KidLit Forum

The book looks like an interview taken to different people on the same subject, seen from different angles.
Olivia, August’s sister is the only one that gives a full description of her brother’s physical appearance. She thinks the whole family tries to make August feel as being an average , a ‘normal’ boy, while August himself knows he is not as he states it at the beginning of the book : “I know, I am not an ordinary ten years old boy.”
Olivia talks about her best friends from elementary school (Miranda and Ella); the first day at high school she uses the claim when describing Miranda’s new look = a literary techniques used in Fat Camp, too, to make the ‘speech’ more accessible, more up to date to teenagers way of speaking (and to induce irony)
Summer – Auggie’s friend at school – sees him as being ‘just a child’. She has lunch with him because he is funny; they play together during the breaks. She and Auggie work together on the Egyptian project.
Jack: ‘August is a great boy…he is humorous…he is very smart.’ “August has got the most beautiful handwriting I’ve ever seen.” Jack punches his best friend Julian as he calls August ‘a monster’.
The school, even if it does not integrate children with special needs, changes some activities that can hurt Auggie’s feelings: the annual self portrait exhibition that is held on the New Year , changed the subject; the teachers had to alter their self portrait and make them representing animals.
INTERESTING PART
Part five in which Justin’s point of view is pictured does not have capital letters and no quotes for dialogue. It is so maybe because he is an outsider (all the others are friends or schoolmates, or go to the same school.) He talks more about himself, his relationship with Olivia, with his parents (who are divorced) and only a few time s about August. Justin does not have a history with Auggie.
August’s point of view:
“Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing”
“You don’t need your eyes to love, right?”
“(…) there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.”
In part eight he is for the first time self – conscious of his self- aware and he is self – confident: “I took Baboo back to my room, and I laid him in my bed and taped a little note to Mom on his chest. (…) The note read: Dear Mom, I won’t need Baboo, but if you miss me, you can cuddle with him yourself.”
“Sometimes people surprise us.”
“To me, though, I am just me. An ordinary kid.”

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Monika Bandi