, by the way. I know it can t be easy for him to look in the mirror every day, or walk down the street. But that s not my problem. My problem is that everything s different since he s been coming to my school. The kids are different. I m different. And it sucks big-time.

I wish everything was the way it used to be in the fourth grade. We had so, so, so much fun back then. We would play tackle-tag in the yard, and not to brag, but everyone always wanted a piece of me, you know? I m just sayin . Everyone always wanted to be my partner when we d do social studies projects. And everyone always laughed when I said something funny.

At lunchtime, I d always sit with my peeps, and we were like, it. We were totally it. Henry. Miles. Amos. Jack. We were it! It was so cool. We had all these secret jokes. Little hand signals for stuff.

I don t know why that had to change. I don t know why everyone got so stupid about stuff.

Actually, I do know why: it was because of Auggie Pullman. The moment he showed up, that s when things stopped

R. J. PALACIO lives in NYC with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. For more than twenty years, she was an art director and graphic designer, designing book jackets for other people while waiting for the perfect time in her life to start writing her own novel. But one day several years ago, a chance encounter with an extraordinary child in front of an ice cream store made R. J. realize that the perfect time to write that novel had finally come. Wonder is her first novel. She did not design the cover, but she sure does love it.

Learn more about R.J. Palacio and the world of Wonder at wonderthebook.com.

Praise for 365 DAYS OF WONDER:

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
Not only a companion to Wonder, but a wonder in itself.  

Praise for WONDER:

#1 New York Times bestseller

A School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 

A Publishers Weekly Best of Children's Books 

A Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books 

A Booklist Best of Children's Books 

"Wonder is essentially ... a wonder. It's well-written, engaging, and so much fun to read that the pages almost turn themselves. More than that, Wonder touches the heart in the most life-affirming, unexpected ways, delivering in August Pullman a character whom readers will remember forever. Do yourself a favor and read this book your life will be better for it." - Nicholas Sparks, #1 New York Timesbestselling author

Slate.com:
"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year."

Entertainment Weekly: 
"In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for."

The New York Times:
"Rich and memorable...It's Auggie and the rest of the children who are the real heart of 'Wonder,' and Palacio captures the voices of girls and boys, fifth graders and teenagers, with equal skill."

The Wall Street Journal:
"What makes R.J. Palacio's debut novel so remarkable, and so lovely, is the uncommon generosity with which she tells Auggie's story The result is a beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation.

The Huffington Post, 
"It's in the bigger themes that Palacio's writing shines. This book is a glorious exploration of the nature of friendship, tenacity, fear, and most importantly, kindness."


"Full of heart, full of truth, Wonder is a book about seeing the beauty that's all around