Part One of Wonder is told from August “Auggie” Pullman’s point of view. Auggie was born with a genetic syndrome that gives him tiny ears, low eyes, and a misshapen mouth and jaw. By the time he is twelve, he has endured twenty-seven surgeries. Auggie lives in New York City with his parents, his sister, Olivia or “Via,” and his dog, Daisy, and until the novel begins, he has been homeschooled. Mom wants Auggie to go to middle school, but Dad feels hesitant, worried the other students will be cruel. Mom takes Auggie to meet Beecher Prep’s principal, Mr. Tushman, who has arranged for three other students—Jack, Charlotte, and Julian—to give Auggie a tour of the school. On the first day of school, Auggie faces a barrage of shocked reactions and surprised looks as people react to his appearance for the first time. Julian teases and provokes Auggie. Mr. Browne, their English teacher, gives his students a precept every month to think and write about. The first precept is about kindness. Auggie becomes good friends with Jack and a girl named Summer who sits with Auggie at lunch of her own volition. However, on Halloween, Auggie overhears Jack telling others that he wishes Auggie would stop following him around. Hurt and rejected, Auggie questions whether he should be in school at all.
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