On Saturday, March 14th, 2026, the Newtown AYLUS members organized and led a reading session for elementary school students. During this meeting, the volunteers and children read Wonder by R. J. Palacio, a widely loved 2012 novel that was later adapted into a film.
Rather than choosing a short picture book, the group intentionally selected a longer chapter book to challenge the students, strengthen their literacy skills, and encourage deeper thinking about the overall story’s theme.
Three volunteers worked closely with a small group of five children, creating a supportive and welcoming environment where everyone felt comfortable participating. The students took turns reading aloud, which allowed them to practice fluency while staying engaged with the story plot.
During this session, the group read pages 240–262, where both Miranda’s and August’s points of view are shown. Miranda recalls the distance between her once-close friend, Olivia, and is uncertain whether she has or has not moved on from this friendship. During the opening night for the school play, “Our Town”, Miranda’s friends and family do not come to watch, so instead of playing her part in the show, she gives up her role to the only true friend she remembers, Olivia. This kind act strengthened their relationship once again, which Miranda admits, “For the first time in a very, very long time” gave her absolute happiness. On the other hand, the volunteers guided the group in reading about August, who prepares to leave home to go on the fifth-grade trip to the Broarwood Nature Reserve for 3 days and 2 nights. The trip challenges August to step outside of his comfort zone, as he has never slept away from home before, and allows for a new experience to strengthen his independence.
With the volunteers’ support, the students were able to follow the storyline clearly and thoughtfully discuss the characters’ emotions and challenges.
Overall, the session was highly successful. Compared to previous sessions, the children demonstrated noticeable growth in both confidence and reading ability. Their enthusiasm for the story, combined with the academic progress they showed, made the experience especially meaningful for both the students and the volunteers.
Participating members included Edward Soong (event leader), Kylee Guo, Rumi Tian, each contributing one volunteer hour.