White Bird: A Wonder Story

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Soon to be a major motion picture, starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson! 

Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon Wonder, R. J. Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with an unforgettable, Sydney Taylor Book Award-winning story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war. And don’t miss the author’s highly anticipated new novel, Pony, available September 2021!

“I was captivated by White Bird. It tells the hardest truths with honesty and calm (so that young readers can hear them). R.J. Palacio brings to life the nature of heroism and the real risks we face today.”—Meg Medina, Newbery award-winning author of Mercy Suarez Changes Gears

In R. J. Palacio’s bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian’s grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère’s heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.

Sara’s harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, “It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything.” With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Sara’s story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message.

Praise for Wonder:

#1 New York Times bestseller

USA Today bestseller

Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time

“In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can’t help but root for.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Rich and memorable.”—The New York Times

“A beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation.”—The Wall Street Journal

Story Locale: France

About the Author

R. J. Palacio lives in New York City with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. For more than twenty years, she was an art director and graphic designer, designing book jackets for other people while waiting for the perfect time in her life to start writing her own novel. But one day several years ago, a chance encounter with an extraordinary child in front of an ice cream store made R.J. realize that the perfect time to write that novel had finally come. Wonder is her first novel. She did not design the cover, but she sure does love it. Her other books include 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, and We’re All Wonders. Learn more about her at rjpalacio.com or on Twitter at @RJPalacio.

Author Residence: Brooklyn, NY

Author Hometown: Queens, NY