Review of Wonder

Wonder is an amazing book that was written by R.J. Palacio in 2012, and was recently turned into a movie. My mom, two of her best friends, and I went to see the movie on November 17th, the day it premiered. We were all thoroughly moved and spent most of the length of the movie in tears.

For those of you who have not read the book, Wonder is about a boy named August (Auggie) Pullman, who suffers from severe craniofacial deformities based on Treacher Collins Syndrome. In other words, his face does not look like the average person’s face. His condition makes it difficult for him to hear without a hearing aid and often causes people to stare at him. He has been homeschooled by his mom for his entire life, but he decides to try attending a normal school when he enters fifth grade. This is his first experience being around lots of kids his age. The book follows his experience at his new school and how he develops friendships throughout the year. It also switches perspectives to show the thoughts of some of his peers, his sister, and some of his sister’s friends. While some of the kids do bully him, the majority of his classmates accepts him for who he is. The message of acceptance and inclusion has stayed with me since I first read the book in middle school.

I have been waiting for the movie adaptation of the book for a very long time. Luckily, the movie exceeded my expectations. Auggie is played by Jacob Tremblay, while Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play his parents. I thought all of the casting in the movie was fantastic. Daveed Diggs from Hamilton plays Mr. Brown, Auggie’s English teacher who inspires his students with monthly quotes. The movie stuck to the book for the most part, only changing a couple of things. They did change some of the events at the end of the movie, but it did not significantly alter the outcome. I liked how the movie also changed perspectives to show other characters as well. If you see the movie, which I highly recommend, definitely prepare yourself by bringing lots of tissues.

I think the book and the movie are both extremely meaningful and important. The book has been added to required reading lists around the country, which is good because it teaches such a valuable lesson that more students need to learn: when given the choice between being right and being kind, choose to be kind.

Senior Year So Far

I haven’t updated this blog in a really long time, and I apologize for that. I can attribute my lack of writing to my first quarter of my senior year of high school. It certainly went by quickly! Everyone says senior year is supposed to be an easy year. Except I’m not someone who tends to slack off, so it’s definitely still been challenging for me. It’s been challenging in a good way, however. Every class that I am taking interests me in some way. It’s nice being a senior because most of my classes are electives. My favorite classes are definitely AP English Literature and Composition, AP Psychology, AP Photography, and Advanced Composition, which is a creative writing class. By this time in six months, I’ll be about to graduate. I really can’t believe it.

College applications are definitely a grueling process. I decided to apply to six schools: University of Maryland- College Park, the College of William & Mary, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, Princeton University, University of Richmond, and Elon University. I’ll start hearing from the schools next month! I’m also in the running for several scholarships, which makes me very excited. I hope to get the best education as I can without completely bankrupting my parents! I’ve met with disability services at most of the schools, and I feel confident that I will have support no matter where I go. It’s an exciting time because I know it will impact my future in the best way possible.

Senior year definitely involves some fun aspects mixed in with the difficult classes and college applications. I got to go to a senior crab feast earlier this year, and enjoyed some delicious food with my really good friends. Homecoming was lots of fun- Chadds was the cutest date I could ever have! I loved getting all dressed up and dancing with my friends. Speaking of Chadds, he’s adapted quite nicely to school. He sleeps in all of my classes, and often that includes snoring as well. One time my psychology teacher asked who was snoring, thinking it was a student, when it was actually Chadds! Only three students have pet Chadds the whole year, which I find impressive. That’s probably because the school played a video about me and Chadds on the morning announcements that explained how he helps me and what students are not allowed to do.

One extracurricular that takes up a lot of my time is River Hill Girl Up, a club that I co-founded. I am the co-president of the club and I really enjoy planning activities. It is a chapter of an international nonprofit that is connected to the United Nations Foundation. Girl Up helps increase access to education and health care for girls around the world, especially in developing countries. We raised almost $300 at a bake sale and all of the funds will purchase bikes for girls in Malawi who live too far from school to walk. We are also advocating for a bill that would help decrease the amount of child marriages in Maryland. If you would like to show your support for this bill, sign the petition at www.tinyurl.com/endchildmarriagemd. I love this club because in my school I get to increase support for women’s rights, a cause that I am extremely passionate about, while also making a difference in girls’ education in other countries.

I have been lucky to have had such an amazing high school experience. I look forward to seeing what the rest of this year has in store for me. I know that I will enjoy this year and make memories that will last forever. I will also try to update this blog more often. I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with good food and fun times with friends and family!

My Amazing Summer

Wow, what a crazy summer! I haven’t posted much because I’ve been away more than I’ve been home. After getting back from service dog training, I was home for a couple weeks before leaving for Camp Simcha Special, an Orthodox Jewish camp for girls with physical disabilities. The theme this year was Magic Kingdom, and the camp truly is the happiest place on Earth. I had such an amazing time being with some of my best friends and doing awesome activities, such as pottery, boating, going on a helicopter, and being in the play. I was very impressed with how well Chadds did at camp. It was an environment that was extremely different than what he was used to, from loud music to a crowded dining hall to living in a bunk. I was most impressed with his ability to sleep absolutely anywhere, including on a boat and in the middle of a concert. I look forward to Camp Simcha Special because I truly feel like I belong there. All of my friends understand and relate to my struggles, even though they have different disabilities. I’m already counting down to next year!

I was only home for five days before my parents surprised me and Colin with a trip to Disney World and Universal! We flew to Orlando super early in the morning and went straight to Magic Kingdom. Chadds actually got to go on rides with me, which was super fun! We did a bunch of the classic rides at Magic Kingdom, including It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. Then we went to Epcot, which has my favorite ride in all of Disney: Soarin’. I loved it so much that I did it twice! We enjoyed walking around the World Showcase at Epcot. We especially loved the food! Universal is definitely different than Disney, but it was also super fun. I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was my dream come true. I loved going in the shops in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The Hogwarts Express was super cool because it felt like we were on the train with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I went on the Forbidden Journey ride inside the Hogwarts Castle, which was definitely the most intense ride I’ve ever done. It was amazing!!! Other than Harry Potter rides, I also really liked the Despicable Me and Jimmy Fallon rides.

I got home from Orlando, only to leave the next morning for a travel-based camp called Kids of Courage. It’s also an Orthodox Jewish camp, but it’s co-ed and we stay in a hotel. This year we stayed in Tysons, Virginia and traveled all over Virginia, Maryland, and DC. We went inside the White House, went to Kings Dominion, had a mall shopping spree, went jet-skiing, went to a shooting range, and visited the FBI Training Academy in Quantico. Some of my friends from Camp Simcha Special were there, and we had a blast together. I’ve known my amazing counselor Shira for three years now and I’m so lucky to have her in my life.

Just when I thought my summer couldn't get any busier, I got to go away one more time. My amazing Muscular Dystrophy camp counselor Maggie took me, my best friend from that camp, and my friend’s counselor to Bethany Beach. We stayed at Sea Colony and had a blast! Chadds loved jumping around and playing in the sand. We had a really great weekend. Now I’m about to start my senior year and I can’t believe it!