A vibrant theater scene is one of the perks of living in the Boston area, and American Repertory Theater (A. R. T.) in Cambridge is often a great place to catch shows when they’re brand-new. Recently, I attended a performance of Wonder, a new musical adaptation of R. J. Palacio’s 2012 middle-grade novel (which, speaking of the Boston area, I remember flying off the shelves during my Brookline Booksmith bookseller days).

Wonder is the story of Auggie, who has a craniofacial difference and has always been homeschooled. When he attends a mainstream school for the first time, the responses of the school community range from welcoming him to bullying him. The musical, with songs by A Great Big World, includes plenty of humor amid the more serious themes of exclusion, acceptance, and “the way we see” — and plenty of moments for the talented cast members, both adults and kids, to shine.

Wonder is playing through February 15. Check it out!