As we experienced Wonder by R. J. Palacio as our class read aloud, we used the following pages as a visual guide to the book. Sometimes the images helped us see people or objects or places that were unfamiliar to us. Sometimes the descriptions helped us better understand the significance of an event. Hearing the songs and reading the lyrics helped us understand why they were chosen to introduce different parts.
No, none of it is really needed to read and understand Wonder. Children's imaginations are completely up to the task of creating mental images to match the text they read. But there are certain descriptions, certain situations, where readers deserve to see exactly what Auggie describes to them. If Ms. Petosa looks like Mon Mothma, then let's see Mon Mothma. That's why Auggie gave us that comparison. At the same time, I'll quickly admit that some images were chosen just for fun, hopefully without detracting from the text, and all were chosen with our class in mind first and foremost.
If you are using these pages as you read Wonder, we'd love to hear about your experience. Are the pages helpful? Are they a distraction? Did we miss anything that you or your class feel should have been included? Please leave a comment and we'll be sure to respond.
Here are all the pages:
Wonder - Part One: August
Wonder - Pages 1-26
Wonder - Pages 27-50
Wonder - Pages 51-80
Wonder - Part Two: Via
Wonder - Pages 81-117
Wonder - Part Three: Summer
Wonder - Pages 118-132
Wonder - Part Four: Jack
Wonder - Pages 133-157
Wonder - Pages 158-185
Wonder - Part Five: Justin
Wonder - Pages 186-204
Wonder - Part Six: August
Wonder - Pages 205-234
Wonder - Part Seven: Miranda
Wonder - Pages 235-248
Wonder - Part Eight: August
Wonder - Pages 248-274
Wonder - Pages 275-293
Wonder - Pages 294-315, The End
Culminating Activity
And finally, thanks for visiting.
Wonder - Pages 27-50
Wonder - Pages 51-80
Wonder - Part Two: Via
Wonder - Pages 81-117
Wonder - Part Three: Summer
Wonder - Pages 118-132
Wonder - Part Four: Jack
Wonder - Pages 133-157
Wonder - Pages 158-185
Wonder - Part Five: Justin
Wonder - Pages 186-204
Wonder - Part Six: August
Wonder - Pages 205-234
Wonder - Part Seven: Miranda
Wonder - Pages 235-248
Wonder - Part Eight: August
Wonder - Pages 248-274
Wonder - Pages 275-293
Wonder - Pages 294-315, The End
Culminating Activity
And finally, thanks for visiting.
Wow! That is amazing and truly useful. Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWhen you're working with a great book, it's fun to go back through it and find all this stuff. It wasn't hard work at all, and I'm happy to share it.
Deletethank you
DeleteI’m not a teacher
DeleteSo far I LOVE this book
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this! I passed your site along to a teacher who is reading the book to her class and this is what she said, "We LOVE this site! It has made such a sweet addition to the comprehension of all that is in the book! The references are great! Thanks for sharing!"
ReplyDeleteGlad it's been a useful resource. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteThanks for sharing this wonderful resource. I am looking forward to referring to it as my sixth graders experience "Wonder" as a class read aloud this fall!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!! I'm reading Wonder to my 5th graders right now and they absolutely LOVE it! Your site is going to enrich the experience of the book so much more! Thank you thank you thank you!
ReplyDeleteCatie Steinmann
Fairview Heights, IL
Thank you so much for your hard work and research! Our 7th graders will be exploring this site on Wednesday. They are excited to listen to the songs and see what each character chose. We've finished the book, but went too fast, I think - I should've used this site as we were reading! Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteJoy Kirr
Arlington Heights, IL
WOW - what a wonderful experience we are having with this novel and with your fabulous resources. Thank you! We aren't quite to the end but I was sondering if anyone could suggest successful "projects" or "assessments" they thought were successful with this novel?
ReplyDeleteLisa
Seneca, SC
We loved using this as we read the book!
