Wonder by Palacio. R.J. ( 2013 ) Paperback

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Due to his condition, August has been homeschooled by his mother for some years; however, wanting him to experience a larger world, his parents enrolled him into Beecher Prep, a private school, for the start of fifth grade. The skeptical journalist William Byrne makes her confront her homeland's part in intensifying the culture she has been so prejudiced against. Auggie, Via and Jack realise that it’s important to be who they are and to spend time with people who accept them for who they are. Auggie says he also has another unnamed syndrome, which makes his facial differences particularly unique.

An English nurse, Lib Wright, is summoned to a tiny village to observe what some are claiming as a medical anomaly or a miracle - a girl said to have survived without food for months. The dirt roads, the countryside, every detail about life on the O’Donnell farm, and yes, even the fairies. I actually probably felt more comfortable with the writing in this one than I did with Room and Frog Music and I found myself into the plot much sooner than I did with both of those.Anna exudes an aura of benevolence to all those around her, she is quietly accepting of both those who believe in her “miracle” and those who do not believe. If you were registered for the newsletter, you will now receive the Puffin Schools newsletter, which is filled with all the latest information about accompanying resources and upcoming shows. Since Auggie is mad at Jack, Summer becomes his best friend, and their two families hit it off as well. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

However, I did struggle for a long while with this one, and became frustrated often, but the last quarter of the book was riveting and shocking, and held by undivided attention. The rest of humankind used meals to divide the day, Lib realized — as reward, as entertainment, the chiming of an inner clock. And as Lib’s concerns go from trying to catch her out to worrying about her health, so did my concerns shift. At the end of the book, Mr Tushman presents Auggie with an award for kindness and bravery, and makes a speech about how kindness is a choice. When Lib meets with Anna she is immediately suspicious of her claim to only sip water, and that most likely her family have been feeding her on the sly.

Lib and a nun work shifts to observe the girl - to try to discover if and how she is taking any food, or if she has somehow managed to survive without it. When he starts school he wants to be more independent, but when things get difficult he also wants to be able to stay at home and be looked after. As a reader, I went from suspecting young Anna, and assuming her to be the worst kind of manipulator, to being absolutely touched by the young girl’s innocence and faith. The only positive thing I can really say is that the overall premise is intriguing and there are a couple of thought provoking parts that I liked.