By the time I read Harry Potter, the first book, the second book had already come out. I was a little late to the Potter party, but it was nice that the series was clipping along by the time I found it because then I didn't have to wait much.
Same with Wonder by RJ Palacio. By the time I read Wonder, there was already:
Wonder
Auggie and Me
We're All Wonders (a picture book)
365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts and
choose KIND journal
And the movie, which I haven't seen yet. But it's on the Netflix queue.
So I volunteered to do Wonder for my book club and then read all the books. Then I had intelligent- and-kind-and-funny friends (my favorite) come over for book club and we had a great discussion. Here's the tip of the iceberg:
1. This book is great for discussion at any age---kids can get it, teenagers understand it, adults can relate to it. Especially good for teaching kindness and compassion for grades 4-8.
2. Lots of "choose kind" messages and isn't that nice to find in YA!
3. Lots of tough themes in these: accepting people with differences, stress on family/friends for caring for people with extensive medical needs, bullying, etc.
4. Great book for teaching point of view, especially nice that there's Auggie and Me for that one.
5. Palacio got a lot of flack, evidently (I didn't know this), for not being sensitive/representing well the community of people with differences and challenges---I despise the term "disabled" because it's so surface---because she's an outsider, not an insider. Our group had a good discussion about that.
6. The choose KIND journal and 365 days are great for writing teachers or young writers.
And here are two of my favorites:
1. Via was absolutely my favorite character because she's so conflicted. She loves her brother and she had always understood the need for herself to take a back seat to his medical needs. Her parents are good parents who are portrayed as saintly in the books (we don't get their perspectives ever), but they aren't really paying attention to their lack of attention to Via. But there comes a point where she needs some love and attention too. Hey, let's talk about that.
2. I found it fascinating the justifications for mean behavior that the kids make. Blaming another kid, just wanting to be liked themselves, protecting their own group identity. But there's this lovely character named Summer who doesn't buy into it. She says, when some girls are talking about "everyone" being mean: "No one has to be mean. Ever."
I love that character. She is more adult than some adults who say things like "Well I was just a laughing because it's funny! "(It's funny, but it's not kind), or "I'm just saying it because it's true!" (It's true, but it's not compassionate.) or "I'm just reacting because of what she did." (But you are choosing your reaction.)
Summer made me think of this old book where this is taught:
38 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
(Matthew 5)
In other words:
If someone is mean to you, choose kind.
If someone takes something from you, choose kind.
If someone says something mean, choose kind.
If someone is laughing at someone else, you don't have to.
If someone is being mean to someone else, you don't have to follow.
If someone is different from you, choose kind.
Thanks Palacio. Great work.
