Part 8: August

 Time for one final song. When I finished reading Wonder, I was feeling so inspired and empowered. Here's this little boy who, in a way, has been through hell and back, but he never lost sight of who he was and became an even more magnificent boy through his endeavors. It reminded me of a song by pop stars and sisters Aly and A.J. called "No One" and it talks about finding yourself and, through everything, not being anyone but yourself. Again, I decided to sing it for you but it's even worse than the last song, so I've included the music video as well as the lyrics for you to follow along with. "Don't wanna be no one but me."

 I am moving through the crowd
Trying to find myself
Feel like a guitar that's never played
Will someone strum away?

[Chorus:]
And I ask myself
Who do I wanna be?
Do I wanna throw away the key?
and invent a whole new me
and I tell myself
No One, No One
Don't wanna be
No One
But me..

You are moving through the crowd
Trying to find yourself
Feelin' like a doll left on a shelf
Will someone take you down?

[Chorus:]
And you ask yourself
Who do I wanna be?
Do I wanna throw away the key?
and invent a whole new me
Gotta tell yourself
No One, No One
Don't wanna be
No One
But me..


This brings me to my precept, my motto about life.


Do not try to be anyone but yourself.


Whether you believe in God or not, you are special and were created and have a purpose in life. We are all unique with our own talents, and if we spend all of our time trying to be someone we aren't, we're going to miss out on all the wonderful things about ourselves, as will the world. So do yourself a favor and be you! Because that's who you were meant to be.


I want to end with another quote from this book. It's on one of the final pages and it is something Mr. Tushman, the principal, says in his speech at graduation.


"Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed."


It's easy to be kind. That's normal. That's expected. Be kinder than is needed. Go out of your way for others, even if you don't think they would go out of their way for you. Your good deed that is beyond kind just may be the sign or motivation someone else was looking for and maybe, just maybe, they will pay that kind act forward and we can start a whole chain of kind acts. So don't just be kind. Be kinder than needed.


The world is full of wonder, you just have to close your eyes and see.

Part 7: Miranda

Miranda. She used to be one of Via's best friends in junior high. Then high school came. You know the story. You start high school with one group of friends and some of them drift away and you're not even sure why, you just stop being friends. I'm sure we've all been there. I know I have. For me, my Summer and my Miranda were the same person. She did so much for me in grade school, but then we got to high school and we both changed and our friendship couldn't survive the changes. But that doesn't mean she was a bad person, and Miranda's not a bad person either. Just as the theme is in this novel, we learn there is more to Miranda than meets the eye.

For awhile, I didn't know how I felt about Miranda. I liked her because she treated Auggie with love and respect and thought of him as her own brother. She even gave him an astronaut helmet when he was younger that he loved and wore everywhere. He knew people might stare, but it was a little more normal for a little boy to be wearing a helmet than to be wearing a face like his.

But then Via started high school and I wasn't so sure about Miranda anymore. Via said Miranda had changed her look--her hair was different and she wore more makeup--and she wasn't talking to Via anymore. I thought Miranda just wanted to be popular and was leaving Via behind, but it turns out there was so much more going on. Miranda's parents had gotten divorced the summer before ninth grade and her relationship with her mother was nonexistent, so she couldn't talk to her about how she was feeling. When she went to camp, she ended up lying about her family and telling everyone she had a little brother with a facial deformity. I think she was just ashamed to talk to Via and didn't think she'd understand.

So Miranda joined theater to be closer to Via. What happened was Via had convinced Justin to join theater, so he ended up landing the leading male role in the play, but Miranda was the one who landed the leading
female role while Via was made the understudy. I was so bummed, but Miranda had another surprise up her sleeve. Opening night came and she saw Via's family sitting in the fifth row of the auditorium and her mom was not in attendance, and she knew in her heart she had only one choice--so she told the director she was sick and Via would have to go on in her place. It was such a huge moment for both girls. Via got to perform for her family, but she also realized what a great girl Miranda is and that she never stopped caring.

