#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER •Millions of people have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face—who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart we are.Read the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement, a major motion picture, and the critically acclaimed graphic novel White Bird.
And don't miss R.J. Palacio's highly anticipated new novel, Pony, available now!
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.
R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
With the movie adaptation of this book being released a few months ago, I knew that I wanted to read it before seeing the big screen version. I didn't know much about it, other than the fact that so many different people were raving about it.
This is a wonderful little book. It's aimed at younger readers, but I believe it can be enjoyed and appreciated by readers of all ages. Once I started it I found it hard to put down. The story centres around August, a boy born with severe facial anomalies, and how those around him react to how he looks. After being homeschooled by his mom up to the age of ten, his parents decide that he should enrol at a local middle-grade school. The book is basically the story of the ups and downs of his first year there.
One interesting thing is the way the story is told through the eyes of the various characters, including August himself. The book, I'm sure, will be used for many years to teach young readers many life lessons, including how to treat others who are different from you, tolerance, acceptance, and kindness, among many other things. To go into any of the details of the story would involve too many spoilers, so just pick up the book and read it. You won't be disappointed!
