Positive Thoughts About Sara

What is your favorite?

Created with Padlet

Wonder - Pages 294-315, The End

The graduation program includes three songs. One previously mentioned ("Light and Day"), one traditional song (Pachelbel's "Canon in D"), and one of my personal favorites ("Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie).

In his commencement speech, Mr. Tushman quotes three authors. I'm only including the first of the three quotes here, just in case one of them might give away something from the story. The first quote is from J. M. Barrie who wrote Peter Pan. The quote Mr. Tushman uses, however, is from the book The Little White Bird. Here is J. M. Barrie along with the quote from the original text.

Mr. Tushman's second quote is from Under the Eye of the Clock by Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan was born with cerebral palsy and could only move his head and eyes, yet he wrote award winning books and was first published at the age of fifteen. Here is a picture of him with his book.

Finally, Mr. Tushman quotes Henry Ward Beecher and describes him as a "nineteenth century abolitionist - and a fiery sermonizer for human rights." Their school is named after him. Here is a picture of him as a younger man, followed by an image of a statue of Beecher currently in downtown Brooklyn, New York.

These last images are reversed, but I thought the last one was the best way to end our read aloud. Auggie mentions a red carpet. A red carpet is traditionally used when important people arrive somewhere, like when a president arrives to visit another country. This is a picture of the president of Japan arriving in the United States.

Red carpets are also used for celebrities when they arrive at fancy events like award ceremonies and movie premiers. This is probably the sort of red carpet Auggie is referring to.

And finally ... well ... I'm not even going to introduce this one. I'll just say this: I hope you enjoyed the book, and I especially hope you enjoyed the ending.

*All images linked to their source.

Create a Chart in Google Drive under Spreadsheet

Title your chart Character Problems and Resolutions
For each of the characters listed below write
1. Character's main problem
2. Events that led to a solution
3. Solution to the Problem

Characters
1. August
2. Via
3. Summer
4. Jack
5. Justin
6. Miranda

When finished attach link to chart with your name to this post.

Last Questions

How might things have been different for August if he had decided not to go to school?  Would he have had the same amount of growth do you think?  What about the the other characters in the book?

Positive Thoughts about Natalie

Wonder - Pages 275-293

When Auggie goes to school after the fifth grade trip to the nature reserve, he says there was a shift in the way things were. "A monumental shift. A seismic shift. Maybe even a cosmic shift." Now I can't find any videos that correctly illustrate a cosmic shift, but here's a great example of a seismic shift. Would you say the entire ground moving is a big change?

And now a great quote from Mr. Tushman: "Sometimes a duck is just a duck!" Here's the story he was thinking about when he made that memorable statement.

Free Kids Book Download The Ugly Duckling Picture Reader free ebook download

Mr. Brown's June Precept, the final precept for the school year, comes from a song by The Polyphonic Spree. JUST FOLLOW THE DAY AND REACH FOR THE SUN! is from the song "Light and Day."

Just before the graduation ceremony, Auggie's dad tells him a secret, but then immediately wishes he hadn't said anything. He wants Auggie to keep the secret, but Auggie thinks he might as well try to get a little something out of it. He says he'll keep the secret if he gets the new Xbox when it comes out and his own car in about six years. A red Porsche.

Right after that conversation, Auggie and his dad sing their favorite song. It includes lines like "But I'm the luckiest guy on the Lower East Side, 'cause I got wheels, and you want to go for a ride." The song is by The Magnetic Fields and is titled "The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side." So close your eyes and picture Auggie and his dad sitting in the car belting this one out at the top of their lungs.

*All images linked to their source.