Wonder Summary
Wonder is a novel by R.J. Palacio about August Pullman, a ten-year-old boy who suffers from severe birth defects, as he navigates school life.
- August begins attending school, where he meets and befriends Jack.
- Classroom politics briefly come between Jack and August, but they reconcile.
- After Jack punches Julian, the classroom bully, for saying mean things about August, Julian begins turning the other kids against Jack and August.
- As the other kids get to know August better, they begin rejecting Julian’s cruelty.
- August is awarded a medal at his fifth grade graduation, and he appreciates the sense of normalcy that his friends have given him.
Summary
Introduction
R. J. Palacio's Wonder—a popular work of middle-grade fiction—follows the trials and tribulations of August, a young boy with mandibulofacial dysostosis, as he navigates the chaotic social sphere of his private school.
The story, often taught to students of a similar age, provides an empathetic glimpse of what it is to look and feel different, illustrating the value of inclusivity and acceptance. It is a didactic moral that August himself must learn and that readers, hopefully, come to understand as well.
Plot Summary
Wonder opens as August Pullman introduces himself, explaining that he was born with severe birth defects, which has affected his appearance. “I won’t describe what I look like,” he says. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”
At ten years old, August has already learned to live with the fact that people will always stare at him and think of him as a freak. Until now, his parents have homeschooled him, but that shield dissolves when he begins attending Beecher Prep, a private school. When he tours the school, August meets future classmates Jack, Julian, and Charlotte. Julian asks if August is a burn victim while Charlotte admonishes his rudeness. Jack remains silent but gives August a smile at the end of the tour.
The first day of school is rough for August. While Jack sits next to him, and he finds a friend in a girl named Summer, Julian continues to mock him, leading him to go home and ask his mom why he is so ugly. September is hard, but October is better, as he hosts a birthday party that a few kids from school attend.
Halloween is August’s favorite day of the year; it gives him an excuse to hide behind a mask and pretend to be someone else. He initially plans on dressing up as Boba Fett, but at the last second, he changes into a Bleeding Scream costume. Under his mask, no one recognizes August in the halls, leading him to overhear Jack confess that he is only friends with him because he has to be. Part one ends with August saying he does not want to go to school anymore.
Part two turns toward Olivia, August’s older sister, who bitterly describes their family dynamic: “August is the Sun. Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the Sun.” Via (her nickname) has learned to care for herself in light of her parents’ neglect. Yet, she loves August very much and only occasionally resents him for being the center of attention. Her first week of high school is rough, leaving her friendless and without a ride home after school. After Halloween, she talks August out of leaving school.
Part three focuses on Summer, who describes how sad she felt for August and how she decided to befriend him. On Halloween, Summer attends a party hosted by a popular girl named Savannah, who demands Summer stop being friends with August. Summer ignores her, and her friendship with August only deepens.
Part four turns toward Jack, who reveals he first saw August as a little kid. His babysitter warned him never to stare how he stared at August. Ever since, Jack has tried hard to act normal around August. He does want to be friends with August and is upset when August suddenly stops talking to him, not realizing August overheard his confession. When he realizes, he feels guilty.
Eventually, Jack becomes disillusioned with Julian and punches him in the face one day after Julian calls August a “freak.” Afterward, Jack texts August and apologizes for what he said, and they become friends...
(This entire section contains 996 words.)
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again, though his actions damage his social standing.
Part five follows Justin, Via’s boyfriend. His parents are divorced and leave him to fend for himself. On Valentine’s Day, he goes to dinner with Via and her family, amazed at how close her family is. The section follows his journey as the lead in the high school play.
Part six returns to August, who grapples with increased bullying. However, it soon abates; only Julian continues his cruelty. At home, August's new hearing aids allow him to hear his family's fights about him, making his situation seem bleaker than ever.
Part seven spirals out from Miranda, Via's old friend and an unhappy child of divorce. Miranda feels judged by Via, who clearly does not like her new friends and new look. She misses August and the Pullmans, too, even calling August to say hi. However, the events of the school play imply that the relationship may be mendable.
The eighth section returns to August’s point of view. He is set to attend a field trip to a nature reserve but has some reservations about the trip. As more and more kids arrive at the camp, he worries how they will react to him.
That night, Jack and August unintentionally encounter a group of older kids lighting firecrackers, who shove them to the ground. Somebody helps August up and tells him to run into a nearby cornfield. When he stops, he finds that Julian’s friends helped him. Together, they bond over the intense experience.
Back at school, August learns that the story has spread throughout the class. As the one most directly responsible for saving August, Amos is dubbed a hero and ousts Julian as the most popular boy in school, leaving Julian friendless. August now finds he has new friends and a new nickname: “little dude.” Everything is great, except that, during the fight, Eddie stole August’s hearing aids.
August is excited to learn from Mr. Tushman that Julian will not return to Beecher Prep next year as punishment for his behavior. At the end of the year, August and his friends attend the fifth-grade graduation ceremony, where August wins the Henry Ward Beecher prize—reserved for an “exemplary” student. At the reception, August's mother pauses, proud of her son, then whispers: “You really are a wonder."
