Auggie & Me

Cover retrieved from Goodreads

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories

R. J. Palacio

Corgi Childrens: 2015, 303 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Auggie & Me is not a sequel to Wonder, written by the same author, R. J. Palacio.  It is a parallel to Wonder and offers the perspective of three characters from the original book: Julian, Christopher, and Charlotte.  Julian is the main antagonist and bully and his chapter answers some lingering questions that readers may have had while reading Wonder.  Christopher is Auggie's childhood best friend who moved away and Charlotte is one of Auggie's classmates and original "welcome buddy" who showed Auggie around the building before the school year began.  Again, readers gain insight as to how Auggie's presence effected those around him in numerous ways while also focusing on their own issues that seemingly every middle schooler goes through: changing friendships, family problems, worrying about popularity, and just trying to fit in and be liked.

Wonder

Cover retrieved from Goodreads

Wonder

R. J. Palacio

Corgi Childrens: 2013, 315 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Auggie is about to start 5th grade after being home-schooled all his life - not because his parents are wary of the education system - but because of his rare medical issues.  Auggie was born with Treacher Collins syndrome and a cleft palate; even after enduring many surgeries, his face is still noticeably different than those around him.  Wonder switches between different narrators, such as Auggie, his sister, and his friend, Jack.  The different narrations are awesome snippets into how all these characters are somehow effected by their relationship with Auggie, whether it's for the better or for the worse.  Wonder provides readers with great insight into kindness and empathy and I recommend it for all ages, late elementary and up, even though its target audience is middle school readers.