“Wonder”. Book by Sarah Ruhl. Music and Lyrics by A Great Big World (Ian Axel and Chad King). Directed by Taibi Magar. Presented by American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through February 8.

By Michele Markarian

“I like ice cream, outer space and video games,” Auggie (Garrett McNally), a typical seventh grader, tells us at the beginning of “Wonder”. Auggie, however, has a facial difference that sets him apart from other kids, making him a target of bullying and ostracization. For years, his mother, Isabel (Alison Luff), has been homeschooling him, but now she fears he has more to learn than what she can teach him. To counter this, Isabel has enrolled Auggie in middle school, much to his dismay. While his oversized space helmet and invisible friend Moonboy (Nathan Salstone) keep him feeling safe at home, they won’t serve Auggie well at school. Auggie’s sister Via (Kaylin Hedges) is also on edge. As the sibling of someone whose facial differences account for a lot of his parents’ attention, Via doesn’t always get her fair share; the fact that her best friend Miranda (Paravi) isn’t speaking to her for unknown reasons doesn’t help. Miranda, as it turns out, is having a hard time dealing with her parents’ divorce. As one of Auggie’s teachers, Mr. Browne (Raymond J. Lee) likes to say, “Be kind, for everyone is fighting an invisible battle.”