Wonder Notice and Note Signposts Location Signpost What I Noticed “Ordinary” Pg. 3 Auggie understands that he does not have an ordinary face and it frightens others around him Aha Moment When authors use words such as “realized” or “understood” or “figured out” we see that the character is having an Aha Moment and we want to ask ourselves how this changes things. This is early in the book, we really don’t know the meaning of Auggie’s Aha, so we’ll have to keep reading. “Why I Didn’t Go to School” pg. 4 Auggie has never been to a real school before and he is going into the 5th grade Contrasts and Contradictions Auggie being 10 years old and never going to a real school certainly stands out as not completely ordinary. When we see something stand out like this we should stop and ask ourselves “Why is the character (Auggie) doing that (staying home from school)? “Why I Didn’t Go to School” pg. 4­5 Auggie shares information about school and friends Memory Moment Here Auggie shares the reason why he has not been to a real school. He also shares memories about friends throughout his life. Why might this memory be important? What did we learn from it? “How I Came to Life” pg. 6­7 Auggie shares his Memory Moment mother’s memories of his birthnight Here Auggie shares his mother’s memory of his birth night. Besides the humorous portion involving the farting nurse, we learn that Auggie wasn’t supposed to survive his first night alive. Auggie also mentions that his family is good­looking. Why might this memory be important? What did we learn from it? “Driving” pg. 10 Auggie overhears his parents talking about him going to school, describing it as “a lamb to the slaughter…” Contrasts and Contradictions A school experience being described as the killing a peaceful animal certainly is a stark contrast. Why would Auggie’s dad be saying this? “Nice Mrs. Garcia” pg. 18 Auggie realizes his Aha Moment Auggie notices his mother is nervous about mom is just as nervous as her him going to school. She has been the one who has been pushing him to go. This is pretty early in the story, but we might be able to guess or speculate how this might change things. “Jack Will, Julian, and Charlotte” pg. 22 Auggie Again and Again has now mentioned multiple times that people quickly look down or don’t look at him when interacting with him­ this time when he meets the three students Auggie already mentioned Mrs. Garcia quickly looking down and now he mentions it two more times here. While we don’t expect­­or want­­students to interrupt their reading each time Auggie mentions this in the story, we do want them to be alert to the repetition and to occasionally ask themselves why Auggie would keep mentioning this. It seems that Auggie is very aware, down to the millisecond, of people's’ perceptions of him. “Jack Will, Julian, and Charlotte” pg. 23 Auggie Contrasts and Contradictions is angry with his mother for making him go with the three students on a school tour, he notices her scared face and just nods Auggie is acting in a way that contradicts what his true feelings are. When we see a character acting differently than what we expect we should ask ourselves “Why is the character doing that?” “The Performance Space” pg. 30 Jack Will offers some advice to Auggie about how to deal with a jerk like Julian Here a seasoned student is giving advice to the new kid in school, Auggie. When we see advice being given we want to stop and ask, “What’s the life lesson and how ​
might ​
it affect the character? It seems that he is nudging Auggie to start standing up for himself early on. What might happen? What does this say about Jack Will? Words of the Wiser “Home” pg. 33 Auggie has just returned from Contrasts and Contradictions his school tour and feels very sad and a tiny bit happy at the same time. The contradiction of feelings here is clear. When we have a definite contradiction like this one­ we want to stop and ask ourselves “Why is the character feeling this way?” This could lead to some speculation that he is looking forward to school, but not dealing with students like Julian. “First Day Jitters” pg. 36 Auggie mentions that his hometown street feels new to him all the sudden Contrasts and Contradictions A hometown street, something Auggie mentions that he knows like the back of his hand, seems all the sudden new to him on the first day of school. Why is the character feeling this way? “First Day Jitters” pg. 36 Auggie notices girls looking at him then quickly away when he looks at them. Again and Again A simple notice of this repetition­ “Why does this keep happening again and again?” “Locks” pg. 40 Auggie describes his teacher looking like the character Mon Mothma from Star Wars Again and Again Auggie has already mentioned Star Wars on pg. 8 of the story, and does here again. Star Wars will continue to come up through the story. When we see an item mentioned over and over we want to stop and ask ourselves, “Why does this keep happening again and again?” It might lead to some pretty basic answers such as, “It’s his favorite movie” but it could lead to a deeper understanding of Star Wars as a fantasy tale of heroes and villains, many who wear masks. “Choose Kind” pg. 48 Mr. Browne’s first precept is posted on the classroom wall Words of the Wiser Mr. Browne posts monthly precepts, rules about really important things, and here is the first one: When Given the Choice Between Being Right or Being Kind. Choose Kind. When we hear advice being given in a story we should stop and ask, “What’s the life lesson and how might it affect the character?” “Lunch” pg. 50 Auggie is having his first lunch at his new school and remembers a time at a birthday party where his eating caused problems Memory Moment Auggie is, again, hyper­aware of people watching him. Now there is food involved and remembers a time where he scared another little boy by the way he eats. When an author interrupts the action to tell you about a memory, stop and ask yourself, “Why might this memory be important?” “Padawan” pg. 59­60 Auggie is reading ​
