Jacob Mitchell, 2016 Level 2, Honorable Mention

Dear Raquel J. Palacio,

Before I read your book, I didn’t understand the struggles of physically and mentally altered individuals. I avoided eye contact with them, I also avoided encountering them. Reading your book, Wonder, changed the way I see the struggling, and encouraged me to support them.

As a young child, I assumed that everyone had the same chance to live the same life I had. In my younger years, ages 6-10, I didn’t know much about birth defects or the struggles of people with disabilities. I recognized that some kids looked and acted differently than I did, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around why they acted extremely different than I did. I couldn’t appreciate how lucky I was to be able to live with little to no physical and mental restraints.

Once I was in 6th grade, the librarian recommended your book, Wonder to me. Auggie’s struggles helped me grow to appreciate how lucky I was to be physically and mentally unimpaired. It brought me beyond that, to the point of wanting to support people with physical and mental challenges.

After I had read your book I was inspired to support both the physically and mentally challenged. Now I don’t avoid them. I might go to offer them a greeting to welcome them. I think making them feel equal and welcome is key to their success. In the future I would like to look into extending my hobby, skiing, with them through Challenge Alaska.

In conclusion, I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to read Wonder, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, meaningful read. It has broadened my perspective on the world. I changed from seeing challenged individuals as strange, to seeing them as unique like we all are.

Sincerely,
Jacob Mitchell