ReplyDeleteThe 5th Grade at New Hope-Solebury Upper Elementary
New Hope, PA
Woo-Hoo! The 5th grade at New Hope-Solebury Upper Elementary is awesome. And they read great books!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
Mr. W
My 5th graders in Akron, Ohio loved the book and all your fantastic resources. Thanks so much for compiling it all. It truly brought the book more to life for them.
ReplyDeleteShelly
I'm going to start reading this book with my self-contained grade 8 English class. We are reading on iPads using the subtext app. I've linked some of my annotations to your great resources. Thanks for sharing your work. I know it has made my searching much easier.
ReplyDeletedo you know if this passage is based on a true story? i am a student and it is part of my research to know also do you know if they are going to make a movie?
ReplyDeleteHere's some information about what inspired the story:
Deletehttp://www.reading.org/general/Publications/blog/engage/engage-single-post/engage/2012/10/19/5-questions-with-rj-palacio
http://rjpalacio.com/faqs.html
And here's what a quick search found about the possibility of a movie:
http://collider.com/john-august-wonder-adaptation/
http://www.filmofilia.com/john-august-to-adapt-r-j-palacios-novel-wonder-for-lionsgate-125701/
Looks like I'm echoing the same sentiment here, but thank you so much for providing this incredible resource. I am reading Wonder with my fifth grade class right now, and this provides excellent context and interactive read aloud capabilities. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mr. Wilhorn, for this amazing resource. My 6th graders and I begin each shared reading by building background knowledge with your awesome images/video clips. All my students are English language learners and they've commented this step has been great in helping them visualize. From one Wisconsinite to another, THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteSorry that I haven't kept up on all the comments, but you're welcome. And thanks back to everyone for the kind comments.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. W,
ReplyDeleteYour fantastic slides have added so much depth and cultural context to our reading of Wonder. The pictures, the songs, the film clips (and your humor) became an integral supplement to our reading experience. We loved to gather at the floor under the whiteboard and see what Mr. W had to add to each section of the book. We laughed and sang along with the pictures and music and "wonder"ed about Mr. W and his class. You did offer us a few glimpses :-) Anyway, we are very grateful to you, our virtual friend in Wonder. Your generous sharing of your work is a perfect example of being even "kinder than what is necessary".
Very gratefully,
Kyle/ Clara and gang in Room 22
thanks for the information!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great book!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am just starting this as a read aloud for my 4th graders. My teaching partner found your pages --- WOW! and thank you! Are you aware of this recent NPR interview with the author? http://www.npr.org/2013/09/12/221005752/how-one-unkind-moment-gave-way-to-wonder
ReplyDeleteI love sharing with my students where the ideas for books are born ...
Thank you for this amazing resource! My 5th graders love this book!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful resource! I think my kids look forward to a new section so they can view what you have posted. Thank you! Thank You!
ReplyDeleteThank You this is amazing I have been looking for a wonder audio book
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it is available in CD or another format, but I do know that an audiobook is available in iTunes.
DeleteThis is amazing and have shared with our book club! Thank you so much for this!
ReplyDeleteMy kids already love this site!!! Thanks for doing the work for all of us to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHello there from New Plymouth in New Zealand. My class of 11 year old girls are loving using your site to make connections from the text to themselves and to the wider world. They have really enjoyed the video clips... we have ended up watching far too much Auggie Doggie cartoons but hey that's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm planning on doing this unit with a middle school ESL class and the visuals are an amazing help to us!!!
ReplyDeleteOnce again I thank you for this wonderful blog, I am teaching in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and with out this resource my students would have a harder time understanding the book. They love it, especially since it is so well explained.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever want to visit our warm and Beautiful town, I would gladly invite you to meet my students
Your website has been absolutely wonderful! I am reading Wonder with my English Language Learners and this has really helped with all of the cultural references that usually we have to skip over or take the time to google. THANK YOU for sharing!!!!! Love it and Love the book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful resource. We are a school in Scotland and have read the novel with our Primary 6 pupils (5th grade equivalent) - they absolutely loved it and being able to look at your collection of photos and video clips really enhanced the experience. Thank you so much again! Mrs H, Class Teacher
ReplyDeleteNew 6th grade teacher needs advice. Would it better serve the students to read the sections before or after looking at the clips? Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI have only used Wonder as a class read aloud. My practice has been to open the post with that day's resources and display it with the projector. Then I either present each entry before reading or just after. It depends on the information. For example, I'd use the song videos to preview a section before reading, however, the images of E.T. dressed up or the information about the plague would be something I would share after reading it in the text.
