We're All Wonders • Written and Illustrated by R.J. Palacio

Auggie is a very ordinary kid. He likes to ride his bike, play ball, eat ice cream. Yet, in one simple way he is not ordinary, he doesn't look ordinary. For that, he suffers painful stares, comments, and being ostracized by others.  Auggie's full story is told in the phenomenally popular book, Wonder by R.J. Palacio (See the full review of Wonder here). In this picture book, which Palacio has illustrated herself, she perfectly encapsulates the essence of the full book.

"I know I can't change the way I look. BUT maybe, just maybe, people can change the way they see."

The book is profound on many levels, and can easily be used with younger children all the way to older children. Use the book to discuss our differences, how we judge people, and the effects of how we judge people. The book could be used as an introduction to the novel, or,  it could be used following the novel as an introduction to a project based on how each one of us are different. I highly recommend this picture book for all libraries.

Mark's Book Picks Rating: 5

Reading Level: 1.5 • Interest Level: P-2 • Lexile Level: AD370L • AR Points: 0.5

Publisher: Knopf •  ISBN: 978-1-524-76649-8 • Available in Perma-Bound Styleline binding