Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a delightful little book that I picked up because it has received such rave reviews.  I think that the reviews were quite accurate in this case.  It is definitely a book I will recommend to my middle school students and their teachers.  The story is about August Pullman, a ten-year-old boy about to start middle school. School is a scary prospect for him because he was born with facial "anomalies" according to his doctor, and because he has been homeschooled all of his life. Homeschooling to this point was a necessity because of the 27 surgeries needed to correct his face.  Even though he can now eat without having a feeding tube, his face still causes strange and most often rude reactions from people.   The story is told from the point of view of August (Auggie), his sister, and others that become friends with him.  The narration is effortless and the characters ring true.  A nice change from many of the dark books for young people these days.



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Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I found this debut novel for Rae Carson to be quite delightful.  The characters seemed well-developed, and I found myself relating to the main character, Eliza, and her religious commitment. Eliza is a Princess of Orovalle, but more than that she was chosen at birth, by some magical circumstance, to be the bearer of the holy Godstone.  One person is chosen every 100 years for this special honor.  Eliza has little self-confidence in spite of the Godstone, however, and soon finds herself in an arranged marriage to a weak king.  A combination of circumstances then come about which test Eliza's character and proves that she is truly a worthy bearer of the Godstone.  This is the first in a trilogy that should be a hit for the middle school crowd and higher. 



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