Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- What qualities does Auggie's family have that help support him as he struggles to fit in at school?
- Do you think Auggie ultimately sees himself as ordinary, or extraordinary? Do other people in his life think about this differently?
- How about his parents? How about Via? How do his friends at school think of him? How about his teachers?
- Why all the narrators? Why does R.J. Palacio include so many different points of view? What do we learn from different narrators that we wouldn't get from Auggie? Who is your favorite narrator, and why?
- What role do masks play throughout the story? How do masks help or hurt Auggie?
- What's the difference between kindness and just being nice, and why does it matter?
- What does Jack learn through his friendship and betrayal of Auggie?
- Which characters do you think change the most from the beginning to the end of the story, and why do you think so?
- How does Auggie overcome his crippling shyness and self-loathing? By the end of the story, do you think he is comfortable with how he looks? Which characters help him with this, and how?