DeleteI am hesitant however that this novel may not be rigorous enough for 6th grade. Any thoughts?
DeleteIt depends on what you want to be rigorous. Are you looking for challenging text for your students? If so, based on a general range of ability in a sixth grade class, Wonder will be easy for 1/3, just right for 1/3, and challenging for 1/3. (Even that's not a great way to look at it. Rigorous doesn't mean difficult.)
DeleteIf you are looking for rigorous discussion, then it will certainly help you facilitate that in your classroom. Students can dig deeply in to bullying, differences, friendship ... the list goes on. This can then lead to action - how can students use these lessons in their relationships, classroom, school, town, or world? That's where rigorous work can take place, and I think Wonder can be a great springboard to it.
So excited to find this resource. I will be reading this with my 7th and 8th grade students, and they will be leading their own student book clubs later this year. I am so excited to find this to support our work!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it will be helpful to you and your students.
Deletegood book
Deletemy teacher is using this
Deleteit helps me undersatnd the book wonder more
ReplyDeleteI have read this book to my middle schoolers for the last couple of years. Finding your website will help my students understand many of the elements that I tried to explain or did a poor job of representing. Thank you so much for your hard work.
ReplyDeleteSo glad it's been helpful for you!
DeleteI work with special education and abstract thinking is very difficult. This was a wonderful tool!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!!
So glad it was useful to you and your students.
DeleteI LOVE WONDER!!!!!!!!!
DeleteThank you for all of your information about wonder.
DeleteI think that the book has an interesting inspiration.
This is so helpful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much!
ReplyDeleteThere were some references that I didn't even catch
Best,
A new fifth grade teacher in Darlington, SC😀
Thank you so very much for this post!
ReplyDeleteBest,
A new teacher fifth grade teacher from Darlington SC.
I have no words to express how excited I am to find your website! I just found this treasure of a book and can't wait to use it in my 4th grade classroom next year. Your website is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI received the book from a parent as a welcome back to school gift. I have spent this weekend reading it. What an amazing book!!!! My class is reading Esperanza Rising and I can't wait till we are finished so we can start Wonder! Thank you for such amazing resources!!!! I am so excited to see how this book changes my learners' lives!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! You're an amazing teacher!!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. Glad the resources are helpful.
DeleteThank you, thank you, thank you!! These are EXCELLENT resources!!
ReplyDeleteOur grade 4/5 class used your resource as we read Wonder. They were so inspired we have started our own website for our next read aloud "I am Malala". https://sites.google.com/a/ugcloud.ca/superclassresources/
ReplyDeleteThanks for inspiring my class!
Ms. Merrett
This. Is. Awesome. You started your own website?!? I've already bookmarked it and look forward to visiting every once in a while to see what reading you are up to. Thanks so much for using my site as you read Wonder. I'm glad it was a helpful resource for you!
DeleteThanks! Good to know!
Deletebest book ever:)
ReplyDeleteMy class love your site! Thankyou for all your hard work :)
ReplyDelete4/5H, Newcastle, Australia.
Hi there from Eskdale School, Napier, New Zealand. We are a class of year 7 & 8's (10-12 year olds). We have just finished reading Wonder as a read aloud. It was an inspirational book! It was great to be able to use your references for each of the sections. We have learnt alot and it has really helped the book come alive for us. "Your deeds are your monuments!" Thanks from "Kereru Class"
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your inspirational initiative. This page is amazing.
ReplyDeleteFound your page two years ago, have used it each year now. Thanks so much for sharing it with us all. So much work and love.
ReplyDeleteawsome book really should read it
ReplyDeleteCheck out the wiki dedicated to Wonder at http://rj-palacios-wonder.wikia.com/wiki/! Follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/WonderWikia.