Part 5: Justin

I like Justin. Justin seems like a great guy and a great boyfriend! What's not to like really? He's sweet, kind, gentle, and a musician! Ok, so he plays the fiddle. It's no electric guitar, but it's still very cool! And he's in a band! A zydeco band, but a band none the less! What's a zydeco band, you ask? I didn't know either, so I looked it up.
Basically it is dancing music that originated from Cajun style music and has some southern flair to it. As Justin points out in the novel, it's very popular music you might hear in a place such as Louisiana. Instruments you would usually hear in a zydeco band may include accordion, electric guitar and bass, drums, sometimes brass, and fiddle of course. The  most used instrument is probably a corrugated metal rubboard, called a frottior.

What I like most about Justin is his sensitivity and compassion for others. Most boys Via could have brought home might have freaked out at the sight of August and said that they don't want any part of it, but Justin was incredibly nice to Auggie and loved him and Via's parents as well. He's the type of guy that would lend you his shoulder to cry on, and he does for Via. When Daisy dies, Justin spends the evening with Via and Auggie, comforting them and letting them tell him stories about what a great companion Daisy was.

What's wonderful is that Justin's kindness doesn't stop with Via's family. One night, when he and Jack had both been at Auggie and Via's house, Justin takes Jack to the bus stop and waits with him and Justin notices some kids (Julian of course) teasing Jack. Justin realizes that Jack's friendship with Auggie isn't as easy and carefree as it seems in the comfort of Auggie's home. Jack plays it off as no big deal and gets on the bus to head home, but something happens inside Justin. He realizes he can't just stand back and do nothing, not when it comes to people he cares about. He puts on a mean face and walks up to Julian and his two friends and says,

"'yo, listen up. don't mess with jack,' i say really slowly, gritting my teeth, my voice all clint eastwood tough-guy, 'mess with him again and you will be very, very sorry. got it? good.'"

Sounds like a keeper to me. Way to go Via :) 

Part 4: Jack

Jack is a unique boy. He wants to do the right thing, he just isn't always sure of what the right thing is. We learn about him in his narration. What I found most shocking was that he knew August--before he showed August around the school one day with Julian and Charlotte, he already knew him. He knew who he was and had seen his face. One day, Jack was out with his babysitter and little brother and they ran into August and his family. When Jack and his younger brother first saw August's face, they freaked out! I'm talking gasps of surprise and horror. Now, even though August was young, he was already used to be people reacting to him like this. However, the experience stuck with Jack Will and he knew exactly who his mom was talking about when she told him his people, Mr. Tushman, had called asking if Jack Will and some other students could show a special boy around school.

At fist, Jack Will was hesitant to do it, but eventually he changed his mind, and I admire him for that. When the school year started, Jack was spending so much time with Auggie because Mr. Tushman put them in all the same classes, but as the year progressed, Jack Will got to know Auggie and genuinely wanted to be his friend. Jack reminds me of those people that you know deep  down are good people, so when they do something mean or out of character, you're disappointed in them. When Auggie overheard Jack saying mean things about him to Julian, my heart broke. I knew Auggie's heart had been broken. A trust had been lost; a friendship sunk. But, Jack is the type of person who will look out for and protect the people he cares about. When he realizes Auggie is upset with him, he does everything he can to repair their friendship because he realizes his relationship with Auggie is more important than being considered "popular" by Julian and his crew.

Who decided Julian was in charge anyway? I think that's why we all do a little cheer when Jack Will punches Julian. No, violence is never the answer and we shouldn't promote violence in schools, but let's face it: that was one of the highlights of the novel. Julian had it coming! Please don't think I condone violence, it was just wonderful to see Jack stand up for Auggie. At that point we knew Jack was back on Auggie's side and was going to stick by him. He even started sitting with Auggie and Summer at lunch. It's about time, Jack!

Part 6: August

Another song came to mind as I was reading this book. As the story progresses, Auggie makes many friends and becomes more comfortable in his own skin, but he didn't always feel this way. This song, "Outside Looking In" by Jordan Pruitt, takes about someone feeling insecure and speaking out to other kids saying "you don't know what it's like to be outside the crowd." The song is a few years old, but it really spoke to me and I thought it went along with Auggie's early life. Singing is a true passion of mine, so this video is a recording of me singing this song. It's a little rough, so the video below is the actual music video if you want to listen to a pro. Lyrics are also below!

