Like an oyster that coats a single grain
of sand until an iridescent gem forms, the spirit of a pure and innocent child
is as matchless as a pearl and a miracle to behold. Our thoughts and prayers
continue to be with Bookers’ member, Marlene Ungarean, and her family, always,
but especially on this day.
22 met at the home of Bonnie Magee for
this month’s meeting. Rosemary Farmer co-hosted the event with her usual flair
adorning the coffee table with a black hoodie, a statue of a little boy wearing
a helmet and reading a book, and copies of Wonder scattered around. A special
thank you to Melba for loaning us “Auggie.” We welcomed new PWC member, Joanna
Linder, to the group, and first-timer, Fran Farmer and were glad to see Bernie
Quickel again. We hope to see all of you when we resume in September.
Beverly Dossett’s granddaughter, Olivia,
a fourth-grader and an avid reader insisted her Mimi read this one. She did,
and so did we beginning the love-fest with Wonder. Although the book targets middle
school readers, it is relevant to all age groups and in our humble opinion, is
a must read for children, parents, and grandparents. Olivia recorded a video
and through the voice of a ten-year old, told us why Wonder is so special to
her. The saying, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” was evident, as it
appears Ms. Olivia shares her grandmother’s passion for the written word.
Thanks to both Beverly and Olivia for sharing this with us.
Jean Alexander led the review on this
“wondrous” book by sharing some details on the author, R.J. Palacio, and her
inspiration for this book. Five years ago, Ms. Palacio and her two children went
out for milkshakes. She and her three-year old son waited outside on a bench. Sitting
beside her was a little girl with severe craniofacial differences. The youngest
reacted by starting to cry very loudly and her immediate reaction was to push
the stroller away in order to spare the little girl’s feelings. The “scene”
made a lasting impression on Ms. Palacio knowing she missed an opportunity to
set an example for her children. Coincidentally, the song, “Wonder,” by Natalie
Merchant came on the radio that night – the words, “fate smiled and destiny
laughed as she came to my cradle,” spoke to her and she began writing the novel
that evening. Written in first-person from six different points of view, Wonder
allows the reader to see how the outside of Auggie affects the view of the
inside of Auggie.
Ten-year old August Pullman (Auggie)
knew he wasn’t an ordinary kid although he did all the ordinary things…eat ice
cream, ride bikes, play ball, “but ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids
run away screaming” and they don’t “get stared at wherever they go.” If granted
one wish he would like a normal face that no one ever noticed at all. It’s hard
to blend in “when you’re born to stand out.” Then throw the trauma of going to
any school for the first time much less 5th grade with features like
“drippings on the side of a candle.” His eyes, one lower than the other and
halfway down his cheeks slanted downward; he had no eyebrows, eyelashes, or
cheekbones; a nose disproportionally big for his face; a head pinched in on the
sides like someone had used pliers to crush the middle part of his face, and he
had tiny cauliflower ears. His favorite holiday was Halloween because he could
be an ordinary kid behind that mask. Disappearing into middle school proved to
be an impossible challenge. But, in spite of his outward appearance, he was
blessed with life, loving parents and a sister, a smattering of friends, a
sense of humor…and after twenty-seven surgeries, the ability to speak, hear,
and eat…all monumental achievements for this young boy.
His older sister, Via, knew “August was
the sun that everyone revolved around” and was always mad when others reacted –
“horrified, sickened, and scared” – to his physical appearance, until she spent
a month away from him. Only then did she understand “normal” and realized there
were two Auggies – the one she blindly saw, and the one others saw. Her
brother’s medical condition represented the pathway to her adulthood and she
dreamed of becoming a geneticist to find a cure for people like Auggie. Summer,
the beautiful popular girl at school who sat down with Auggie at lunch on his
first day, chapter begins with Christina Aguilera’s words – “you are beautiful
no matter what they say…words can’t bring you down.” Summer confessed at first
she felt sorry for him but discovered how fun he was. Their bond between “the
beauty and the beast” was never broken. Jack Will’s chapter begins with a quote
from Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s, The Little Prince: “it is only with
one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the
eye.” This segment begins with the author’s true-life experience and Jack’s
involvement in being Auggie’s “welcome buddy” and evolves into Jack recognizing
he really wants to be his friend. Justin, Via’s musician boyfriend, chapter is
written without uppercase or proper punctuation. Why? The author tells us
because of her musical background she thinks the low notes on a musical staff
look like lowercase letters of the alphabet or as a graphic designer, she sees
typefaces and fonts not just as communication devices, but as visual cues for
other things. Because Justin was a musician, it seemed natural to represent his
thoughts in lowercase. (Sincere apologies to Leslie Mullins who researched and
brought examples of this to the meeting and we failed to discuss this portion
of the book.) Justin had a kind heart toward Auggie… “the universe takes care
of all its birds.” Miranda, joined at the hip with Via since first-grade who
treated Auggie like her sibling, chose a high-school click over life-long friendship
but learned a valuable lesson of how false-loyalty leads to isolation and heartache.
