Why I think it's worth reading
1. It teaches empathy without preaching.
The book encourages you to imagine what it feels like to be the person everyone stares at. Instead of simply telling readers to be kind, it shows how small actions—sitting beside someone, including them in a conversation, or refusing to join in with bullying—can change another person's day.The story is told from several characters' perspectives, not only Auggie's. You learn that classmates, friends, and family members have their own insecurities, misunderstandings, and struggles. Someone can hurt another person without fully understanding the consequences, and people can grow beyond their worst decisions.
It makes kindness feel like a form of courage.
One of the book's central ideas is that being kind is not always easy. Sometimes it means standing up for someone when your friends might disapprove. That makes kindness more meaningful than simply being polite.5. It is a good book to read with your child eventually.
Since you have a young daughter, I think this is a book you might enjoy sharing with her when she is older. At three, she would be too young for the full novel, but you could introduce its ideas through picture books about friendship, differences, and including others.