ReplyDeleteI've used your site 3 years in a row for our class read-a-loud of Wonder. Thank you! My kids love Mr. W! My principal always thinks I'M awesome when he sees me utilizing your links.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to comment. It amazes me that the resources I created nearly 5 years ago are still being utilized by so many teachers and students.
DeleteHello from Melbourne, Australia. Thank you so much for creating this amazing resource. My Grade 5/6 class are really enjoying using your website to further their understanding after reading sections of the book with references to things they are not familiar with. It has also provided me with some fun 80s and 90s flashbacks!
ReplyDeleteI used your website links for a Wonder read-aloud for 4th graders a few years ago. It was such a hit that I was inspired to create some of my own. Each year since, I have read one of our state book award nominees to the whole 4th grade and have created slideshows with lots of images so that kids can make visual connections to the books. I've done Out of My Mind (Draper), Buddy (Herlong), Nickel Bay Nick (Pitchford), A Million Ways Home (Dorisi-Winget) and The Double Cross (Pearce). Both the kids and I look forward to doing this each year. It makes my day when the class says, "Noooo, don't stop reading!" Thanks for the inspiration!!
ReplyDeleteThis resource looks amazing! Thanks for creating, I plan to use this upcoming school year with my class!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your excellent resource! We have been studying Wonder in Australia and it's great to see the definitions of things that we haven't heard of, like store names and toys.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing it with us!
Just wondering if you would show them this resource before reading the pages or reading the pages.
ReplyDeleteIt depends. Sometimes I'll use the pages to preview a bunch of stuff so that the read aloud isn't interrupted, while sometimes I'll stop and discuss items as we come to them. There are also times when we will go back and discuss items after reading. A big part of that decision is whether or not previewing the information will give away too much of what is coming in the story.
DeleteAt the beginning, discussing all the shoes Auggie mentions is something you could go back and discuss after reading. I like to do the Close Encounters clip before reading the scene at the nature center, so kids can understand the scene the way Auggie describes it.
This is awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful resource. I am starting the book with my class next week and to find this has been amazing!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this incredible resource. This is why I love this profession! Everyone is so willing to share, and this is a great share. I've passed it on to my colleagues who are currently reading the book to their class as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
You're welcome! Thank you for using the resources and thank you for passing them to other teachers!
DeleteThis page is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMr. Wilhorn, what did you think of the movie? I give the book a 10, and the movie a 7. It captured SOME of the heart and charm, but not as much as I hoped. I was disappointed the characters of Summer and Via were weakened. Still worth seeing though.
ReplyDeleteMr. Hoerer (5th grade teacher in Southern California)
Up until a few years ago, I was always highly judgmental about how my favorite books were interpreted as movies. Too much was changed, characters said/did different things, too much was cut out, and so forth. At some point my thinking changed. If I remember correctly, it was after hearing what Lois Lowry said about the movie version of The Giver. Even though there were some big changes - the ages of the characters being a major one for me - she said the spirit of the novel remained. If she's good with it, I thought, then who am I to complain?
DeleteI never did see the movie of The Giver. I also never saw any Harry Potter movies after #3. My imagination's versions are too personal and, to me, they are the "correct" versions, so I avoid the conflict.
But I did see Wonder, and I enjoyed. I love how the movie was able to do for tens of millions of people what the novel has already done for millions of us. The more people who #ChooseKind, the better. I do have some nit-picky things: for example, I like the scene with Julian and his parents in Mr. Tushman's office as part of Julian's story, not Auggie's. I don't like it in the movie but understand why it's there. At the same time, I absolutely loved the Chewbacca cameos in the film! That was hilarious.
So that's a really long response to simply say I liked the movie but I'll never let it replace the book. I think the depth of learning over a month-long read-aloud is much greater than that of an afternoon movie.
Mr. W., what did you think of the movie? I give the book a 10, and the movie a 7.5. It captured some of the heart and charm, but it could have been better. Did you like it?
