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Wonder

Biały ptak

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From the bestselling author of Wonder comes White Bird: an unforgettable Second World War story about bravery, friendship and the power of kindness.

Sara Blum lives an idyllic life with her adoring parents in Vichy France. But her world comes crashing down when the Nazi occupation separates the family and forces the young Jewish girl into hiding. Her classmate Julien and his family will risk everything to ensure her survival, and, together, Sara and Julien manage to find beauty in a secret world of their creation.

Originally published as a graphic novel, and featuring characters from the multi-million-copy-bestselling phenomenon Wonder, Sara and Julien's powerful, heartbreaking and timeless story is told here for the first time as a novel, and shows the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives in the darkest of times.

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2023

233 people are currently reading
949 people want to read

About the author

R.J. Palacio

29 books7,908 followers
R.J. Palacio lives in NYC 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.

Raquel J. Palacio / R. J. Palacio is a pseudonym of: Raquel Jaramillo

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5 stars
786 (58%)
4 stars
436 (32%)
3 stars
94 (7%)
2 stars
16 (1%)
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3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Profile Image for Jasmine from How Useful It Is.
1,675 reviews381 followers
April 17, 2025
I didn't know this story was about the war in France. The Nazi was rounding up the Jews and the Jews were being barred from shops and schools.. sad.. This story is just what I needed. I don't understand crimes against humanity and the hate on Jews. I enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book.. a further explanation about the story and how Germany blames their problems on the Jews and killed millions of Jews. Now I understand when people mentioned antisemitism..

This story talked about Julian's grandma. A story of her growing up and going to school during the war. Her classmate helped her evade the Nazi and hid her at his farmhouse. This classmate who had polio that left him crippled. She and her friends made fun of him and laughed behind his back. She sat by him in class but hadn't spoken to him before.. until she accidentally dropped her notebook and he returned to her and later offered his help to avoid the Nazis.. his whole family risked their lives to help her.

I read Wonder from the author years ago and loved it. I read the picture book version for my toddler and loved it. This story is excellent for kids and everyone!

Thank you PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook!
Profile Image for Stephanie Fitzgerald.
1,209 reviews
October 13, 2024
Last year, I happened upon the book, “Wonder”, by R.J. Palacio. After finishing it, and then falling in love with the movie adaptation also, I knew I had found a favorite new author! Soon after, I read the sequel, the graphic novel, “White Bird”, and couldn’t give it enough stars! My excitement skyrocketed when I found out that a movie adaptation of Bird was in the works. So I waited, and waited, reading about movie productions being delayed because of strikes. And, waited some more…
Yesterday, I went with my husband to see, finally, the production of “White Bird”! It more than fulfilled my expectations; it is, hands down, one of the top movies I’ve ever seen. I’ll be recommending it to everyone I can make listen.
Today, I devoured the novel, which I had purchased at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in D.C. I had waited to read it until after I watched the movie. It too, deserved many more than five stars, because it’s one of the best historical fiction books written of all time, in my opinion.
But please, don’t just take my word for it. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the entire series of “Wonder”- related books, and the two movies, if you haven’t already discovered them. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed, or remain unchanged from the experience…
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 129)-“I knew he (Vincent) was wrong, but his insult was like a seed that took root, sprouting little tendrils of self-doubt. Maybe I wasn’t a good artist? Maybe I wasn’t a good anything? I knew the Nazis weren’t right about me; they didn’t even know me! But deep inside I worried:What if they were?”
This book needs to be in every classroom, everywhere.
Profile Image for Reading_ Tamishly.
5,301 reviews3,472 followers
November 12, 2023
Love the book. Love the characters and the writing.

However, most parts of the plot appeared to be quite convenient for our main characters. But yes, the book is so wonderful.

I just didn’t like the illustrations. They seem lazy and not edited.
Profile Image for Anna.
251 reviews14 followers
February 8, 2024
Na początku miałam trochę problem z tą książką. Jej dialogi wydawały mi się urywane i infantylne. Jednak zaczęłam sobie uświadamiać, że to lektura dla młodszego czytelnika i muszę ją oceniać w innych kategoriach.
Ostatecznie podobała mi się i uważam ją za wartościową jako książka młodzieżowa. Szanuję za słowniczek na końcu książki, który wyjaśnia wiele ważnych zagadnień, których czytelnik nie zna i znać jeszcze nie musi bo jest dzieckiem.
Profile Image for Jola (czytanienaplatanie).
1,051 reviews44 followers
February 29, 2024
Film czy książka? Mieliście już okazję przeczytać powieść „Biały ptak” lub obejrzeć jej ekranizację? Film wszedł do kin 2 lutego 2024 roku, a książką w polskim przekładzie możemy cieszyć się od 24 stycznia. I co ciekawe, R. J. Palacio znana z „Cudownego chłopaka” stworzyła ją najpierw w formie graficznej, a dopiero na jej podstawie urodziła się ta poruszająca historia napisana przez Ericę S. Perl.

