By merely viewing the book cover or movie poster, it can be easy to assume that Wonder is a light-hearted child’s tale with limited substance. However, this middle grade novel, written by R.J. Palacio, follows the life of a boy named August Pullman, Auggie for short, who suffers from mandibulofacial dysostosis and a cleft palate. This story, being considered a “dramedy,” showcases Auggie’s journey entering a mainstream school system for the first time and facing conflicts involving bullying, relationships, and fitting in. Senior Keerti Kalluru commented, “Wonder has a wide variety of themes for all ages to relate to, whether it is being more understanding and making new friends or strengthening relations and taking risks.”

 Palacio decided to write this unique novel after an ice cream trip with her three-year-old son. While waiting in line, she saw a young girl suffering from facial deformities, and in an attempt to prevent her young son from making a scene in front of the young girl and accidentally insulting her, she escorted him out, something that only worsened the situation. Later, after listening to the song “Wonder” by Natalie Merchant, Palacio realized that the incident could be turned into a story to teach society a valuable lesson about why we should all refrain from judging others.

 What makes this story unique is the multiple perspectives from various characters the story showcases. In addition to talking about the struggles Auggie faces, it also tackles his sister Via’s feelings regarding living in her brother’s shadow, Summer’s, a friend of Auggie’s, efforts to stand up to Auggie’s bullies, and Jack, a friend of Auggie’s, struggling to balance popularity and being a good friend. In addition, the story also gives an outside perspective of Auggie’s household by introducing Justin, Via’s crush, who visits Via at her home multiple times. The novel also blurs the line between good and evil, by allowing Via’s ex-friend, Miranda, to give her a reason behind  her fallout with Via. These various perspectives cause the reader to fall in love with each individual character, and allow them to fully immerse themselves in the story.

 On Friday, November 17, a movie adaptation of the acclaimed novel was released by Lionsgate. This movie stars Room’s Jacob Tremblay as August Pullman. With the cast of Wonder including names like Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, and Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs, this star-studded film is able to bring a well-performed family story that is sure to make audiences smile. The movie has already been certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, receiving an eighty-six percent rating. By watching this film, viewers will learn the importance of kindness and that people are not always what they seem.

 Going along with the film’s main themes, part of the movie’s press was the launching of the campaign Choose Kind, which encouraged people to treat everyone they encounter with kindness. This thoughtful message is associated with a twenty-five dollar t-shirt, and the money raised benefits PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.

 While most would recommend always reading the book before watching the movie, Wonder is the perfect film to finish off any Millbrook student’s fall break! So make sure to bring your whole family to learn about the powers of friendship and generosity.