You don't know my name
you don't know anything about me
I try to play nice
I want to be in your game
The things that you say
You may think I never hear about them
But word travels fast
I'm telling you to your face
I'm standing here behind your back

[Chorus:]
You don't know how it feels
To be outside the crowd
You don't know what it's like
To be left out
And you don't know how it feels
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in

If you could read my mind
You might see more of me than meets the eye
And you've been all wrong
Not who you think I am
You've never given me a chance

[Chorus:]
You don't know how it feels
To be outside the crowd
You don't know what it's like
To be left out
And you don't know how it feels
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in

Besides this song, there were some quotes from part 6 that really stuck out and meant something to me.

"You don't need your eyes to love, right? You just feel it inside you. That's how it is in heaven. It's just love, and no one forgets who they love."

It's such a beautiful thing Auggie's mom tells him. Love isn't seen with the eyes, it's felt with the heart. I'm sure Auggie felt comforted by this statement as he lay wrapped in his mother's arms that night. His dog Daisy died which I did not see coming and just broke my heart. Auggie loved that dog and she loved Auggie--the fact that Auggie looked different didn't matter to Daisy. He was her friend and she was is, and that is a beautiful bond that even death cannot sever.

Another quote was this:

"I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives."

 I agree, Auggie, I agree. I have had a couple standing ovations in my time and each one felt even more special than the previous. Whether it was for being recognized as a cast member in a musical or people cheering after my talent show singing performance, a standing ovation feels good. It feels really good, and I'm so glad Auggie got his own standing ovation at graduation. It's things like that that simply warm your heart.

The last quote:

"Funny how sometimes you worry alot about something and it turns out to be nothing." 

Pretty insightful for a 10-year-old. I'm 18 and still struggle with looking at the big picture and trying not to worry about things I have no control over. It's simply one of the many lessons I have learned from Auggie.

Part 3: Summer

"You are beautiful no matter what they say

Words can't bring you down

You are beautiful in every single way

Yes, words can't bring you down"

These are lyrics from the well-known song "Beautiful" by the famous Christina Aguilera, and they appear on the opening page of Part 3. I think they represent this book beautifully.  Auggie's family and friends truly think he is a beautiful boy no matter what other kids may say, and Auggie tries very hard to not let stupid comments or long stares from people get to him. Here is the music video!

 

This is the point in the novel where we learn that not all kids are mean. Some have a tender heart, beautiful mind, and loving spirit--just like Summer. When Summer narrates, she's very honest. She tells us that the reason she sat with August at lunch on the first day of school was because she felt sorry for him. But she then goes on to explain that it became much more than that and she got to know August and just another kid and they become very good friends, going to each other's houses and working on school projects together. It's not the exact same situation, but it reminded me of when a new student came to my school in the second grade. The teacher sat her in the back by me and I had no friends and was incredibly shy, but that all changed when that girl sat by me. The next day on the playground we were best friends, playing tag and having fun. We had our very first sleepover of many that weekend. We're not as close now, but I'll never forget the way she befriended me and, over the years, help me to overcome my shyness and break out of my shell a little bit and taught me that it's okay to be myself. She was the Summer in my life.

Part 2: Via

Living with a facial deformity can be quite a challenge, but something that makes it easier is the support of a loving sibling, and that's what Auggie has in his sister, Via. I loved Via since the beginning of the story. She could've been upset that she had to live with a brother who looks different than everyone else. She could've been upset that her parents give Auggie more attention than her. But she wasn't. Instead, she showers Auggie with love and affection and you know she would do anything for him.

"Mom and Dad would always say I was the most understanding little girl in the world. I don't know about that, just that I understood there was no point in complaining. I've seen August after his surgeries: his little face bandaged up and swollen, his tiny body full of IVs and tubes to keep him alive. After you've seen someone else going through that, it feels kind of crazy to complain over not getting the toy you had asked for or your mom missing a school play. I knew this even when I was six years old. No one ever told it to me. I just knew it."

I feel close to Via in this way. My younger brother doesn't have any deformities or disabilities or anything like that, but I still feel protective over him and would walk through fire to protect him. He's my best friend. I also know that it is not always about me and it shouldn't be. What better duty is there than to look out for your family?