Wonder is a middle-grade novel by R.J. Palacio, first published in 2012. The story is centered on August "Auggie" Pullman, a boy living with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by deformities of the ears, eyes, cheekbones, and chin that has left him with a facial difference. Auggie's condition has largely kept him out of mainstream schooling until the fifth grade, when he enrolls at Beecher Prep, longing for a typical middle-school experience and to be treated like a normal kid.
The book is narrated from multiple perspectives, beginning with Auggie’s viewpoint and expanding to include those of his classmates, his older sister Via, Via’s boyfriend, and total strangers. This multi-faceted approach illustrates the wide-ranging impact of Auggie’s journey and highlights themes of empathy, prejudice, bullying, and friendship. Despite the initial struggles and cruelty Auggie faces, his resilience and good humor inspire a shift in those around him, prompting reflections on the power of compassion, kindness, and hope.
A New York Times and USA Today bestseller, Wonder has been recognized with several awards, including the 2014 Maine Student Book Award, Vermont 's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, the 2015 Mark Twain Readers Award, Hawaii 's 2015 Nene Award, and the Junior Young Reader's Choice Award. The novel inspired the #Choose Kind movement, urging kids to embrace the message that it’s more important to be kind than right, and was adapted into a major motion picture, featuring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, released in 2017. It also led to a series of stories giving voice to the various characters in Auggie’s story and a spinoff film based on Palacio’s graphic novel White Bird. Through Auggie Pullman's journey, Wonder affirms the importance of self-acceptance while encouraging readers to look beyond physical appearances to see the person within.
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About the author
R. J. Palacio
R.J. Palacio (a pen name for Raquel Jaramillo) is a bestselling author of books for young readers. She is best known for her widely celebrated middle-grade novel Wonder (2012), which captures the challenges and triumphs of a boy born with facial differences. Inspired by the response to Wonder, she went on to write Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories; 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts; White Bird; and We're All Wonders, an illustrated book aimed at a younger audience.
Before turning to writing, Palacio had a successful career in publishing as a graphic designer and art director. She worked on the cover art for books by acclaimed authors such as Paul Auster, Thomas Pynchon, Sue Grafton, and Salman Rushie, among others. Born to Colombian immigrant parents and raised in New York City, she attended the High School of Art and Design, followed by the Parsons School of Design, where she majored in illustration. In addition to Wonder and its spin-offs, she has written and illustrated children’ s picture books under her full name, Raquel Jaramillo Palacio. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their two sons.
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