W tej łapiącej za serce i niesłychanie wartościowej książce o przyjaźni, poświęceniu i bohaterstwie z gatunku literatury pięknej udajemy się w podróż do współczesnego Nowego Jorku i dotkniętej wojną Francji. Główna bohaterka, Sara, dzieli się ze swoim wnukiem, Julianem, przeżyciami z czasów dzieciństwa przerwanego wybuchem II wojny światowej.

Wyjątkowo wzrusza narracja prowadzona z perspektywy żydowskiej dziewczynki zmuszonej, by ukrywać się z obawy o swoje życie. Dziewczynki, która trwa jedynie dzięki wsparciu i bohaterstwie ludzi gotowych ryzykować wszystko, by sprzeciwić się złu. Odczuwałam ciepło na sercu czytając o przyjaźni Sary z chłopcem, którego rodzina przyjęła ją pod swój dach i przerażenie poziomem wrogości społecznej, okrucieństwem i aktami zdrady, kładącymi na szali czyjeś życie.

"Zło zostanie powstrzymane tylko wtedy, gdy dobrzy ludzie postanowią położyć mu kres."

Autorka pisze bardzo obrazowo i z łatwością można wczuć się w sytuację bohaterki za sprawą bogatych opisów, dynamicznych dialogów, ale również dzięki zamieszczonym ilustracjom dodającym wyrazistości opowieści. Odrobina realizmu magicznego idealnie oddaje bezmiar dziecięcej fantazji, która pozwala przetrwać najtrudniejszy czas i przenieść się na skrzydłach ptaka, by stać się niemym świadkiem bolesnych zdarzeń.

„Biały ptak” to nie tylko opowieść o tragicznej przeszłości, ale też przestroga przed jej powtórzeniem, a tematy w niej poruszane pozostają nadal tak bardzo aktualne i uniwersalne. Przeciwstawianie się ksenofobii i uprzedzeniom we współczesnym świecie jest równie ważne jak przed laty, a na tym polu pozostaje ciągle tak wiele do zrobienia. Jeśli jednak chcemy, by świat się zmienił musimy zacząć od siebie samych.

"Nie błędy o nas świadczą, lecz to, czego się na nich uczymy".

Powieść nie tylko dotyka serca czytelnika, ale też skłania ku refleksji i zarówno młodsi, jak i starsi czytelnicy znajdą w niej wiele tematów do przemyśleń.
Profile Image for LosingHope.
253 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2024
Kocham i nienawidzę zarazem całym sercem 😭 zdecydowanie 5/5⭐️
Profile Image for Caleb Avendano.
227 reviews3 followers
May 18, 2025
Experience the emotional journey of 'White Bird: A Wonder Story', which delves into the extraordinary life of Julian's grandmother in Nazi-occupied France during World War II and her remarkable story of survival and hope, thanks to one brave boy and his family.

This story was so captivating it brought me to tears. Sara Blum, a young Jewish girl, lived a fairytale life until the Nazi occupation of France forced her into hiding. Luckily, Julian Beaumier, a brave boy who had is bullied for walking with crutches after suffering from polio, and his family rescued her. As Sara and Julian spent more time together, their friendship blossomed into something more.

The story brought back memories of 'The Diary of Anne Frank', a heart-wrenching tale that exposed the cruelty and prejudice that exists in our world. Unfortunately, the narrative also highlights how history is doomed to repeat itself, given the parallels between the past and present. On a more uplifting note, Julian's journey towards redemption offers a glimmer of hope.

This story is a masterful blend of heartbreak and hope, with a realistic and impactful narrative that will leave you breathless. Its themes of kindness and bravery are beautifully woven throughout.
Profile Image for Elizabeth☮ .
1,821 reviews14 followers
December 5, 2023
Julian is from the world of Palacio's juggernaut Wonder. Honestly, I don't recall his role in that book, but I do like where this story picks up.

