Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

Feeling disconnected from her heritage as the only Indian-American student in her community, young Reha commits herself to a future different from her dreams when her mother becomes dangerously ill.