White Bird by R. J. Palacio

 

How do you find out about new books?  My daughter Penelope and I were at the movie theatre watching “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret” where we watched a trailer for White Bird.  We thought it looked good and looked up and ordered the book when we got home.  We were both surprised to discover that it was a book from the world of Wonder, a book we had both previously enjoyed.  Penelope devoured White Bird and implored me to read it as soon as possible so we could discuss it.  I complied.

White Bird is a graphic novel.  The framing of the story is that Julian, the bully from Wonder, has a beloved Grandmother who tells him a story of her youth to help explain why she thinks it is important to always be kind to everyone.  Grandmere was a young Jewish girl growing up in France when the Nazis invaded.  Other Jewish children and her parents were taken away.  She was only able to survive because a crippled boy that the other kids disdained put his life at risk to help her.  The story is a harrowing tale of survival that shows there is always good in the world. 

This story was very engaging, and the graphics are wonderful.  It’s a heart-rending story.  My daughter gave me the book with tears running down her face . . . she also told me what was going to happen, so it wasn’t a surprise for me at the end.  It was still very sad to read.

I really liked the message of good people helping those in need, and that you should always be kind to those around you.  When you get to know other people, you can find new and wonderful friends. 

For those that want to know more, there is a great author’s note at the end that discusses the real-world inspirations for this book.  I thought it was very interesting and would be a great learning tool for those who want to learn more.  I also thought it was interesting that it noted many World War II fiction novels about the atrocities against Jewish people are told from the point of view of a non-Jewish person.  I had never thought about that before, but it is true.  I liked that this did tell the story from the Jewish child that has to go into hiding.

Overall, White Bird is a touching and meaningful book that is perfect for both kids and adults alike.  I can’t wait to see the movie based on this book!

Favorite Quote:

“Evil will only be stopped when good people decide to put an end to it.”

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

August Pullman was born with a rare life-threatening condition that makes his face appear deformed.  After a life time of surgery, August is now a lovable fifth grade boy.  Now that it’s time for fifth grade, his parents have decided he should go to a real school for the first time in his life.  

A bright and funny boy, August joins his new school and is quickly shunned.  There are bright spots at school as a couple of kids get to know August and become his friends.  As the year proceeds there are highs and lows.  What does it mean to be kind?  Can middle school kids find it within them to be kind and accept someone who is different?

I really enjoyed this book.  My husband and boys read it for the library youth book club last year, but I didn’t read it at that time.  I did read it this year for the February selection of the Rogue Book Club (aka FLICKS Book and Movie club).  We had a lightly attended book club meeting last week, but myself and the one other person that read the book both really enjoyed it.  The book touched me as it really hit on a lot of great points and made me think about how I treat people now and how I treated people in the past.

I read about the author after I finished the book and she talked about how she wrote the book after she saw a child with a similar condition and rushed out of the situation, so her kids wouldn’t say anything to hurt the child.  And she thought – how would that make the child feel?  It made me realize I have done that as well as I don’t want my kids to make comments about someone different, when I should probably face the situation head on.  She also had an interesting interview where she said she would have been Charlotte in the book while she was growing up.  Nice, but wouldn’t have been brave enough to be Auggie’s friend.  I was similar.

My 12-year-old son Kile said his favorite scene was when the fifth grade went camping and Auggie really got to see the true colors of his class.  I agreed that it was my favorite as well. Kile’s sixth-grade class went to see the movie this year.  I would like to see it as well!  

I’ll admit I was jarred at first when the book switched from Auggie’s point of view to his sister’s and then on to other characters, but I got used to it and liked seeing how others perceived the same situation.

Favorite quotes:

“I know I’m not an ordinary ten-year-old kid.  I mean, sure, I do ordinary things.  I eat ice cream.  I ride my bike.  I play ball.  I have an Xbox.  Stuff like that makes me ordinary.  I guess.  And I feel ordinary.  Inside.  But I know ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds.  I know ordinary kids don’t get stared at wherever they go.”

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”

“The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they’ve died.  They’re like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs.  Only instead of being made out of stone, they’re made out of the memories people have of you.  That’s why your deeds are like your monument.  Built with memories instead of with stone.”

“I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time.  Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks.”

“Jack, sometimes you don’t have to be mean to hurt someone to hurt someone.  You understand?”

“Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing.”

“It’s so weird how that can be, how you could have a night that’s the worst in your life, but to everybody else it’s just an ordinary night.”

“There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie.  But I really believe, and Daddy really believers, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other.”

“If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than necessary – the world really would be a better place.”

Overall, Wonder is a special book that really explores kindness and how we can all make the world a better place to live in.  I recommend it to all kids and adults!

Book Source:  I purchased it while out Christmas shopping . . . and I can’t remember where!