Wonder Questions # 2
Read from page 205 - end. Thoughtfully answer the following:
“the first time i meet Olivia’s little brother,i have to admit i’m totally taken by surprise. i guess i thought
her brother would have some scars here and there. but not this. i definitely wasn’t expecting to see this
little kid in a baseball cap who’s sitting in front of me right now”…olivia’s family tell each other “i love
you” all the time. i can’t remember the last time anyone in my family said that to me. by the time i go
home, my tics have all stopped.
1. Remember that Via’s boyfriend Justin is a shy musician, and a person who doesn’t really talk a
lot. He mentions that he has “tics” and that he lives in a family very differently from the
Pullmans. After you re read this part of the book, think about Justin in particular. Answer the
following reflection question and explain using specific examples from your life and the story:
 Take a look at the first pages of part five. Do you notice anything interesting? You
should, it’s one of my biggest pet peeve when I read and grade your reflections. Why
do you think the text is written that way and explain what this tell us about Justin?
“i see the same three kids hanging out..don’t know what possesses me, but i take my glasses off, put
them in my pocket, and tuck my fiddle case under my arm so the pointy side is facing up. i walk over to
them..yo don’t mess with jack, i say really slowly…mess with him again and you will be very, very sorry.
and then i tap my fiddle case for effect. got it?”
2. Justin and Via fall in love smack in the middle of Auggie’s story. They are a bit of an unusual pair
and yet they make a very good couple. Although Via doesn’t spend time with Justin’s family, the
Pullman’s welcome Justin warmly and come to like him very much. Justin becomes quite
protective of Auggie- almost as if he is a part of the family.
 Explore specifically, what you think has drawn Justin and Via together?
 How is Justin changed by his relationship with Auggie?
 How do Justin’s actions affect the narrative of the story?
“Meet me in room 301 right after school. Come by yourself! Charlotte.”
3. Charlotte is a nice enough kid, but she never really goes out of her way to be kind to Auggie.
She may wave hello from afar but will never sit at his lunch table. She helps Jack in secret, but
will never take his side. She is not a bad person, but she is not courageous enough to be moral.
Charlotte is the classic bystander who sees, doesn’t get involved, and is never able to choose
kindness over fear.
 Maybe not right away or in an obvious fashion, but the fact is that all of our actions
matter. Do you believe that everything we do and say is significant?
 It is up to us to choose what we want to be in this world. Let’s face it, if we are mean,
someone suffers and if we’re kind someone benefits. Would you rather be kind and
All reference from Wonder by R.J. Palacio
maybe taken advantage of now and again, or mean and present a fierce face to the world?
Explain your reasoning.
“Yo, dudes,”said Jack, hand high in the air. “That was really cool of your guys to come back for us.
Thanks.””No problem,” answered Amos, high-fiving Jack. And then Miles and Henry high-fived him, too.
“Yeah, dudes, thanks,” I said, holding my palm up like Jack just had, though I wasn’t sure if they’d highfive me too.”
4. Ambrose Redmoon wrote: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that
something else is more important.”
After the bullies are so horrible to Auggie and Jack, and they, along with Amos, Miles, and Henry
escape through the cornfields, they take a moment to rest. Jack thanks the other boys for
saving them, and he high fives them. Auggie wants to thank them, too, and he lifts his hand in
the air to give a high five, even though he has no idea if anyone will high five him back.

Reflect! Has there been a time in your life when like Auggie, you showed courage?
Explain the challenge you faced and how you overcame it by being courageous.
“I’m not exactly sure what I want to be known for, but it’s not that. That’s not exactly true: I do know
what I’m really known for. But there’s nothing I can do about that.”
5. Throughout the story Auggie struggles with finding his place within his culture. He makes some
authentic friends and copes with genuine rejection but in the end, we find him accepted by his
community, content, with a positive perception of himself. Think about your own life
experience.
 Have you every struggled to find a place among your social circle or does making
friends come very easy to you? Explain why you feel this is.
 What was it like to come to St. Francis Prep as a new student? Explain in detail, using
specific examples.
.
All reference from Wonder by R.J. Palacio