Julian is struggling in his new school and his grandmother believes sharing her life story will help him learn from his mistake of being mean to Auggie.

This tells the story of Julien's grandmother, Sara. Sara lives in France during WWII in the Free Zone. But, she is not reassured that her family will not be safe from the horrors of the war. Her days changes when she is taken out of class, along with all of her Jewish classmates, and told to run into the forest. Sara makes a choice and finds herself relying on the niceness of her classmate Julien.

Sara and her friends have always avoided Julien who is on crutches because he had polio and whose father works for the sewer systems, so his family is seen as dirty.

Julien gives Sara a safe place to hide and what unfolds is a beautiful friendship and a forming of family.

I liked how the story unfolded and incorporates Sara's love of drawing. I loved Julien's family and the risks they are willing to take to shelter Sara.

I felt the ending rushed it a bit, but Palacio gave lots of notes in the back which I appreciated.

Profile Image for Krista-Marie Linegar.
209 reviews3 followers
Read
October 9, 2025
I read this book because my niece wanted me to read it then watch the movie. The book was good I’m excited to talk to her about it. I’ll probably watch the movie this weekend
Profile Image for Kinsley.
4 reviews1 follower
June 1, 2025
I love this story, it made me cry. And I love the message about not forgetting the past. Over all this was amazing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Marci Laevens.
299 reviews6 followers
August 17, 2025
4.5 I loved this book. Same vibes as “Not Nothing”. Highly recommend. Now I’ve got to go watch the movie!
Profile Image for Jennifer Sakash.
1,174 reviews29 followers
November 1, 2023
Difficult but beautiful story. I wanted to read before seeing the new movie with Helen Mirren.
Profile Image for Megin (sharing_my_shelves).
281 reviews10 followers
June 1, 2025
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is a beautifully written introduction to the Holocaust for middle grade readers. A gentle ease into the horror of those times, and how important it is to stand up for what you know in your heart is wrong. I love how the author melds this lesson into our everyday lives.
Profile Image for PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps .
2,741 reviews251 followers
December 5, 2023
RJ Palacio tells the story of a girl in hiding during the holocaust in a manner that’s appropriate for all ages. Children too young to understand THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. WHITE BIRD is part of the WONDER series; the tale of Julian’s grandmother, a French Jew hidden from Nazis by a classmate and his family.

First told in graphic novel form WHITE BIRD goes deeper as a novel and was inspired by an upcoming movie, which I cannot wait to see.

WHITE BIRD should be part of every classroom, read and discussed as any chapter book. Adults even without children will also find the story endearing and bittersweet.
Profile Image for Momentansicht.
150 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2025
Ein Buch über das Nicht-Vergessen!

 
Sara lebt eine glückliche Kindheit in den 30er Jahren in Frankreich. 1943: die Nazis haben ihr Heimatland besetzt, doch für Sara geht das Leben erstmal wie gewohnt weiter, der Krieg scheint weit weg zu sein.

Doch dann, ein Tag im April, sieht sie, wie deutsche Soldaten alle jüdischen Kinder ihrer Schule wegbringen. Sie kann sich verstecken und wird nicht entdeckt. Doch sie weiß nicht, wohin sie jetzt gehen kann. Hilfe bekommt sie von unerwarteter Seite: ihr Mitschüler Julien, den sie zuvor gehänselt hat, nimmt sie mit zu sich nach Hause. Seine Familie nimmt sie unbefangen auf und versteckt sie allen Gefahren zum Trotz.

Die Rahmenhandlung des Buches ist eine Fortsetzung zum Buch „Wunder“ der Autorin. Aber es steht für sich alleine und „Wunder“ muss man nicht gelesen. Für Fans wie mich allerdings ist es ein schöner Querverweis.

„White Bird“ ist eine sehr bewegende Geschichte, die heraussticht. Am Ende des Buches gibt es einen mehrseitigen Anhang, den zu lesen lohnt! Ebenso gibt es eine hervorragende Graphic Novel dazu und verfilmt wurde das Buch auch bereits.

Ein wirklich sehr wichtiges und herausragendes Buch, große Leseempfehlung. Auch als Schullektüre sehr gut geeignet.

R. J. Palacio erzählt von Krieg und Freundschaft und Liebe. Aber vor allem erzählt sie von Menschlichkeit und Mitgefühl in düsteren Zeiten.

