Wonder by R.J Palacio

Wonder by R.J Palacio

Wonder-full, Wonder-struck, Wonder-boy

 

Author: R.J Palacio
Format: Paperback
Pub Date: 03/01/13 Price: £6.99
Publisher: Corgi Childrens

I read Wonder last year when it first came out in hardback and since then I have not read a children's book that has matched it's ability to tug on each of my heart strings.  The story follows August Pullman, known affectionately as Auggie, who  bravely bares the burden of having a terrible facial abnormality. 

Straight from the off I really liked Auggie as a character, he's smart, funny and caring, but above all that he is an incredibly brave and tenacious character. Having undergone 27 operations he says "I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse" and from there we begin to get to know Auggie .

Throughout his early life he has been highly sensitive to people's reactions when they meet him. Some stare openly, others shoot quick glances and talk in whispers, while others do much worse. I'd like to say children can be cruel but sometimes it can be adults who are the most insensitive and can inflict the most hurt.

Having this experience as a yard stick, Auggie then gets to measure how hard life can truly be; when he starts attending school.  Described as like a "lamb to the slaughter" the real test of Auggie's character begins when he takes his first step into the playground.

 Adult cover published by Transworld

 What follows is the ups and down of Auggie's new life , the impact it has on him and the influence he has on children and adults alike. Navigating through school is one of the hardest things anyone can do, the politics, the clicks, the trends, and doing it when singled out and labelled 'different' is an exceptionally difficult task. But even at his lowest Auggie still manages to put on a brave face.

Wonder is a story that lifts you to laughter and reduces you to tears. It is a fantastic read for both adults and children alike, so much so that Transworld published an adult version after RHCP did. Filled with kind messages and heart aching truths it is one book that anyone will read in one sitting.

Don't judge a boy by his face, a book by it's cover. Such a simple and age old sentiment that R.J Palacio reinvents in a new and heartfelt way.

Genre: Fiction

Age Range: 11+

Award Info: Waterstones Children's Book of the Month

Uffish:  R.J Palacio has worked for a publisher as an Art Director for more than 20 years designing book covers. 

Rating: 9/10

 

Let's face it, we do judge books by their covers. 

In a market that's now very commercially competitive, book designs do more than just catch our eye in a bookstore (physical or virtual). They tell us about the style, subject and genre of a story but also increasingly they can even point to who the publishers is - yes Penguin i'm talking about you. 

Ebooks outsold Hardback in 2011 and to combat this we can now see a whole range of beautifully designed and produced books that just make you want to hold them, stroke them, put them on your bookshelf and admire them. As books should be.

Here's some of my favourites for this month:

The stand out star for me is this striking cover for The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette. This beautiful hardback by Bantam Press incorporates characters and themes of the story into the type of the title, which is a great design feature.

 Some of my other choice covers are:

- Revenge of the Tide by Elizabeth Haynes [Myriad Editions, PB]

- Good as Dead by Mark Billingham [Sphere, PB]

- Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon [Atom, PB]

- Wonder by R J Palacio [Bodley Head, HB]

- Itch by Simon Mayo [Doubleday Childrens, HB]