The Contrasts and Contradictions After his first day at Beecher Prep, Auggie has Hobbit ​
with his mother then suddenly starts to cry been keeping a pretty strong demeanor until bedtime when his mother begins reading him a story. He starts to cry and asks the questions, “Why do I have to be so ugly, Mommy?”. When a character does something that contrasts with what we expect we should stop and ask, “Why is the character doing that?” “Wake Me Up when September Ends” pg. 61 Auggie, again notices, that students are staring at him and looking away. Auggie realizes that he does look different, like if a Wookie (Star Wars) started coming to school he would probably stare too Again and Again/Aha Moment The author repeatedly mentions that students stare and Auggie then look away. “Why does this keep happening again and again?” Auggie realizes he does look different and knows the kids aren’t doing it to be mean, “How might this change things?” “Mr. Browne’s October Precept” pg. 65 Your deeds are your monuments” Words of the Wiser When we hear advice being given in a story we should stop and ask, “What’s the life lesson and how might it affect the character?” “The Cheese Touch” pg. 72 Auggie realizes students are avoiding physical contact with him just as he thought they were getting used to him Aha Moment Tristan runs to the sink to wash his hands because it came into contact with Auggie’s, unconcerned about everyone’s science experiments that were ruined. Auggie realizes he is “old moldy cheese” like in ​
Diary of a Wimpy Kid.​
When a character figures out something we should stop and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” “A Tour of the Galaxy” pg. 82­83 The point of view shifts in the story and this is where Via understands her place in the family Aha Moment Via describes the family dynamics as a metaphor­ Auggie is the sun and the rest are planets/comets/asteroids orbiting his needs. Via has been okay with this, but things are changing. When a character figures something out we should stop and ask, “How might this change things?” “Seeing August” pg. 86 Via is gone for weeks staying at Gran’s house and when she returns she sees August for how he “really” looks Contrasts and Contradictions Via has always loved Auggie and always looked past what scared or disgusted other people. Here, for the first time, she notices his drool and the horrible look he has. When a character contradicts her earlier acts or statements, stop and ask, “Why is the character doing that?” “August Through the Peephole” pg. 89 Tough Questions There is a series of tough questions here that Via is asking about Auggie. One that stands out is “When he looks in the mirror, does he see the Auggie Mom and Dad see, or does he see the Auggie everyone else sees?” It appears she is trying to determine if Auggie is self­aware. When a character asks herself a very difficult question, stop and ask, “What does this question make me wonder about?” It makes me wonder about Via’s motivation for the question­ is she concerned or annoyed with Auggie at this point? Both? We’ll have to read to get a clearer understanding. “An Apparition at the Door” pg. 99 Via describes a night where she saw her mom standing outside of Auggie’s room in the middle of the night Memory Moment/Tough Question Via sees her mom standing outside of Auggie’s room, with her forehead leaning on the door. “Why might this memory be important?” Via also ends the chapter with a tough question, “I wonder if my mom has ever stood outside my door like that?” When we hear a character ask a tough question like that, stop and ask, “What does this question make me wonder about?” “Trick or Treat” pg. 112­113 Auggie is striking his pillow out of anger Contrasts and Contradictions We’ve seen Auggie upset and crying, but we’ve never heard or seen him hit anything out of anger­ this seems out of character for him. When we see a character do something that contrasts what we would expect, we should stop and ask, “Why would the character do that?” It seems Auggie is ​
very u
​pset with Jack Will’s betrayal, maybe more so than he has ever been in his entire life, and that’s saying something. “Weird Kids” pg. 119 We have switched perspectives to Summer and she starts off by putting herself in Auggie’s shoes Tough Question Summer makes the realization that it’s hard enough being the new kid at school with a normal face. Then asks a tough question “Imagine having his face?” When a character asks herself a very difficult question we should stop and ask ourselves, “What does this question make me wonder about?” Summer is showing empathy here. “The Halloween Party” pg. 123 Summer gets an invite to the school’s exclusive girls group from Savanna Contrasts and Contradictions We might expect a girl starting out school to readily jump at the opportunity to be a part of the popular group­­but Summer doesn’t. When a character does something that contrasts with what you expect, stop and ask, “Why is the character doing that?” “Warning: This Kids is Rated R” pg. 128 Summer is talking about how her father passed and