wonder

“Elephant Boy”

“Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength . . . He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts.”

–Henry Ward Beecher

Unlike my kids, who had to read it for school, I read it voluntarily.

But what a treat!

Take a break from Tolstoy and Jane Austen (or People Magazine and reality TV), and really treat yourself to Palacio’s 2012 kiddie classic.

The book’s subject, 11 year-old August, is essentially an adolescent Elephant Man (“Elephant Boy?”), dealing with horrific facial deformities in modern-day New York City.

The child’s experience — and those around him — are brilliantly told through multiple characters’ lenses.

And the ending is the equivalent of a literary walk-off homer:  simultaneously evoking the book’s title and closing on the perfect note.

“Wonder” is wonderful — for any age reader.

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

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