Books
13 'Wonder' Quotes That Will Inspire You To Do Something Kind Today
Every once in awhile, a book comes along that is more than just a good story from a talented author, but a truly remarkable work that has the power to change the lives of the people who read it. R.J. Palacio's bestselling middle grade novel about a brave young boy with facial deformities and his first year at a mainstream school is one such work. If you haven't gotten around to reading it yourself, these Wonder book quotes will show you why this story has inspired an entire generation of readers to Choose Kind.
Originally published in 2012, R.J. Palacio's Wonder tells the remarkable story of Auggie Pullman, a young boy born with a rare craniofacial condition, or facial deformity, that had stopped him from going to mainstream school. That is, until he gets to the fifth grade and decides to attend Beecher Prep with other "normal" kids his age. With the help of his loving family, an inspirational teacher, and some truly wonderful friends, Auggie learns how to navigate life as an average middle-schooler with courage and, most importantly, kindness.
The book that inspired the Choose Kind anti-bullying movement,Wonder is now also a major motion picture starring Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, and Owen Wilson, and it hits theaters today! So whether you read the original book or experience the film, just know that Palacio's inspiring story is filled with so many heartwarming words of advice, encouragement, compassion, and kindness that you will undoubtedly find yourself weeping happy tears by the end.
Ready to break out those tissues? Whether you want to find inspiration in one of Mr. Browne's precepts, a piece of heartfelt advice from Auggie's mom, or a gem of wisdom for the book's wonderful protagonist himself, these 13 moving quotes from Wonder will do just the trick.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
"It's not enough to be friendly. You have to be a friend."
"When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind."
"Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness."
"The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Only instead of being made of stone, they're made out of the memories people have of you."
"I didn't destroy a Death Star or anything like that, but I did just get through the fifth grade. And that's not easy, even if you're not me."
"I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks."
"A fresh start gives us the chance to reflect on the past, weigh the things we’ve done, and apply what we’ve learned from those things to the future. If we don’t examine the past, we don’t learn from it.”
“You don’t need your eyes to love, right? You just feel it inside you. That’s how it is in heaven. It’s just love, and no one forgets who they love.”
“But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other.”
“We carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness.”
"Learning who you are is what you are here to do."
“The best way to measure how much you've grown isn't by inches or the number of laps you can now run around the track, or even your grade point average — though those things are important, to be sure. It's what you've done with your time, how you've chosen to spend your days, and whom you've touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success.”
“I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.”
