Last year, audiences embraced WONDER, the cinematic adaptation of author R.J. Palacio’s #1 New York Times best-selling book. Starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay, the story of 10-year old Auggie Pullman was brought to life on screen – the inspirational journey of a child faced with a host of challenges as he makes the jump from homeschool to middle school, fighting to fit-in as a child with Treacher Collins Syndrome. At the heart of the story is a message of kindness that’s been resonating with readers since 2012, and thanks to the success of the film, Random House Children’s Books has been continuing the movement to inspire families, educators and young readers nationwide to #ChooseKind as they seek to foster a culture of inclusion, where bullying no longer exists.
Students can take the #ChooseKind Pledge online, while teachers can certify their classrooms “Kind” using the FREE “Wonder Anti-Bullying Themed Resource Guides” – but that’s just the start.
To further spread the message, the Wonder publishing brand has expanded into consumer products, launching a wide array of new items that celebrate the positive themes of kindness, compassion, and inner beauty – all featuring Palacio’s Wonder illustrations. There’s a 365-day Journal Set sprinkled with quotes from the book, serving up daily prompts that encourage children and their parents to practice kindness in the home, classroom and out in the world. Retailers such as Target and Amazon are stocking the daily affirmation calendar and Wonder stationery, while inspirational t-shirts can be found online at Hot Topic and Zulily. There’s even social expression accessories that are available from Out of Print Clothing, jewelry available at 10pm online, and classroom supplies are available at Raymond Geddes and more.
Finally, the “Daily Wonder” app is also available on iOS, and provides a precept for each day of the year celebrating goodness and strength. Based on the second book of the Wonder series 365 Days of Wonder, also by R.J. Palacio, the app has something to inspire everyone. Messages are drawn from popular songs, inscriptions from Egyptian tombstones, fortune cookies, and words of wisdom from such noteworthy people as Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Mahatma Ghandi, and everyday kids. Fans can submit their own words of wisdom for potential inclusion into the app at http://choosekind.tumblr.com/contact.
Will you #ChooseKind?
