>>> SHE WAS TAKING HER KIDS FOR ICE CREAM AND CAME ACROSS A
CHILD WITH A FACIAL DIFFERENCE. AND SHE STARTED THINKING, WHAT
WOULD IT BE LIKE TO FACE A WORLD THAT DOESN'T WANT TO FACE YOU
BACK. >> SO, SHE WROTE A BOOK CALLED
"WONDER." >> R.J. IS HERE ALONGSIDE DAVEED
DIGGS WHO PLAYS A TEACHER IN THE FILM.
BUT FIRST, KIDS TALK ABOUT BULLYING AND KINDNESS IN THEIR
OWN WORDS. >> I HAVE SEEN KIDS BEING MEAN
TO EACH OTHER. >> SOME TIMES KIDS ARE MEAN BY
HITTING PEOPLE. >> SOME KIDS CALL KIDS DWEEBS,
NERDS, ANNOYING. >> SOMETIMES KIDS CALL EACH
OTHER WEIRD AND DISGUSTING. >> A LOT OF MY CLASSMATES ARE
MEAN.
>> WHEN I SEE KIDS BEING MEAN, I FEEL SAD.
>> I WOULD MIKE A DIFFERENCE BY MAKING NEW FRIENDS.
>> IF THEY SEE A BULLY, THEY COULD TELL A TEACHER OR A
PARENT. >> ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO BE KIND
AND NICE. >> I LIKE THEM TO BE HAPPY.
>> I LIKE TO BE NICE TO KIDS SO THEY CAN BE NICE BACK.
TO ME. >> I WANT EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD
TO BE HAPPY. >> YOU LOVE HEARING IT IN THE
KIDS' WORDS. DAVEED AND R.J., NICE TO HAVE
YOU HERE. THIS WAS A BOOK FOR YOUR KIDS.
>> I WAS AT AN ICE CREAM STORE. AND MY SON GOT AFRAID.
AND I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THE BEST WAY TO MEET ANY DIFFERENCE IN
ANY HUMAN BEING WITH ALWAYS WITH KINDNESS FIRST.
AND THAT PROMPTED ME TO START WRITING THE BOOK.
>> AND IT TURNS INTO THIS NOVEL. DID YOU EXPECT IT TO BECOME WHAT
IT IS? >> GOSH, NO.
WHEN I WAS WRITING IT, I WONDERED IF IT WOULD GET
PUBLISHED, MUCH LESS IT WOULD BECOME WHAT IT WOULD BECOME.
IT'S BEEN ONE SURPRISE AFTER ANOTHER.
>> DAVEED, WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS ROLE?
>> THE BOOK SO IS WONDERFUL. I WAS SENT THE IDEA OF THE
SCRIPT. IT BLEW MY MIND.
AND READING THE SCREENPLAY, IT MANAGED TO CAPTURE THE SWEETNESS
IN THE BOOK AND DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT IT DOE DOES SO
WONDERFULLY. TELL THE STORY THROUGH THIS
CHILD'S EYES. AND IT REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE
LESSON IN EMPATHY. AND IT'S SOMETHING I WANTED TO
BE A PART OF. THE FIRST THING I DID AFTER
"HAMILTON" WOULD BE THIS FILM. >> THE BOOK IS BEING A CLASSROOM
INITIATIVE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?
>> TEACHERS HAVE BEEN -- THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE RESONATES
DEEPLY WITH TEACHERS. IT IS A STORY ABOUT KINDNESS.
AND TEACHERS USE THAT STORY TO TEACH COMPASSION AND EMPATHY,
ALL OF THE THICKS THAT THEY WANT TO LEARN.
THEY USE IT TO HELP GUIDE THEIR DISCUSSIONS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL WAY TO GUIDE THE DISCUSSIONS IN
CLASSROOMS WITH THE STUDENTS. >> NO KNOW THAT R.J., WITH THE
BOOK, AND DAVEED, WITH THE FILM, YOU'RE LEAVING A MARK, MAKING A
CHANGE. THAT HAS TO BE AN AMAZING
FEELING. >> IT'S VERY HUMBLING, I HAVE TO
ADMIT. IT'S IMPACTED PEOPLE AND
INSPIRED CHILDREN TO WANT TO BE KINDER TO ONE ANOTHER.
IT'S REALLY HUMBLING. I'M CONSTANTLY AMAZED.
>> I USED TO BE A TEACHER, AS WELL.
TO GET TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK THEY'RE DOING EVERY DAY,
TEACHING IS SO DIFFICULT AND UNDERAPPRECIATED.
AND SO, THE FACT THAT I GET TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT
TEACHERS ARE GOING TO USE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, IS REALLY
EXCITING. >> AND DAVEED PLAYS MR. BROWN,
WHO IS INSPIRED BY MY HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER.
IT'S ALL COMING AROUND. >> YOU'RE REALLY MAKING A
DIFFERENCE. AND "WONDER" HITS THEATERS,