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Gather round--prepare to be amazed! A sight so very gruesome that you simply won't believe it. Ladies and gentlemen ... the Elephant Man!" Every night people swarm to a theater in London to see the Elephant Man, whose real name is Joseph Merrick. They scream in terror at the sight of him. But beneath Joseph's shocking exterior, he longs for affection and understanding. Disfigured in childhood by a rare disease, Joseph is rejected by his family, bullied in the streets, and ridiculed at his job. While touring Europe with a freak show, he's robbed and abandoned. Joseph seems to encounter misfortune at every turn, but eventually finds friendship with a kind doctor. Though he died young, Joseph became world famous and inspired many with his gentleness and dignity. An informative picture book companion to R.J. Palacio's book - Wonder. Biographical fiction. IL 3-7. AR 5.1. | |