ReplyDelete~ Mr. H. (5th grade teacher)
Why was it that the character Charlotte from the sequel Auggie and Me had no contact/connection with Auggie in the book
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for these resources! My middle school students love seeing what "Mr. W" has for us. The students are reading the book themselves, but so many times, they (like all of us) gloss over details for which they have no frame of reference. Your resources have saved so much time for so many teachers and students! Your students are blessed to have you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this! My students love seeing all of these.
ReplyDeleteWonder is a great book...
ReplyDeleteThank you for this excellent resource. I am impressed by the amount of work you have put into this and by the fact that you have chosen to share it.
ReplyDeleteI teach developmental reading classes at a community college. Most of my students are ESL type students. While my students read the book themselves, your images and explanations are exactly what they need. I am inspired by your work.
Thank you for the kind words. I don't remember anyone else saying they use these resources with college age students, but that is incredibly cool. Each time I get comments like this I'm amazed at how far these resources have gone from my classroom back in 2012.
Deletethis book is GREAT!
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful for this resource! To come back year after year and find it's still going, even updated- I can't tell you how much meaning it adds to the book for my students.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I use it every year with students myself, and I'm thankful it is a useful resource for so many other educators.
DeleteThis is a strong resource. I really appreciated using your 'Wonder' read aloud resources twice with different classes in the past. I haven't read the book for a few years and was just going to read it again, so I looked up your site. It is much different than I remember it being. I recall there being considerably more resources in each chapter. I still appreciate the site is here and the songs are great for the Wonder chapters. I guess I am wondering if/why the resources have been removed and reduced? ...and also a little concerned that my memory has completely failed :)
ReplyDeleteBTW....love the additions and updates as well!
Everything is the same as it was from the beginning. I have added a few things here and there, but nothing has been deleted.
DeleteThis is a very strong resource. I have used your Wonder read aloud resources with 2 previous classes and really appreciated all the work put into bringing the book to life. My classes loved seeing the images of things (flashbacks for me) they had never seen. Your work really enriched the read alouds for many kids. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI have just decided to read it again this year, so looked up your site. I remember it quite differently and am curious if my mind is failing or if you have actually taken many resources and photos off of the site? I keep looking to see if I am accessing something different but can't find
I also appreciate the new resources :)
Mr Wilhorn - I'm so glad to have found your blog of resources for Wonder. I believe you are a wonder for creating links and references for readers and educators. In my school in Singapore, we have used Wonder as a Literature text for 13/14-year-old students this year and will continue for 2021. Your resources are a marvellous way to woo reluctant readers to read each chapter. 'So long lives this' blog, 'and this gives life' to more interest in books. Thank you! -Ms Chan
ReplyDeleteMr Wilhorn and other educators - my colleague used this short local film to show her students about being different and sacrifices of loved ones as a resource. - Ms Chan [Singapore]
ReplyDeletehttps://vimeo.com/386392206.
That is a powerful video. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteWonder is the BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletei like the book
ReplyDeleteMr W , thank you so much for the generosity of your resource, I teach EFL students in Argentina and having the visuals was fantastic for the children to visualize many ideas of a foreign culture.
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic! Thank you for leaving a message. I always love seeing where the Wonder website is being used.
Deletei loveeeeeeeeee this book so much
ReplyDeleteAMAZING!! I love Mr. W reads!!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear! Glad these resources are still useful to people 10 years after they were created!
DeleteI've used this with students at international schools in China, Colombia, and Qatar. Thanks for creating it! It's been a huge help visually for English language learners and in bridging the cultural gap.
ReplyDeleteWow. These resources have been used literally around the world. I'd be curious to hear your feedback on what could be added or what could be explained differently or more clearly for international students. Thanks!
DeleteI'm reading this book with my 5th grade classes. They are a tough group to settle down, but they are loving the book so far and happily sit quietly so we can read everyday. And they love your resources! Thank you so much for putting this together and for sharing it with everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. The resources have been used literally around the world for over 12 years. That's amazing to me, and evidence that Wonder is an amazing book!
ReplyDelete