Publishers Weekly
08/03/2015
Few first novels beget a franchise, but Palacio's Wonder (2012), about a boy with a severe facial deformity, is a phenomenon. A bestseller since publication, it has also spawned a standalone companion book, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts (2014). But despite requests from readers for a sequel, Palacio writes in her introduction to this collection of three previously released e-singles, "I can guarantee that... the de facto sequel will never be written." Instead she offers the back stories of three kids in Auggie Pullman's orbit, beginning with the "much-loathed" Julian, who suffers from nightmares and anxiety. Julian's story is the most didactic, but it will have classroom use as an "anatomy of a bully" lesson, suggesting that readers look behind a mean-spirited act to understand what drives it. Readers also spend time with Christopher, Auggie's best friend until his family moved to Connecticut, and Charlotte, a classmate chosen to help Auggie transition from homeschooling to fifth grade. Readers who wanted more about Auggie will flock to this. Ages 8–12. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Praise for 365 DAYS OF WONDER:
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
“Not only a companion to Wonder, but a wonder in itself.”
Praise for WONDER:
#1 New York Times bestseller
A School Library Journal Best of Children's Books
A Publishers Weekly Best of Children's Books
A Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books
A Booklist Best of Children's Books
"Wonder is essentially ... a wonder. It's well-written, engaging, and so much fun to read that the pages almost turn themselves. More than that, Wonder touches the heart in the most life-affirming, unexpected ways, delivering in August Pullman a character whom readers will remember forever. Do yourself a favor and read this book – your life will be better for it." - Nicholas Sparks, #1 New York Timesbestselling author
Slate.com:
"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year."
Entertainment Weekly:
"In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for."
The New York Times:
"Rich and memorable...It's Auggie and the rest of the children who are the real heart of 'Wonder,' and Palacio captures the voices of girls and boys, fifth graders and teenagers, with equal skill."
The Wall Street Journal:
"What makes R.J. Palacio's debut novel so remarkable, and so lovely, is the uncommon generosity with which she tells Auggie's story…The result is a beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation.”
The Huffington Post,
"It's in the bigger themes that Palacio's writing shines. This book is a glorious exploration of the nature of friendship, tenacity, fear, and most importantly, kindness."
"Full of heart, full of truth, Wonder is a book about seeing the beauty that's all around us. I dare you not to fall in love with Auggie Pullman."
- Rebecca Stead, Newbery award-winning author of When You Reach Me
"It is the deceptive simplicity and honesty of the work that make Wonder so memorable. Every single character seems real and well drawn and oh-so human...This book is beautiful." - Christopher Paul Curtis, Newbery award-winning author of Bud, Not Buddy
"A beautiful story of kindness and courage. There are many real and well-developed characters, and they each have their shining moments. Of course, Auggie shines the brightest." - Clare Vanderpool, Newbery award-winning author of Moon Over Manifest
"Wonder is a beautifully told story about heartache, love, and the value of human life. One comes away from it wanting to be a better person." - Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time Newbery honor-winning author of Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods
"Wonder is a shining jewel of a story that cannot help but encourage readers of all ages to do better, to be better, in how they treat others in life. I'm totally in love with this novel." - Trudy Ludwig, anti-bullying advocate and author of My Secret Bully, Confessions of a Former Bully, Better Than You, and Just Kidding
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly:
“Few first novels pack more of a punch: it's a rare story with the power to open eyes—and hearts—to what it's like to be singled out for a difference you can't control, when all you want is to be just another face in the crowd.”
Starred Review, Booklist:
“Palacio makes it feel not only effortless but downright graceful, and by the stand-up-and-cheer conclusion, readers will be doing just that, and feeling as if they are part of this troubled but ultimately warm-hearted community.”
Starred Review, School Library Journal:
"Palacio has an exceptional knack for writing realistic conversation and describing the thoughts and emotions of the characters...A well-written, thought-provoking book."
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews:
“A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.
SEPTEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
A different narrator performs each of three companion stories to Palacio’s beloved book, WONDER. Mike Chamberlain gives the most affecting performance in the first story, lending depth and authenticity to Julian, a kid who turns out to be more than a bully. Narrator Scott Merriman becomes Christopher, a boy who is coping with anger in the wake of a move and his parents’ separation. In the last story, Taylor Ann Krahn performs as Charlotte, who is trying navigate the new social complexities of middle school. Each story stands alone, even without the background of the earlier book, but the stories enrich each other, showing different perspectives of the same people and events. Funny, moving, and true to middle school, this production is worth repeat listening. A.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-08-31
In the companion novel to Wonder, (2012) three students at Beecher Prep middle school tell stories that connect with Auggie Pullman's dramatic arrival into their worlds. "Sometimes friendships are hard," and friendship with Auggie Pullman is a special challenge. He is different. He looks different, and that's not easy in middle school. He has a "severe craniofacial difference," facial features that, even after many surgeries over the years, look like "the drippings on the side of a candle." Now, Palacio zeros in on three characters: Julian, the bully; Auggie's oldest friend, Christopher; and Charlotte, the girl who is nice to Auggie but never especially friendly. Auggie is the common thread in their stories, but he's behind the scenes here, peripheral to their first-person narratives. Each character relates a story that includes an epiphany about friendship, family, and life. Auggie is the catalyst for transformations in their lives, but readers will see sides of characters Auggie never would have known. Originally published as short e-books, the stories are explorations of kindness, each character demonstrating how it takes bravery to be kind, how, in the tricky business of navigating new situations, "it's always better to err on the side of kindness." Not only a companion to Wonder, but a wonder in itself. (Fiction. 8-14)
