We're All Wonders

Name: We're All Wonders
Author: R. J. Palacio

A story that explores wonder and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

Read the Guiding Questions Find this book →

♥ This book teaches: Wonder. staying curious about the world around you.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: to be amazed at and/or curious about something that is pleasantly unexpected, beautiful, or mysterious. In short: Curiosity sparks endless discovery. Summary: A child who has a deformity tells a story of how rejection makes him feel and how he handles it. When he says he’s ordinary, but doesn’t look ordinary, his mother replies that she sees things differently - she tells him he’s unique and a wonder. When he feels bad he travels to Pluto with his dog where everyone looks like him. Back on earth, he hopes that people can change the way they think and see that each person is a wonder. Lesson Objectives:

Students are more inclined to regard people with deformities or handicaps with more respect and sensitivity.
This story could be linked to a lesson on how people with different kinds of handicaps adapt and manage their lives, the purpose being to promote sensitivity and kindness.

Guiding Questions:

What does the title “We’re all Wonders” mean to you?
What are the ordinary things the narrator likes to do?
What makes him look different than other kids?
What does his mother tell him?
If we all thought about how we are similar instead of how we are different, do you think life would be better? Why or why not?
What does he do when others make fun of him?
“Look with … and you will always find wonder.”(fill in the blank)
The next time you see someone who is different, try to be aware of your own thoughts. Are you thinking kind thoughts or not?
Have you ever been teased because people thought you were different? What did that feel like?
Have you observed people teasing others happening at school or elsewhere? What does that feel like to you?

🌿 Virtue Connection: Wonder means staying curious about the world around you.

Hands-On Practice

Activities for This Story.

Activity: Students review the definition of wonder: to be amazed at and/or curious about something that is unexpected, beautiful, or mysterious. It is explained to them that this activity will be mostly about curiosity, and how we wonder about so many things, everyday. Students review the book, “We’re all Wonders.” They discuss some “wonder” question words - when, why, where, how, who, and what - that can be used to find out more about the wonderful people in our lives, including our classmates. They learn about their classmates as they play the “Get to Know You” game.

Materials needed: optional: a box that is labeled: “Get-to-know-you” Questions; a chart with the following questions:

When is your birthday?

How do you get to school and how long does it take? Do you come by car, bike, bus, or walk?

What do you like to do to have fun?

Where would you want to travel if you could go anywhere you wanted to?

How many people are in your family?

Directions: Explain that the purpose of this lesson is to practice wondering, and especially wondering about your classmates. Review the definition of wonder: to be amazed at and/or curious about something that is unexpected, beautiful, or mysterious. Review the book, “We’re All Wonders,” and ask what advice the narrator gave at the end of the story. (“Look with kindness and we’ll always find wonder.”) Explain that we can use certain “wonder” questions to help us discover how special each person is. Lead a discussion about these “wonder” words: when, why, where, how, who, and what. Ask students to share examples of sentences that begin with these question words: “What could you ask a person about themselves using the wonder question: “When?” Give instructions for the “Get to Know You” game. Lead with: “Are you curious about your classmates? I am! Let’s find out how special each person is.” Create pairs of students and guide them in taking turns asking each other the following questions.

When is your birthday?

How do you get to school and how long does it take? Do you come by car, bike, bus, or walk?

What do you like to do to have fun?

Where would you want to travel if you could go anywhere you wanted to?

How many people are in your family?

Note to teachers: option: ask students to suggest questions and choose five that are appropriate. Use those instead of the ones here, or repeat the activity on another day and use both sets of questions. Give a signal when it’s time to start the first question, and when it’s time to switch. Guide students through all the questions one at a time making sure everyone gets a chance to ask and respond. When the pairs are done with the list of questions, switch the partners so that each student is with someone new. Repeat the activity so that all students interview each other.

Wrap it up: Explain that the purpose of this lesson is to inspire us to be curious about one another in a kind way, by asking get-to-know-you questions: “Let’s go on a quest to discover how special each person is. When you think of a question we can all ask one another, write it down and put it in this ‘Getting-to-know-you box.’ We will repeat this activity once we have enough questions.”

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.