What are some characteristic signposts for the first 10 chapters?

By "characteristic signposts," I assume you mean places in which life or circumstances change for the main character.
The biggest transformation that happens for August Pullman in the first ten chapters (it must be noted that this book is not broken down into numbered chapters) is that he learns that his parents want him to start going to a regular school for the first time.
August has been home-schooled most of his life due to his facial deformation, so his parents decide that it is time for him to experience school, and in the first section of the book, he goes on a tour of Beecher Prep and gets to meet some of the kids who will be in his class, despite the fact that it is still the summer holidays.