The Fifth-Grade Nature Retreat
In Part Eight, Wonder returns to August’s perspective. August is preparing for a spring trip to a nature reserve with his fifth grade class. There, the kids will sleep in cabins, roast marshmallows, and explore the woods. The other kids are thrilled to go, but August is more scared than happy.
Unlike all his friends, August has never once spent the night away from his parents. He has never been to camp or stayed overnight with his grandparents. He has spent plenty of time in the hospital, but one of his parents always stayed with him.
When August was little, sleepovers were impossible because his medical needs were so demanding. As he got older, he...