Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Have you ever hated going out in public because people stare at you? Or felt like you were the ugliest person alive? That’s how August Pullman feels every day.  In R.J. Palacio’s book, Wonder, August “Auggie” Pullman was diagnosed with Mandibulofacial Dysostosis, a rare facial disease affecting the formation of craniofacial structures. When Auggie decides to brave Breecher Prep in fifth grade after being homeschooled his whole life, he finds it might not be as easy as he thought.  
“I don’t want to go to school... I’ll be the only one who looks like me.” Auggie was reluctant to go to school, but eventually he decided to go for a tour led by three students, Jack and Charlotte who were relatively good kids, and Julian who acted well-mannered around teachers but was actually a big jerk. August liked his tour enough to go back for the school year. His first day was not terrible, but it wasn’t exactly good either. How would you like getting ignored by everyone on your first day of school? Not even ignored, almost avoided. But he was used to the quick glances people would try to steal, people not wanting to bump into him or even talk to him. As the school year went on, things just got worse. People were bullying him; his so called friends were talking behind his back but all August could do was ignore them, which wasn’t easy when it was almost all the time. If you like touching, real life stories, Wonder would be a good book for you.
The way R.J. Palacio changed the point of view in the story to get other peoples’ perspectives was fantastic. It gave you an understanding of how other characters saw August. The conflict and theme go well for anybody, not just people with a facial disease. Everyone has problems in school and people have to deal with bullies so the theme fit in well and everyone can relate to it. Auggie always thought, and wanted, to be normal but that’s the problem. People at school make him feel like he’s not. There is even a ‘war’ at school because Jack is friends with August and only a couple kids join Jacks side. In the book, they talk about other people conflicts and you really see how much Auggie affects everyone else, in a good and bad way. It no longer makes you Wonder what it is like to have a visual deformity. 
I really enjoyed reading Wonder and I think anyone could enjoy the heart-warming story just as much as I did. It is a quick read and easy to get into. Just give it a try and I can believe that you will love it. 

--Reviewed by Erica 

The Down Side of Being Up by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

“I get 18 boners a day” said Bobby Conner. Puberty is a big problem for everyone but is an especially big problem for Bobby Boner in Middle School, as it is conspiring against him. I think this is so far
the funniest book that I have read and it is great and a fast read for me. This book The Downside of Being  UP was written by Alan Lawrence Sitomer who is a middle school teacher and sees these things happening every day.  This is a great book to explain the problems that boys may face on a daily basis.
Bobby Conner just wanted to be a normal kid with a normal childhood but puberty is making this a big challenge though, so he ends up being sent to correctional therapy, then he is sentenced to write a book about his experiences. His sister hates him and his grandpa is stuck living with them, and he has a belly button with naval mucus that has to be cleaned out every second Tuesday of the month. “Look, I’m just a kid. I’m not a dork, a jock, a brain, a freak or a perv.” As all this is going on, he meets his dream girl Allison Summers, but her dad is the new math teacher and there’s a mutual hate?I feel like the way the plot had followed Bobby’s problems around was pretty good and how that the problems he faces are almost the same from what every teenage boy goes through. It was viewed from the perspective of an adolescent teenager facing many challenges from his body. Most writers don’t have a clue on what most boys are going through now-a-days. Although when you are a middle school teacher like Alan Sitomer, you have a front row seat to all the things that are going on with a young adult. With all the changes that are going on and all the torment that a lot of them go through, the characters are easy to follow and most people can relate to their problems. This is a great read and a funny one and I recommend this book to people who like to laugh.This Book was a great and fast read for me, there is a little swearing in this book and it is a very funny book. Books can be easy to read and very funny.

-Reviewed by Tyler