Auggie and Me- Three Wonder Stories

I read Wonder back in 2012 and loved it (read my review).  In it we learn about what 5th grade at Beecher Prep is like for August Pullman, a boy who has undergone countless surgeries due to his birth defects. I have reread it twice, and it has touched me each time. Auggie's voice captivated me, and it was fascinating reading what his year was like for a few other important characters.


I was excited to see Auggie and Me: Three Wonder Stories by R.J. Palacio.  I knew I had to read it and find out what was going on with some of the other characters I hadn't heard from yet. In Wonder we see his classmates through Auggie's eyes, and now we get to hear from the bully, Julian, his old best friend, Christopher, and Charlotte, who he met when he toured the school. Each story fills in gaps and shows us that there really are two sides to every story. We start with Julian, and it's no surprise that we get some insight behind his mean treatment of Auggie. We also get to see shortly past the end of their 5th grade year. Christopher has know Auggie since birth, and we find out what it was like being friends with someone who needed to have so many surgeries and how their friendship changed over the years.  Lastly, Charlotte sheds light on other drama and social occurrences that were happening throughout the year that we didn't know about from Auggie.

Auggie and Me is perfect for readers who enjoyed Wonder and wanted more. It's an interesting addition to Auggie's story because we don't learn much more about his life after 5th grade, except for the summer months, which Julian tells us about. Instead we learn that there is often more going on than what we see on the surface. In any situation we may think we have all the facts, but someone else may show us information that makes us think differently. I can't say reading this book made me think Julian is an awesome boy, because I still think he's mean. I do understand him better, and I do have hope that he will be different in the future. There is something very special about diving back into a favorite story, and I recommend this journey for anyone who wants to have a little more time with Auggie and friends. This is an excellent book for kids and adults who want to see what a story is like from another point of view. I would recommend this book to readers in third grade and up.  You will finish the book feeling like you have more pieces of the puzzle. Definitely read Wonder first if you haven't already!

Back when we reviewed Wonder we were lucky enough to interview R.J. Palacio. To find out more about the story behind the story check out what she had to say.

Has anyone else read Wonder or Auggie and Me? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

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Answer to Monday's Riddle: The Smaller Picture...

Great job guessing, Riddlers! This was a tricky riddle, and it's been a long time since I've stumped all of you brilliant puzzle solvers out there. Friday, Lizzy will be sharing her point of view on a great book, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

I'm deceptive, but right on cue; the silent tell on what you do. Paving the path inside your head, changing it up when you're in bed. It's always you, as far as you know, and I've been your mate through the whole worldly show. Like a stick that's dropped from a tree, I'm a part of the whole that has fallen from thee. Jewels of wisdom collected insight, your thoughts on this riddle are the answer that's right.

What am I? Answer: Your point of view 

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 
Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats





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Monday's Riddle: Thought Maps...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? We all have our own, based on the stories we tell ourselves. ; ) ~ F

I'm deceptive, but right on cue; the silent tell on what you do. Paving the path inside your head, changing it up when you're in bed. It's always you, as far as you know, and I've been your mate through the whole worldly show. Like a stick that's dropped from a tree, I'm a part of the whole that has fallen from thee. Jewels of wisdom collected insight, your thoughts on this riddle are the answer that's right.

What am I? Stop by Wednesday for the answer! 

I gave you a clue!

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Will Violet Ever Feel Like She Fits In?

Violet Diamond loves her family with all of her heart. Her mom, sister, and grandparents are special to her. Now that she's eleven she is starting to be bothered by strangers asking her if she is adopted. Just because Violet looks different from the blond haired part of her family doesn't mean she isn't part of them. It does get her thinking that she only knows half her family, and she starts to wonder about the relatives she hasn’t met. Since her father died before she ever got to know him, she hasn't had any contact with the African American side of her family. Violet wants to know more and gets her wish when her father's mother has an art gallery showing within driving distance of their house. It's exciting for Violet to see someone who looks like her, even if the encounter doesn’t go quite the way she had hoped. When her new grandmother asks her to come and stay for a week, Violet knows she has to go. Will being away from home give her a new outlook? Will meeting new family members be as easy as she thinks it will be? Is fitting in only about the way we look on the outside? What does it mean to be a “Diamond” and how will Violet change? Don’t miss this unique book about coming to terms with who we are.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods. I could really relate to Violet because she loves her family, and she has a great sense of humor. I also like how she collects words, because she reminds me of my best friend, Fairday. I think Violet's worries about not looking like she fits in with her family made her whole outlook change. She was at an age where she wanted to know who she was and she felt like she was missing a whole part of who she was because she didn’t know anyone from her father’s family. I especially like that Violet is like a real diamond, harder and stronger than she knows and full of sparkle. I learned a lot from reading this book and I am so glad I picked it up. Sometimes we don’t stop to think about what it is like to be in someone else’s position and we might not think about how our questions impact them. I would recommend this book to anyone in 3rd grade and up. It's a great book for people who like realistic fiction and who want to see the world from another point of view.  I think after reading it you will see things from Violet’s perspective and hopefully when you see people together you will realize that we can’t tell a thing about relationships from what we see on the surface.  

Has anyone else read The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond? Or have you read another book by Brenda Woods?  We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

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