UDY

ST

Wonder
NOV E L

Pre-Reading Activity
Read each statement and put a checkmark in the “Agree” column if you mostly agree with
the statement or think it’s true. If you mostly disagree with the statement or think it’s false,
put a checkmark in the “Disagree” column. Be sure to respond to each statement.

AGREE DISAGREE

1. Someone’s appearance tells you a lot about them.

2. Kids need their parents to take care of them.

3. It is wrong to lie.

4. Adults can learn important life lessons from kids.

5. It’s easy to be kind to everyone.

6. It‘s fun to be the new person at school.

7. Life is difficult for those who don’t fit in with the crowd.

8. It’s fine to change things about yourself if it means having friends.

9. Once you are best friends with someone, you‘ll always be best friends.

10. Actions speak louder than words.

11. It is easy to forgive people who hurt your feelings.

12. The best way to respond to a bully is to ignore them.

Choose one statement and explain your response on the lines below.
 UDY
ST

Wonder
NOV E L

Character Tracker
Use the graphic organizer to keep track of the characters in R.J. Palacio’s
Wonder. As you meet new characters, write a few words to describe their
appearance, personality, and character development throughout the book.

PHYSICAL PERSONALITY CHARACTER

NAME
APPEARANCE TRAITS DEVELOPMENT

August “Auggie”
Pullman

Olivia “Via”
Pullman

Isabel “Mom”
Pullman

Nate “Dad”
Pullman

Mr. Tushman

Jack Will

Julian Albans
 UDY
ST

Wonder
NOV E L

Character Tracker
Describe the characters in the graphic organizer below. Use the empty rows to
jot notes about additional characters from R.J. Palacio’s Wonder.

PHYSICAL PERSONALITY CHARACTER

NAME
APPEARANCE TRAITS DEVELOPMENT

Miranda

Justin

Summer
 Page 4
UDY
ST

Wonder Discussion
NOV E L

Guide #1
Encourage critical thinking and support your students’ literacy development
by asking questions during reading. Here are some questions you can ask
your readers to engage them in a discussion.

Chapters: Ordinary – Home

COM P R EHE N S I O N :
• Who is the narrator?
• Why does August think he is not ordinary?
• Why does August’s mom think that he should start school?
• How does August’s dad convince him to tour Beecher Prep?
• Why is August upset at his mom when students give him a tour of the school?
• Describe how Jack, Charlotte, and Julian interact with August during the school tour.
• What signal does August use with his mom, and what does it mean?

AN ALY SIS:
• August describes which friends have invited him to their birthday parties. Why do you think this
is important to him?

• August describes Mrs. Garcia giving him a “shiny smile” when she first meets him. What is a
shiny smile, and how does August feel about it?

• Mr. Tushman tells August that Julian, Jack, and Charlotte are "nice kids." Do you think Mr.
Tushman knows what the three students are like when they’re not around adults? Explain.

PE R SON AL CO N N E CT I O N :
• After they return home and August tells his mom about the tour, he says he still wants to attend
school. Describe a time when you made a big decision. What things did you think about to make
sure you were making the right decision?
 Page 5
UDY
ST

Wonder Discussion
NOV E L

Guide #1
Encourage critical thinking and support your students’ literacy development
by asking questions during reading. Here are some questions you can ask
your readers to engage them in a discussion.

Chapters: First-Day Jitters – Names

CO M P R EHE N S I O N :
• How does August feel on the first day of school?
• Why does Julian ask August about Darth Sidious?
• What is a precept?
• Who is Summer?
• How does August rate his first day of school, and how does his mom respond to the score?
• What happens when August‘s mom reads aloud to him at the end of the first day of school?
• How does August realize that kids at his school avoid touching him?
• What does August like best about Halloween?
• Summarize the conversation that August overhears on Halloween and describe his response.

AN ALY SIS:
• When he listens to his parents talking in the car, August hears Dad say that August would be
“like a lamb to the slaughter” if they sent him to school. What does this saying mean, and how
does August feel about this description?

• Why does August cut off the braid on his head?

• Do you think Jack Will is August's friend? Why or why not?

PE R SON AL CO N N E CT I O N :
• School cafeterias can be challenging, especially for new students. On August’s first day of
school, he’s surprised when someone sits with him at lunch. Think about a time when you or
someone you know took the first step to do something nice for someone else. What was it like?