More Information & Critical Reviews
R.J. Palacio was born July 13, 1963 in New York City, is a veteran art director and book-jacket designer who has transitioned into writing children’s books. Her first novel, Wonder, debuted in 2012 and reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. Though her real name is Raquel Jaramillo, she wrote in under the pen name R.J. Palacio.
Palacio was writing Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope: Being the Story of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and the Rise of the Rebellion, a young-readers retelling of the original Star Wars film. However, due to scheduling conflicts, she was forced to withdraw from the project. She was replaced by Alexandra Bracken. Less than two weeks after Palacio’s exit, the project was relisted as simply A New Hope Illustrated Novel. The project was eventually retitled A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy. The main character in Palacio’s novel Wonder is obsessed with Star Wars.
#1 New York Times bestseller
USA Today bestseller
Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time
New York Times Book Review Notable Book
Washington Post Best Kids’ Book
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
‘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, Publishers Weekly
‘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, Booklist
‘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, School Library Journal
‘A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.’ Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.