Auggie & Me

Christopher Blake is Auggie’s oldest friend. His family recently moved to Bridgeport. Soon after, his parents separated. Christopher clearly struggles with this transition. He gets behind in his homework on the weekends and becomes forgetful. He is clearly frustrated with his mother and calls her “Lisa” and grumbles at her. Christopher wants to do the right thing. Even though it is hard to be friends with Auggie, he has been through thick and thin with him. Although Christopher wants to do the right thing, he is pressured by his parents’ separation and a desire to fit in with the older boys at school. By reconnecting with Auggie and processing his emotions about his mother’s car accident with his father, Christopher finds peace and stick with his friend, John, even if it is “uncool.”

Charlotte Cody is another fifth-grade student at Beecher Prep. She has short blond hair and is small for her age, which she feels insecure about. Charlotte’s schoolmates think she is dramatic and a teacher’s pet. However, her narrative reveals that at her core, Charlotte is passionate. Even her family thinks that she’s intense. When Charlotte becomes distraught over the disappearance of the accordion man at the park, her parents tell her to calm down. She loves dance and desperately wants approval. She is so eager to please teachers and gets awkwardly chatty around her peers. Over the course of the year, Charlotte becomes more comfortable in her own identity. She also learns that she can come across in ways she doesn’t intend. By seeing character development in her friends, Charlotte becomes reflective and wonders if there is more she could do to be kind. Because she spends so much time trying to please others, she hasn’t valued loyalty or courage as much as fitting in with others.

Auggie is the only character that appears in all three stories in Auggie & Me. He is an 11-year-old with a genetic condition that causes a facial deformity. While he only appears a few times in Auggie & Me, his kindness has an impact on each character. When Julian is leaving horrible notes in his locker, he doesn’t hold a grudge against him. Even though Christopher hasn’t been as good of a friend to Auggie for a few months, Auggie is there for Christopher in a time of need and helps him do his math homework. While he and Charlotte never directly interact, his experience at their school is part of what makes her realize the difference between being nice to someone and having the courage to be their friend.

Mrs. Albans, Melissa, is Julian’s mother. She is a “bigwig” and serves on the board of trustees at Beecher Prep. She is fiercely protective of Julian and tries to shelter him from any discomfort. When he has nightmares as a child, she tries to cheer him up and gets angry at other mothers for allowing the children to watch a movie that scared Julian. When Jack Will punches Julian, she tries to get Jack and Auggie removed from Beecher Prep. Her intensity embarrasses Julian, who doesn’t like it when she gets angry at waiters for messing up orders or tries to get Jack expelled.

Mrs. Albans’ intensity comes from a fierce defensiveness more than cruelty. She wants to remove Auggie from the class photo because it upsets Julian, not because she hates Auggie. Her protective nature genuinely helps others. When a child is hit by a car near the school, she leads the charge to get a traffic light installed. When she realizes that her warpath against Beecher Prep isn’t making Julian happy, she backs down.

Mr. Alban, who goes by “Jules,” is Julian’s father. He grew up in Paris and became a successful lawyer in New York City. Like his wife, Melissa, Jules wants to protect his son and family reputation. Mr. Albans also changes his mind about retaliating against the school. While he is not initially convinced by Julian, his mother chiding him for having a “brain like a cheese sandwich” (89) knocks sense into him. Jules drops his case against the school and encourages Julian for apologizing to Auggie.

Sara Albans, who Julian calls Grandmère, is Jules Alban’s mother. She lives in Paris and is not the “typical ‘grandma’ type” (63). She dresses fashionably and lives a more luxurious lifestyle, waking up late, taking hours to do her makeup, and enjoying culture and cuisine. Grandmère doesn’t shelter Julian. When she sees what Julian has done, she calls him out instead of rushing to defend him. While Grandmère is intense, she is not unkind. By vulnerably sharing her own story with Julian, she helps him see the error of his ways. When her son is more concerned with his legal case than Julian’s character, she helps him to reorient his priorities and help Julian.

Lisa and Angus Blake are Christopher’s parents. They are good friends with the Pullmans and lived in the same neighborhood before the Angus’s moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Blakes are recently separated, which puts strain on their son’s life. They both care about Christopher and want the best for him. Christopher feels that they have given up on their friendship. After Lisa is in a car accident, Blake takes care of her, and the two of them get along. Angus is attentive and falls asleep on a chair next to Lisa rather than in the guest room.

Mr. Tushman is the principal of Beecher Prep and appears in “The Julian Chapter” and “Shingaling.” Mr. Tushman prioritizes kindness and tries to instill its importance in his students. He sees the importance of giving students opportunities to be kind, even if it is awkward at first. He invites Jack, Julian, and Charlotte to welcome Auggie to Beecher Prep. He acknowledges that Auggie looks different from others but encourages them to “err on the side of kindness” (13) when they don’t know what to do. When Julian writes hurtful notes to Auggie, Mr. Tushman treats his students like they are mature and capable of greatness. Rather than demeaning Julian for his hurtful behavior, he encourages him to make things right. Charlotte appreciates that he “uses big words and assumes we understand them” (295).

Summer is briefly mentioned in “The Julian Chapter,” but is a more prominent character in “Shingaling.” Summer is a fifth-grade student at Beecher Prep who surprises everyone by sitting with Auggie Pullman on the first day of school. Her kindness is genuine and unassuming. While Charlotte is frustrated that Summer is regarded as a “saint,” she soon realizes that Summer isn’t trying to impress anyone—she is just acting out of integrity. Summer is authentic doesn’t changed based on what others think of her.

While it seems like Ximena is an antagonist at the beginning of “Shingaling,” she and Charlotte become friends, and both grow as characters. Ximena’s parents both work for the UN and they are very wealthy. Ximena is fluent in multiple languages and has the best grades of her class. Because Ximena’s family moves frequently, she is “always the new kid” (247). Ximena might be sassy, but she is also good natured. Ximena finds the courage to apologize to Maya for hurting her feelings. Ximena becomes more aware of others’ feelings, and in doing so, helps Charlotte become more conscientious as well. Despite starting off as an almost-antagonist, Ximena shows that most people mean the best and are kind once you get to know them.

Maya is one of Charlotte’s oldest friends. Maya sees the world in absolutes and does not understand some of the more nuanced social realities of middle school. Charlotte says that Maya “doesn’t have a clue how to read the social stuff” (269). For example, she doesn’t understand the difference between forced and genuine kindness. While Maya’s social awkwardness causes her to act without thinking, she doesn’t “give a hoot” (271) about what the popular kids think of her. Eventually, Ximena’s apology makes Maya realize that people are complex. Maya helps Charlotte realize the importance of loyalty over popularity.