Übersetzung aus dem Englischen von André Mumot.
Profile Image for Maleika.
27 reviews
March 30, 2023
In “White Bird - Wie ein Vogel” wird die Geschichte eines jüdischen Mädchens namens Sara erzählt, welches während dem zweiten Weltkrieg von der Familie ihres Klassenkameraden Julien versteckt wird. Und das, obwohl sie in der Schule nie etwas dagegen getan hat, wenn Julien für seine Behinderung gemobbt wurde.
Als ihr Enkel sie für ein Schulprojekt nach ihrer Vergangenheit fragt, erzählt sie ihm von ihrer Zeit im Versteck, und von der Freundschaft, die sich zwischen ihr und Julien entwickelt hatte.

Grundsätzlich ist es eine schöne Geschichte, auf der emotionalen Ebene passiert für den Leser allerdings leider wenig.
Das Problem liegt im Erzählstil der Autorin: die gesamte Geschichte ist auf die wichtigsten Ereignisse und Erinnerungen von Sara begrenzt und wirkt dadurch sehr abgehackt und knapp.
Ich persönlich fand außerdem sehr störend, dass ständig das Motiv von Vögeln als Metapher für Freiheit verwendet wird - meiner Meinung nach kommt es einfach viel zu oft vor und verliert so relativ schnell an Bedeutsamkeit.

Was mir an dem Buch sehr gefallen hat war, dass am Ende der Kapitel immer total schön illustrierte Bilder von Szenen aus dem Buch sind.
Außerdem werden Werte von Menschlichkeit und Vergebung vermittelt, und was ich auch sehr schön finde ist, dass Sara sich im Laufe des Buches weiterentwickelt und frühere Fehler eingesteht.
Profile Image for Sarah Mills.
133 reviews
June 19, 2025
This is a wonderful story to introduce older children/young teens to the horrors of the holocaust. I believe it’s important for children to learn about this history, as tragic as it was, and for children to develop compassion and empathy for others. This book teaches about the importance of kindness and courage to stand up for the oppressed/discriminated, which we desperately need in today’s world! I will probably read this story to my children and discuss it with them when they get a little older.
Profile Image for Katherine Mali.
55 reviews
October 19, 2024
Yet again, I cry. This is a beautiful novel and one that perfectly transports me into the mind of a young teen experiencing life in hiding during the Holocaust. I appreciated the way Palacios and Perl portrayed the mundanity of life in spite of WWII and its effects on those in France during the occupation. If you enjoy the novel, be sure to watch the film as well. Albeit heavy, it’s moving and a worthy reminder of the importance of kindness.
Profile Image for Julson.
259 reviews3 followers
February 14, 2025
Jak podkreślano nawet w samej książce, „Biały ptak” będzie bardzo dobrym wprowadzeniem dla dzieci czy młodej młodzieży w tematy związane z Holokaustem i II wojną światową, bo chociaż nie opisano w niej prawdziwej historii to fabuła bazuje na prawdzie historycznej.
Najbardziej przeszkodził mi sam element realizmu magicznego (ze zwierzętami), bo po prostu nie trafia do mnie taka forma przekazu - chociaż zakładam, że w powieści graficznej byłoby to znacznie przystępniejsze w odbiorze.
Profile Image for Erinido.
128 reviews1 follower
May 8, 2023
This story left me speechless, made me shiver, made me cry. It's tragic, it's beautiful. The main plot may remind the reader of Anne Frank which is intentional because Palacio was inspired by it, but it's its own story. The words are simple yet poetic and captured me from first to last page.
Profile Image for Amber Hadley.
270 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2023
Enjoyed this one. Excited to get my hands in the graphic novel and compare and then see the movie. Next TRL?
Profile Image for Waltzing_Matilda :).
67 reviews
July 23, 2023
„Es braucht immer Mut, um freundlich zu sein. Aber wenn du durch eine Zeit gehst, in der Freundlichkeit dich um alles bringen kann - um deine Freiheit, dein Leben -, wird Freundlichkeit zum Wunder.“

ich habe noch nie so viel wegen eines buches geweint. solange es menschen wie familie beaumier gibt, gibt es hoffnung.
92 reviews
April 29, 2024
I loved the graphic novel version! This was equally as good! I can't wait to watch the movie adaptation!
Profile Image for Avery.
20 reviews
March 24, 2025
My heart….💔💔…..😭😭…..I’m broken…..😭😭…….how am I to live after this????????😭😭…..💔💔
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews

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