Hello everyone!
I am Minhee Teacher, your English reading coach.
Welcome back to our Wonder reading journey.
Today, we are stepping into Part Five: Justin's View.
Up until now, we have seen the world mostly through Auggie's
eyes, and then through his sister Via's eyes.
But today, we are changing our camera lens.
We are going to look at the Pullman family through the eyes of
an outsider.
Justin is Via's boyfriend, and he is about to meet Auggie for
the very first time.
Let us jump right in!
Imagine we are directing a movie of this chapter.
Let us look at the big picture in three quick scenes.
In scene one, Justin is walking up to Via's house.
He is holding his fiddle case.
He is very nervous.
He has some nervous tics, which are small movements he cannot
control.
He is about to meet his girlfriend's family, so his heart is
beating fast.
In scene two, the door opens.
Justin meets Auggie.
At first, Justin is surprised by Auggie's face.
It is a shock.
But within just a few minutes, they are talking about Star Wars,
and the shock melts away.
In scene three, Justin sits with the family.
He watches how Via's parents treat both kids.
He sees a home filled with warmth, laughter, and so much love.
He realizes this family is incredibly special.
Let us zoom in on that second scene.
Imagine the camera is close to Justin's face.
When he first sees Auggie, he feels a bit shocked.
It is natural to feel surprised when we see something we do not
expect.
But look at what Justin does.
He does not run away, and he does not stare.
Instead, he listens.
He talks to Auggie like a regular person.
Suddenly, our camera angle shifts.
Justin does not see a different face anymore.
He just sees a kid.
A regular kid who loves lightsabers and space.
Justin's surprise turns into a warm, cozy feeling.
Via is standing nearby, watching.
She is proud of her brother, and she is so happy that Justin is
being kind.
You can almost see a warm yellow light filling the room in this
scene.
Now, let us think about a very deep line from this part of the
book: The universe was not kind to Auggie.
What does this mean?
Think of the universe as nature, or luck, or just how things
happen in life.
The universe gave Auggie a very difficult face and many medical
problems.
Auggie did not choose this.
The universe was not kind to him in that way.
But here is the beautiful part.
The universe might not be kind, but people can be.
Auggie's parents are kind.
Via is kind.
And now, Justin is kind.
We cannot control how we are born.
We cannot control luck or the universe.
But we can control how we treat the person standing right in
front of us.
Love is like a magic eraser.
When we look at someone with love, their differences disappear.
They just become a friend.
To help us describe our movie scenes, let us learn four useful
words from this chapter.
First is fiddle.
A fiddle is just another word for a violin, especially when you
play fast folk music or country music on it.
Imagine Justin carrying his fiddle case, ready to play a happy,
energetic tune for the family.
Fiddle.
Second is tics.
Tics are small, sudden movements or sounds that a person's body
makes without them wanting to.
When Justin gets nervous, his tics come out.
Maybe his eye blinks or his shoulder shrugs.
It is just his body's way of dealing with stress.
Tics.
Third is universe.
The universe means everything that exists, like stars and
planets.
But in this story, it means fate or life's luck.
The universe was not kind to Auggie, but his family's love makes
up for it.
Universe.
Fourth is perspective.
This is a big word, but it has a simple meaning.
It means the way you see things, like a camera angle.
Justin gives us a new perspective.
Because he is an outsider, his perspective helps us see how
truly wonderful and loving the Pullman family is.
Perspective.
Now, let us practice speaking like the characters in our movie.
I will say a sentence, and I want you to repeat it right after
me with feeling.
Are you ready?
I was nervous when I met the family.
Auggie is just a kid who likes Star Wars.
The universe was not kind to him.
But his family loves him very much.
When you look with your heart, the face disappears.
Fantastic job!
You sounded so natural and expressive.
Before we finish our lesson today, I want to leave you with one
final question to think about.
Justin is an outsider, but he brings so much warmth to Auggie's
life.
How can we, in our daily lives, make the universe a little bit
kinder for someone who is struggling or feels different?
Think about it, and keep reading with your heart.
I will see you next time.
Bye-bye!