R.J. Palacio Books In Order

Publication Order of Wonder Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

A novelist and a graphic designer, the American writer R.J. Palacio has been writing for a number of years now to much acclaim, with a huge audience worldwide eagerly awaiting each novel, as she writes critically well received children’s literature. With her full name of Raquel Jaramillo, she also writes under the pen-names of Raquel J. Palacio and, most commonly, R.J. Palacio, which has helped her make her name on the literary scene. Perhaps best known for her 2012 children’s novel ‘Wonder’, she is soon to see a big-screen adaptation of the book, with an all-star Hollywood cast leading the film.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1963 on the 13th of July, Raquel J. Palacio was born and raised in the area of Queens in New York City, in the United States. Growing up in the city, she harbored a keen interest in both reading and writing from a very early age, something which she nurtured throughout the years. Taking in inspiration from her surrounding environment, she was able to harness her skills as a writer from the outset, right up until she became a writer full-time.

Growing up she not only had a strong passion for authors such as Judy Blume, but she also held a particular interest in graphic design. Educated in both literature and design, she would go on to create book covers for many a famous author prior to becoming one herself. With her education as well, she was able to gradually craft her own unique voice over the years that would stand out from the rest.

As a graphic-designer she worked for such authors as Salman Rushdie and Sue Grafton, before moving on to her own titles. Employed by the company ‘Workman’ for some time, she served as the children’s director of publishing there f or a long period. This not only gave her an insight into her own style, but into the industry as a whole, specifically the children’s literature market.

Still writing to this very day, she continues to put out stories at a regular pace, most of which surround her initial novel ‘Wonder’. She has also been known to work for others, such as Disney, whereby she incorporated her love of the Star Wars franchise into her career, putting out an official novel in 2015. Writing full-time, she lives with her husband and two sons, still writing and creating, something which will continue for some time yet.

Writing Career

Bringing out her first novel ‘Wonder’ in 2012, she soon built a franchise around the initial book, which quickly spawned an entire industry. This also helped to establish her style and her tone for the many readers worldwide who rapidly congregated around her work. Not only that, but it helped create a series that spoke on a universal level, with many people from all corners of the globe finding something in her work.

This series has not only introduced her to the reading public at large, but it’s also paved the way for a big-screen adaptation as well. Know stranger to the field of children’s literature, largely due to her time working at ‘Workman’ publishers, she’s clearly adept at the genre. With a clear understanding of her audience, she is able to speak to them in a way that definitely manages to resonate with them.

Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Best Middle Grade and Children’s literature, along with the Carnegie Medal, she’s not without her fair share of critical acclaim as well. Reaching the top of the best-seller’s list, she has garnered both critical and commercial success in equal measure. This has all provided her with acclaim both nationally and internationally, as she’s drawn in a global audience.

Visiting schools and engaging in public speaking, she is always keeping herself active and busy, with a whole variety of different events taking place. Whether it be in a place of education or a library, she is always accommodating when it comes to both her and her work. This is something she has proven over the years, ever since the release of her first book with all the subsequent attention it’s brought.

With the big-screen treatment of her novel Wonder arriving in the cinema soon, it doesn’t appear that she’s going to be stopping for a while yet. Showing a lot of room to potentially add to her backlog of work and expand on her Wonder franchise, the story definitely has a lot of room to grow. This is something that’s not stopping any time soon for sure, as her writing career goes from strength-to-strength.

Wonder

Originally brought out through the Knopf publishing label, this was initially released in 2014 on the 14th of February, as it marked the debut of R.J. Palacio as an author. Setting up the main character of August ‘Auggie’ Pullman, it manages to establish who he is, introducing him for the franchise that is to follow. It also provides a deeply engaging narrative that comes together, whilst also simultaneously leaving room to expand upon it later on.

Born with a facial deformity, ten year old August ‘Auggie’ Pullman is a young boy who’s just about to start 5th grade, despite never having attended mainstream school before. This then leads to a set of challenges, as his classmates learn to deal with superficial differences, whilst Auggie must deal with their impending judgement. Underneath it all, he’s just like any other kid, as he’s bright and fun, and it’s his character that shines through, but it’s his classmates that must overcome their initial prejudices. Will he be accepted? Can he become a part of the group? What will everyone wonder?

Wonder Stories

Following on from her 2012 novel ‘Wonder’, Jaramillo has also written a number of follow-up works, in the form of short stories and supplementary chapters. From ‘The Julian Chapter’ in 2014, to ‘Auggie and Me’ in 2015, she’s continually adding to the narrative and developing it. This also helps to further the characters within the novels, providing different perspectives on the main narrative arc.

With her 2014 novella ‘The Julian Chapter’ she added an extra level of depth to the character of Julian, who was seen as a somewhat nasty character in the main novel. Bringing out her collection of three short-stories as spin-offs from the main story too, she later released ‘Auggie and Me’ in 2015. That same year she also brought out ‘Pluto’, which again looked at the character of Auggie, as it further developed the idea of friendship and the bonds established whilst young. There’s a number of other additions to the overall franchise, such as ‘365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts’. Building upon the initial story, the franchise has become a rich and varied tapestry. With more to come, along with a film, it appears there’s plenty more Wonder stories still.