As always, our discussion focused on personal stories
and triumphs and we greatly appreciate each of you sharing your thoughts and
experiences. This novel made you laugh and cry in the same sentence, captured
the emotional ride of an ordinary family in extraordinary circumstances, and illustrated
how the smallness of others can fester into a “black cloth of ugliness.”
The author “shuffles the social deck”
covering fleeting friendships, loyalty, middle-school politics, teenagers,
bullying, the cruelty of viscous words and the pain of betrayal. Ms. Palacio
takes each character that encounters Auggie and places them squarely in his
shoes. She uses this as a lesson in kindness and an introspective of how they
should put stock in their own values rather than cave to the falseness of the
popularity game.
Auggie’s precept: “There should be a
rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in
their lives.” Take your bow Ms. Alexander!
Business:
Several members have read or are
currently reading, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It’s the current Pulitzer Prize
winner for Fiction, and a staple on the bestseller list. Bernie Crudden, Pat
Faherty, and Donna Walter have finished all 700+ pages describing it as having
a “love/hate relationship” with the book. Patsy Dehn says it is well written,
but has not finished. None were comfortable in recommending it as a Bookers’
book. We will table it for now and let you know what MN thinks after she reads
it.
Thank you to everyone who raised their
hands to review/and or host our Bookers’ meetings as we begin our 11th
year together in September. And, a standing ovation to Mssrs. Korbel, Cook, and
Tropicana for joining forces to WD-40 our volunteering buttons. Pat, Patty,
Bernie, Melba, Joanna, Jean A., & Jane have agreed to review (subject to
approval of book selections) and Donna, Patty, Jean A., Sandy, Melba, Bonnie,
Joanna, Beverly, Kay, & Patsy have offered their homes for our meetings.
Please check your calendars to see if you can host the November, January,
February, March, or April meetings and e-mail me when possible. First-come
first-served.
In the coming year, we are planning to
schedule the review and discussion at the beginning of the meeting and conduct
the business at the end if we are successful in keeping everyone’s attention
after the review. Today was a test and you passed!
COLOR CODING SYSTEM
WHITE: LIGHT READ
PINK: MODERATELY
CHALLENGING
RED: CHALLENGING
Summer Break: June,
July & August
Summer
Read, The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
September 9th: Beginning of Bookers 11th
year
The
Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
RED
Home: MN Stanky
Reviewers:
Responsibility of MN & JoDee
October 14th : The Shell Seekers by
Rosamunde Pilcher
PINK
Home
of Bonnie Magee, Co-host Rosemary Farmer
Reviewer:
Joanna Linder
November 11th: Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlanta
RED
Home:
TBD
Reviewer:
Bernie Crudden
December 9th: Book: TBD – Evening Holiday Party
& Meeting
Home
of Joanna Linder
January 13th, 2015 TBD
February 10th: TBD
March 10th: TBD
April 14th: TBD
May 12th: Book TBD
Home
of Beverly Dossett
Summer Break: June, July & August
September 8th: Bookers 12th year
“August” used as an adjective means imposing, grand,
majestic, standing above others in quality or position. Said of Auggie when he
received the Henry Ward Beecher award, “He is the greatest whose strength
carries the most hearts,” leads us to believe “August” was a purposeful
selection by the author.
Happy Reading,
JoDee
