My question for my group is: What was your initial reaction when you discovered how Auggie was treated in homeroom on Halloween? How did you feel about what the children said about him behind his back?
My response: I immediately began to cry. I couldn't believe Jack wasn't being genuine with Auggie. For him to say he was only doing it because Mr. Tushman asked him too. I think Julian is so mean. He suggested Jack to just ditch Auggie, and continues to poke fun at the way Auggie looks. To hear (read) 5th graders saying "If I looked anything like that, seriously I think I would kill myself" (pg. 76). This really brought tears to my eyes. He cannot control how he looks, and he just was starting to like school. Auggie just wants to be a normal kid, and experience normal things kids his age do. I am so glad that Auggie has a loving and supportive family.
Part one provided us with a lot of information. We get a glimpse of Auggie's life and his first few months in school. While reading, I was apprehensive about Auggie starting school. Middle school is hard for any "normal" kid, so for Auggie, it must be much harder. I feel proud of Auggie for being so optimistic. He goes to school despite his initial interaction with Julian and the other students. School and other social settings are important in order to foster certain life skills.
ReplyDeleteTo respond to Tiffany's question, I thought Jack was sincerely Auggie's friend. The conversation the boys have gives rise to other issues like bullying and suicide. That was a really strong statement to make about just killing himself if he looked like Auggie. It is things like this that can be pivotal to a child or anyone contemplating suicide or with low self esteem. I agree with you, Tiffany, I am so glad Auggie has the family he has.
Furthermore, I hope this does not discourage Auggie from going back to school. It is important that he continues to go, like his mom said, there are things that she can't teach him. There is a lot Auggie can learn from his different teachers, students, and there are things the phone can learn from him.