READING GUIDE FOR STUDENTS
Transcription
READING GUIDE FOR STUDENTS
WONDER by R.J. PALACIO READING GUIDE FOR STUDENTS Before you begin reading: You will be asked to pick your favourite line from the book to share with the class. Think about this while reading, and when you come across a sentence you really like, make a note of it so that you know where to find it later. Part 1 - August Think about… …what August looks like to you. How have you imagined August’s face? Try to visualize him. …who the characters you’ve met so far are? What are they like? … the reasons August has for cutting off his rat-tail (his hair)? Part 2 - Via Think about… ...how you think Via feels? How do you think you’d act if you were in Via’s shoes? …p.103-106: Explain the reasoning behind Via’s thoughts in these chapters: “countless babies who’ll never be born, like mine.” …p.109-110: How do you think Via feels when she says “so much for mother-daughter bonding”? …why Via’s grandmother made her feel so special? How do you think her death affected Via? Part 3 - Summer Think about… …how Summer is described in the book (looks, personality etc.) … Summer’s situation. What is it like for her? …why Summer wants to be August’s friend. …what you think will happen if she chooses August over her popular friends? …What you would do if you were in Summer’s situation? Part 4 - Jack Think about… ...on page 141, Jack says : ’A kid like August doesn’t stand a chance in middle school.’ Why does he believe that? ...in the chapter ‘Four Things’, Jack tells the reader four things that he likes about August and that make him want to be with him. What four things do you like about Jack, which can be based on what he does, says, and thinks? ...why Summer whispers ‘Bleeding Scream’ to Jack when he asks her for a hint about why August is mad at him? Part 5 – Justin Think about… … Why is Justin’s part written without uppercase letters and without proper punctuation? …While at dinner Justin has a lot of tics. What are tics and why do they stop? …Justin and Via are in a play, but Via has not told her parents about it yet. Why do you think she hasn’t told them? Part 6 - August Think about... ...Auggie's "cave" is where he hides - in his bed surrounded by his stuffed animals, covering his face with pillows. Why does he find safety in both this and his space helmet? Do you have "safety" in the same way? The space helmet and cave are both important in the story - how and why? ...how Via is portrayed from Auggies's perspective in this section. What is it that Auggie doesn't know or understand about Via? Do you think you react in this way sometimes - what might there be that you don't know or understand? ...Mom says to Via: "You're moody and taciturn and secretive..." Do you think this is a fair view of Via in this situation? ...Auggie loses his family in the crowds after the play and while looking for his mom he finds Miranda instead. Does he seem to relax and feel safe around Miranda despite her not being his mother? Compare the relationships Auggie has with Miranda and his mom. Part 7: Miranda Think about… ...who Miranda is. What do you think Miranda looks like? Try to visualize her. …the night of the play and how Miranda acts and feels about Auggie and his family as well as her own family. … the ending scene of the play “Our Town”? Do you think it was as amazing as Miranda said it was? Part 8: August Think about... ...why August left Baboo before he went to the nature-retreat with the class. ...Eddie, the boy who ran into August and Jack in the woods. Would you consider Eddie a bully? ...why Henry, Amos and Miles stepped in to help August. ...whether you believe it was right of August’s dad to throw away the astronaut helmet. What was your reaction when he said he had done it? ...what you think about Mr. Tushman’s speech about kindness. ...what kindness is. Finals: Copy your favourite line from the book nicely onto a slip of paper. Put it up in the classroom. Take the test that goes with this book. Optional: Write a review of the book for the website www.reviewsforkids.org . (It is run by two boys in 8b.)