where he might be now Tough Question/Again and Again Summer asks the question, “Do you ever wonder what happens to people when they die?” When a character asks a difficult question, stop and ask yourself, “What does this question make me wonder about?” This is also the second time now in the story where a character is pondering the afterlife. Via also asked a similar tough question on pg. 86 regarding her Grans. Via also has the Egyptian God of the Afterlife, Anubis, as her school project. When we see a situation repeated over and over we should stop, and ask ourselves, “Why does this keep happening again and again?” “Carvel” pg. 136­138 Jack’s recollection of the first time seeing Auggie in the neighborhood Memory Moment Jack is retelling an event that involves his younger brother Jamie and babysitter Veronica. This is the first time he has ever seen August and scared by the appearance, describing it as looking like a zombie. Veronica quickly rounds­up the kids and leaves abruptly and suspiciously. She doesn’t like what happened at all and talks with the boys. When a character interrupts the story to tell you a memory, stop and ask, “Why might this memory be important?” “Carvel” pg. 138 Jack says “We all know his name (Auggie), though he doesn’t know ours” Contrasts and Contradictions Here is a striking contrast in one sentence­ known/unknown. When this happens in a story we should stop and ask, “Why did the character say that?” This will lead to the realization that Auggie is well­known throughout the neighborhood, even more than he had thought. “Why I Changed My Mind” pg. 141 Jack has a realization that even normal kid like Jamie can be mean Aha Moment When a character realizes something, stop and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” We have learned about a different side of Jack­­one who has a side that is not sympathetic to Auggie. Will this realization lead to more empathy towards Auggie. When we will have to continue reading to find out. “In Science” pg. 152 Jack realizes what Summer meant when she told him “bleeding scream Aha Moment Here Jack has one long aha moment where he realizes he has said that he would kill himself if he were Auggie­ in front of Auggie. When a character finally figures out something, stop and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” “Back from Winter Break” pg. 168­169 Jack is being ignored and excluded by his friends Contrasts and Contradictions Jack is a well­liked kid in school with lots of friends. Now most kids aren’t talking to him and he is eating lunch alone. When we see a character being treated in a way that contradicts what he expect, stop and ask, “Why are they treating the character that way?” “Why I Didn’t Sit with August the First Day of School” pg. 176 Jack has a moment of realization­ it’s weird to have people ignore you and act like you don’t exist Aha Moment As we have come to learn more about Jack, he isn’t the super nice guy that we expected. He was judgemental of Auggie, and in his own words, a hypocrite. He is seeming to become more self­aware of his actions. Here is a moment where he realizes that it’s not that great of a feeling to be ignored, when a character realizes something, stop and ask, “How might this change things?” “Valentine’s Day” pg. 191­192 Justin, Via’s boyfriend, is reflecting on his family while spending time with Auggie’s Aha Moment Although Justin doesn’t come out and say “I suddenly realized…” he is definitely really thinking about Auggie’s family and comparing it to his. When a character is really thinking about something we want our students to pay attention to those thoughts. “Our Town” pg. 193 A play that Via is in gets changed at the last minute Again and Again The original play, ​
The Elephant Man, w
​as about a man who is disfigured. It gets changed to ​
Our Town ​
at the last minute. Is this another case of change because of Auggie? When we notice a situation happening over and over again, stop and ask, “Why does this keep on happening?” “The Bus Stop” pg. 198 Justin realizes how being Auggie’s friend is affecting Jack’s life Aha Moment Justin has a moment of realization, “Then it hits me, what’s he’s not coming out and saying: august. This is all about his being friends with August.” When a character realizes something, stop and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” The realization is another in a string of “aha moments” about just how much Auggie affects people’s choices and behaviors. “Bird” pg. 202­203 Here Via admits to not Contrasts and Contradictions telling her parents about the play so they won’t bring Auggie along Via has been the one to protect and love Auggie unconditionally throughout the story (except for the bring glimpse in a memory moment when she saw Auggie with the drool) She is now hiding the fact that she is in a play because she doesn’t want her new high school to know Auggie exists. When a character does something that contrasts with what you’d expect, stop and ask, “Why is the character doing that?” Perhaps the stress of worrying about Auggie has gotten to Via and she needed her own refuge to be herself. “The Universe” pg. 204 Repetition of the phrase “The universe was not kind to Auggie Pullman.” Again and Again “The universe was not kind to Auggie Pullman” is being repeated over and over. When you notice a phrase mentioned over and over, stop and ask, “Why does this keep happening again and again?” “The Universe” pg. 204 Justin realizes that the universe seems to help those in need Aha Moment Justin comes to the realization that “the