We tested sixth graders for empathy and theory of mind before and after an academic unit on either Wonder or The Crossover. Wonder was associated with improved perspective-taking; students who read The Crossover increased in concern for others. Faux pas detection increased in both genders with Wonder, and in girls with The Crossover. Students who…[Read more]

J.K. Rowling has created a wizarding world almost entirely devoid of mental health issues and treatment. Nonetheless, Harry Potter offers four clear representations of Muggle psychiatric disorders that match the official diagnostic criteria. The most obvious is dementor-induced depression and the ability of both chocolate and the Patronus Charm to…[Read more]

R. J. Palacio’s Wonder offers an engaging look at the challenges a child with facial deformities encounters when attending school for the first time. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel emphasizes kindness, acceptance of differences and the common anxieties associated with fitting into a social group. Narrative fiction has been shown to p…[Read more]