The Power of August(us)

Yep, I finally caved and bought/read both Wonder by RJ Palacio and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  Ironically (?) both the main characters in these books share a common name...August and Augustus.  Is there something in this name that makes the characters so powerful?  I tend to resist reading highly recommended new books.  This is why I put of reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn until a long, sleepless night in college.  If only I had listened to my mother all those years ago!  (She doesn't read my blog, so I am safe saying that she was right all along!)  

So after reading all of the blog post commending these two books, I decided to purposefully not read them.  I mean, I don't want to be like everyone else...right?  WRONG!  What is wrong with me!  I finally caved on Sunday night and ordered them on my IPad.

 

I started off with Wonder and was immediately transfixed.  I loved how Palacio keep switching narrators and bringing multiple points of view into Auggie's story.  It wasn't too simple, too sweet, too anything!  It was honest, fair and uplifting.  In many ways it reminded me of Melody's story from Out of My Mind.  I can't wait to share it with my students and I know it would move many of them.  Plus, I love any story with a strong teacher-student relationship!  Between the precepts and the graduation speech, I almost cried.  I started the book Sunday night and finished it by the next evening.  READ THIS BOOK!  Don't be like me and resist it!  Give in to the temptation!  (only you should by a real copy for your classroom library...not the Kindle version, which I now cannot share with my students!  grrrr!)

 

After finishing Wonder, I couldn't sleep...so I started The Fault in Our Stars, thinking that would help me get ready for bed.  Boy, was that a mistake!  Every time I finished a chapter, I would think about putting down the IPad, and say to myself...just one more chapter!  Yup...needless to say, it was late at night early this morning by the time I finished the book.  It was worth it!  I laughed and I cried...I mean I really cried.  I'm not ready to post a literary analysis of this book, its themes...whatever!  Here's what I know:  I will re-read this book.  I will share this book.  I will laugh and cry with this book again.  This book made my life better, this world is a better place because of The Fault in Our Stars.  READ IT!

 

So...the moral of this story?  When amazing bloggers recommend books, I need to listen!  You all were right!  It's okay with me if you say, "I told you so" because...you did!

Happy Reading!

Jenny