Wonder Books In Order

Publication Order of Wonder Books

Generating a large amount of publicity worldwide thanks to her smash hit sensation ‘Wonder’, the American author RJ Palacio is a highly regarded writer of children’s fiction. Everyone of her fans has found something to relate to within this series of extremely inspirational and entertaining novels. Other stories have also come out based on the original novel ‘Wonder’ as well, which include the stories of individual characters from the first book. Reaching a global audience, Palacio has written something that has said something profound about growing up, as her characters find their place in the world. Generally this has received favorable reviews from both the critics and the general public alike, managing to speak directly to the reader on an almost personal level. Eventually reaching the big-screen in 2017 as well, it really is a testament to the original creation of RJ Palacio as an author. All of this surrounds the character of August, or ‘Auggie’, Pullman, as he must come to terms with a facial deformity, something which has prevented him from school up until the fifth grade. Not letting any of this hold him back, he is determined to live life as an ordinary kid, despite what others may think of him. Dealing with the prejudices of the community at large, he initially hides from the world behind a large costume space helmet.

After some time though, he manages to come out of his shell, all whilst coping with the difficulties that face him, such as bullying and ignorance. Looking into the lives of the surrounding characters too, it manages to provide a balanced view of the community as a whole, from Auggie’s sister to his classmates. It also manages to say something wholly original about how people struggle to deal with differences, and how they overcome all. Creating an incisive portrayal of the American elementary school system quite unlike any other, it really manages to bring a fresh perspective to the table. Each of the stories and characters coming from the original novel has its own unique outlook, as the series finds a larger audience every day, something that will carry on for many years to come.

With the one main 2012 novel titled ‘Wonder’, the rest of the series largely consists of extra stories and spin-off titles from the original novel. This includes the ‘Auggie and Me: Three Wonder Stories’ 2015 collection, collating novels 1.5, ‘The Julian Chapter’ in 2014, 1.6 ‘Pluto’ in 2015, and 1.7 ‘Shingaling’ in 2016. Alongside these were also the titles ‘365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts’ in 2014, collecting a total of 365 real-life inspirational quotes from the character of the teacher Mr. Browne, as well as ‘We’re All Wonders’ in 2017, which was a children’s picture book retelling of the original novel for younger readers. It was in 2017 that the big-screen adaptation of the film arrived as well, directed by Stephen Chbosky, and starring Owen Wilson with Jacob Tremblay in the lead role as August Pullman. This was received with great acclaim as well, as it would gain a large number of favorable reviews, becoming a box-office success in its own right. More subsequent books have have come out based upon the original title as well in recent years, as its legacy continues to live on.

Wonder

The first book in the series, this is the book that people start with when finding their way into the franchise, with everything spawning from here. Originally published in 2012, it was first released on the 14th of February in 2012, with it first coming out through the Knopf publishing outlet. This would establish the series as a whole, setting up the general tone and themes of the books to follow, along with introducing the character for the first time too.

Following the character of August ‘Auggie’ Pullman, it sees him leaving his comfort zone for the first time, as he has grown up hidden from the world with a unique facial deformity from birth. This has meant he has been home-schooled right up until the fifth grade, all whilst hiding himself beneath a space helmet costume. Now he must deal with the community at large and, in turn, they must come to terms with him, along with their own prejudices, as they search for compassion and understanding. How will they all see him? Can he overcome the difficulties that await him? What will they all wonder?

Auggie and Me: Three Wonder Stories

Comprised of three smaller novellas, this is a compendium of them all, as it collates the stories of three of the supporting characters from the main novel. Featuring Julian, Pluto and Charlotte, it looks at the original story from their perspectives, providing an alternative view of what happened. First brought out on the 18th of August in 2015, this was initially published through the ‘Corgi Childrens’ imprint.

The first story features Julian, or ‘The Julian Chapter’, as it features the perspective of the bully, taking a look into why he did what he did and if he has a chance for redemption. In the second story, ‘Pluto’, it follow the character of Auggie’s best friend Christopher and their friendship, along with all its ups and downs. Lastly the third title, ‘Shingaling’, takes a look at Charlotte, as she attempts to navigate the social mores and cliques of school, trying to be kind to Auggie, whilst also not wanting to draw attention to herself, but, in the end, ultimately wanting to do the right thing. All together, these three stories really compliment the original novel, giving it whole other level, whilst also rewarding long-term fans of the series too.

The Wonder Series

An entertaining, touching and highly profound series of novels, this manages to capture the essence of growing up and overcoming difficult obstacles. Emotional, upbeat, life-affirming, it’s series of books that really has it all, whilst also having a good sense-of-humor about it too. This goes some way towards how it has come to be one of the most successful children’s series of all time, achieving a bestselling status worldwide. Reaching children of all backgrounds, regardless of where they’re from, it really is a collection of stories that speaks on a multitude of different levels. Managing to inspire and entertain in equal measure, the series, along with the cinematic adaptation, will continue to build its legacy for a long time yet.