universe takes care of all its birds.” Auggie has parents who adore him blindly, and a big sister who feels guilty for being human over him. And a friend who sticks by him even while losing the rest of this friends. When a character realizes something, stop and ask, “How might this change things?” “My Cave” pg. 219 Auggie blows up at his mother and sister at the dinner table because he realizes why Via was not telling the family about her play Aha Moment Auggie calls out his sister for not telling the family she was in her high school play. He realizes it is because she does not want Auggie to be there. When a character figures out something, stop and ask, “How might htis change things?” “Heaven” pg. 226­227 Talk of the afterlife comes back again and Auggie wonders about some tough questions Again and Again/Tough Questions Again, talk of what happens when you die is brought up in the story. We want to stop and ask ourselves, “Why does this keep happening?” Auggie is also pondering the question, “I wonder how it would feel to be in heaven someday and not have my face matter anymore.” When a character asks himself a very difficult question, stop and ask, “What does this question make me wonder about?” “Understudy” pg. 229 Auggie tells his dad not to call him “Auggie Doggie” anymore Contrasts and Contradictions This is a Auggie/Dad tradition that Auggie doesn’t want to continue. It never seemed to bother him before. When a character does something that contradicts his earlier acts, stop and ask, “Why is the character doing that?” “Camp Lies” og. 236­238 It is now Miranda’s turn as the narrator and she tells us about her summer at camp Memory Moment Here we learn what might be the cause of her behavior, losing Via as a friend and changing her personal style. Her parents divorced and she went away to summer camp as a counselor. She tells the people at camp that she has a little brother who is deformed and for the first time she experiences popularity. When the author interrupts the action to tell you about a memory, stop and ask, “Why might this memory be important?” “Extraordinary, but No One There to See” pg. 243 Miranda realizes no friends or family will be at the play she stars in Aha Moment When Miranda realizes that no friends or family will be there to watch her performance which she feels will be extraordinary. She then notices the Pullmans arrive. When a character realizes something, stop and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” “Known For” pg. 252 Auggie doesn’t want to Aha Moment be known as the ​
Star Wars ​
kid, but realizes he is already known by his deformity Auggie realizes he doesn’t have control over his looks, but he can control other aspects of his life and how people might view him. When a character realizes something, stop and ask, “How might this change things?” “Voices in the Dark” pg. 268­270 Miles, Henry, and Amos stand up for Auggie against the nature retreat bullies Contrasts and Contradictions Three guys who were firmly on “Team Julian” stand­up for Auggie against a group of bullies. Amos even comforts Auggie and lets him cry on his shoulder. This contrasts sharply with how they have treated Auggie up to this point. When characters do something that contrasts with what you expect, stop and ask yourself, “Why are these characters doing that?” “Home” pg. 279 Auggie has a tough question Tough Questions/Words of the Wiser Auggie asks his mom, “Am I always going to and Mom has a word of the wiser answer have to worry about jerks like that?” When a character asks himself a very difficult question, stop and ask yourself, “What does this question make me wonder about?” Mom replies, “there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other take care of each other.” She also mentions people with surprise you with kindness. When a character offers advice, stop and ask, “What’s the life lesson and how might it affect the character?” “The Drop­Off” pg. 291 Dad reveals he threw away Auggie’s astronaut helmet and the reason why Contrasts and Contradictions Dad reveals, after many years, that Auggie’s astronaut helmet wasn’t lost­­he threw it away. When a character does something that contrasts with what we thought he would do, we should stop and ask, “Why did the character do that?” “The Shift” pg. 282 Auggie notices things are different at Beecher Prep since he’s returned from the nature retreat Aha Moment “I noticed there was a big shift in the way things were. A monumental shift. A seismic shift. Maybe even a cosmic shift.” Everyone seems to be a lot more friendly and kind to Auggie now and he definitely notices it, everyone except Julian­­and Auggie couldn’t care less. When a character realizes something, stop and ask, “How does this change things?” “A Simple Thing” pg. 301 Mr. Tushman asks all Beecher Prep students to be a little kinder than necessary Words of the Wiser “If you act just a little kinder than necessary, someone else, somewhere, some day may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.” When a character offers serious advice, stop and ask yourself, “What’s the life lesson, and how might it affect the character?” “Floating” Auggie knows why he got the Beecher Prep award for strength Aha Moment Auggie realizes he is the person that most all people look at and can’t imagine living life like. He feels like he is just an ordinary kid that survived 5th grade, which can be tough for anybody. And if people want to give him award for that, he’s okay with that. When a character understand something, stop and ask, “How might this change things?”