But not today. Today, I want to talk about the #WONDERschools Blog Tour, and my favorite experience with this absolutely amazing book.
Teacher pal David A. Etkin started the #WONDERschools initative to get schools and libraries to collaborate on how they teach WONDER. Random House thought that this was way cool. Together, David and RH brainstormed the #WONDERschools blog tour--nine days of schools and libraries posting about how they're using WONDER and its lessons in their school, library, or community. WONDER author R.J. Palacio will post on October 10th, "Unity Day" (and Auggie's birthday!). The blog lineup and all the good info is here:
http://mretome.wordpress.com/wonderschools/
I know you're saying, "But, Ame! You're not a school! You're not a library!"
THAT'S WHAT I SAID! But David knows how much I LOVE this book, and encouraged me to write a post anyway.
I'm happy I did.
Hope you are, too.
Here we go!
My Favorite
WONDER Experience
Before this morning, if you’d asked
me what my favorite WONDER experience was—not counting when I first read it and
the #SharpSchu Book Club discussion—I would’ve said this:
Even though I already owned a copy of
WONDER, and even though I’d already read it several times, when a copy was re-shelved
in the “New Books” display at my public library while I was standing right there,
I had to pick it up and have a peek.
Of course the book opened to One Of
The Eight Parts in WONDER That Makes Me Cry.
Was it one of the heart-achingly sad
parts? Or the heart-achingly beautiful
parts?
Doesn’t matter, does it?
“Shut the book!” my head commanded. “We’re in public!”
But I didn’t listen to my head. Even though I knew what was coming.
Tears. Streaming
tears. And those nose sniffles—the ones that are way too loud in the library.
I prayed no one would notice.
Of course, someone noticed.
“What’s wrong, hon?” another patron
asked.
I couldn’t answer. I just pointed at WONDER.
Her face lit up in recognition. “Oh. I
know, right?”
But this morning, during The Weekday
7:35 Frenzy, I got a new WONDER favorite moment:
The Kid came up to me with WONDER in
her hand.
“Can I bring this to school?” she
asked.
I stopped. The Frenzy stopped. Everything stopped.
Then I smiled and said, “Sure, hon.”
I waved from the window as Husband
Guy and The Kid—her backpack a little heavier than usual—made their customary
dash to the school bus stop.
And yes, there were more (happy) tears
and sniffles.
You know, right?
Of course.
