WONDER

Book: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Publisher: Knopf Books For Young Readers

Pages: 320

Grade Level: 5^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

August Pullman is a ten year old boy with a deformed face, a result a rare birth defect. Because of this, his mother has homeschooled him but his parents decide that for the first time, as a 5^th grader, August should go to school. The story is told through the perspective of August, his sister, and the new people he meets his first year in a mainstream private school.

When people refer to a “school story”, this book should be at the top of the list. Palacio is such a talented author she truly transforms you into the setting completely. You feel like all of her characters, a little uncomfortable by August’s face (after all, it takes some getting used to), but after a while you get past his looks and realize that he is a great boy and you want to be his friend and number one cheerleader. This is an excellent “anti-bully” story, teaches acceptance and sends a message that even though people look different on the outside, they are just as smart, funny, creative and sensitive as anyone else in the world. This is an upper elementary and middle school MUST READ by teachers, students and their parents. It is definitely not a disappointment.   

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am

Book: Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I am

Author: Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers

Pages: 160

Grade Level: 6^th-8^th

Rating: 5 Stars

Ben Bright, a smart, popular and talented senior in high school enlists in the army after his graduation, despite pleas from his family and closest friends. Shortly after he begins his training he is sent to Iraq where he is injured and suffers a traumatic brain injury. The book is broken up into three sections: Before, During, and After, and the focus of the book is on Ben’s rehabilitation and struggle to remember his past.

I was unable to put this book down and read the whole thing in a little over an hour. The emotions that were evoked from the family and friends throughout the book resonated with me even after I finished reading. This work of realistic fiction will have the reader glued to their seat and be rooting for Ben and his family the entire time. I would definitely recommend this book to middle schoolers, especially if they are discussing American Wars in their classes. Ben’s experience is extremely descriptive from injury through recovery and may be relatable to those who have friends or family members who have served in the Army in recent years.