Out of My Mind
Sharon M. Draper
Melody has cerebral palsy and a brilliant mind no one notices. Like Auggie, she narrates her fight to be seen for who she is at school, with humour and heartbreak.
7 books to read next
Books Like Wonder
If you loved Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Readers love Wonder for Auggie's funny, honest voice and the way the story widens to show how his sister, classmates and friends see things too. It tackles bullying, difference and friendship without preaching, and its short chapters make it easy to keep reading. Above all, it is warm and hopeful: a middle-grade story about ordinary kindness and the courage it takes to walk into a new school when you know everyone will stare.
Kids who stand out
Fish in a Tree
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally hides her dyslexia behind jokes until a new teacher sees her. Readers who rooted for Auggie will love this similar classroom story about friendship and being understood.
El Deafo
Cece Bell
A graphic memoir about a girl with a big hearing aid starting school. It shares Wonder's honesty about feeling different and its lightness and humour.
Many voices, one story
Restart
Gordon Korman
Told by several students, this story follows a former bully who loses his memory and must start over. It explores kindness and second chances, like Wonder's view of Julian.
Wish
Barbara O'Connor
Charlie arrives in a new town angry and lonely, then slowly finds friendship and family. Its gentle warmth and focus on belonging will feel familiar to Wonder readers.
Kindness and courage
The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
Told by a gorilla in short, simple chapters, this is a moving story of friendship and doing the right thing, with the same big heart as Wonder.
Go deeper
Counting by 7s
Holly Goldberg Sloan
A quirky, gifted girl faces loss and finds an unlikely new family. Readers who loved Wonder's community coming together will find the same emotional warmth here.
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