WONDER

Wonder was written by R.J Palacio in 2012.

This book is about a fifth-grade boy called August Pullman, who has several facial differences compared with a “normal” kid’s face. The book starts when he was homeschooled by his mum and she decided to change to a real school. So, August and the rest of the family reacted  to this decision.

The novel follows his entire first year of school, which is incredibly emotional and he has good experiences as well as bad ones.

I started reading this book only to improve my English without any interest. However, from the beginning I was extremely keen on following August’s story and I couldn’t stop reading. In my opinion, this book shows perfectly all different positions and opinions in whichever situation and the feelings which involve that moment. Therefore, Wonder is a fantastic book because it transmits the feelings incredibly well.

Finally, I would recommend this book to everyone, especially teenagers and kids, in order to avoid bullying which is a real problem in our society.

                                                                                                                                             BERNAT ARMENGOL

            4rt ENGLISH

Wonder is a novel by Raquel Jaramillo, written after an incident getting ice cream with her son and published under the pen name R.J. Palacio in 2012.

The main character is August “Auggie” Pullman, a 10-year-old with a rare facial deformity and a cleft lip. Because of his many surgeries, his mother had been home-schooling him, but his parents had come to decide that he should be at a local private school, Beecher Prep, for middle school.
Auggie first visits Beecher and meets the director, Mr. Tushman. He is also introduced to three students, Jack Will, Julian Albans and Charlotte Cody. Auggie is uncomfortable and self-conscious around other kids, but he slowly learns to get around at school. He befriends both Jack and Charlotte, and another girl named Summer. Julian refuses to interact with Auggie, telling him that he is disgusting.
Julian calls Auggie a freak, and Jack punches him, getting himself suspended for two days. Auggie’s mom considers pulling him from school, but Auggie stays and Jack apologizes for what he said. During the remainder of the year, Julian continues to bully Auggie, leaving threatening notes in his and Jack’s lockers, and they write notes back using humor.
During a school trip, Auggie and Jack are attacked by some seventh graders, but a few of Julian’s group comes to their rescue. Overall, Julian’s popularity declines, and people begin to accept Auggie more fully.

At the end of the year,…

In my opinion this is a book that everybody should read, because it is an example that appearences are not important and we are too used to judging people before meeting them, so it is a good book that I recommend for all ages because everybody needs to learn to be respectful with people. I enjoyed the book a lot.

Maria Callizo Lorente,
4th grade

THE Nº 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY BY ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

This story is about how a woman set up the first detective agency in Botswana. The writer first introduces us the life of our main character Precious Ramotswe, his mother was killed by a train when she was only months old, then his father welcomed in his house an aunt ( to help him ) who had been rejected by the husband because she was sterile.

His aunt raised her as if she were her daughter, teaching to add, subtract and encourage her memory with games.

She got married, had a daughter and she lost her a few days after being born, then she left his husband for ill-treatment and returned home.

When her father died because he had been a miner and could no longer breathe, Precious owned the father’s cattle, his father wanted her to run a business, a small butcher, a bakery… but she decided to sell the cattle and run a Detective Agency.

With the money obtained she bought a small house on the outskirts, with an accacia tree, and  good views of the Kalahari, she was going to run de detective agency there.

The story is about this woman  investigating and resolving several cases: a missing husband, a stolen car and a pair of fraudulent twin doctors. The main case was a missing boy who is connected to the discovery of a human bone in the glove of a van being serviced by his close friend Mr Matekoni.

OPINION:

It might not be  a true detective narrative because the cases were so easy to solve, but the story about his father, his aunt, and of course her adventures are amazing, it’s not and European agency, it’s located in Botwana ( xx century)  things were not easy especially for women. I recommend it, it is a good book to read and enjoy.

Josep Ma Nadal