Wonder is a children's novel by Raquel Jaramillo, under the pen name of R. J. Palacio,[3] published on February 14, 2012.
Palacio was compelled to write Wonder after fearing that her younger son (who at the time was three years old) would react badly after noticing a girl with facial birth defects was sitting beside him as they were waiting in line to buy ice cream. Palacio attempted to remove her son from the situation so as not to upset her or the girl's family but ended up only intensifying the situation. Natalie Merchant's song "Wonder" had her realize that the incident could teach a valuable lesson. Palacio was inspired by Merchant's lyrics and she began writing.[4] The book has a released spin-off, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Brown's Book
Palacio was compelled to write Wonder after fearing that her younger son (who at the time was three years old) would react badly after noticing a girl with facial birth defects was sitting beside him as they were waiting in line to buy ice cream. Palacio attempted to remove her son from the situation so as not to upset her or the girl's family but ended up only intensifying the situation. Natalie Merchant's song "Wonder" had her realize that the incident could teach a valuable lesson. Palacio was inspired by Merchant's lyrics and she began writing.[4] The book has a released spin-off, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Brown's Book