White Bird: A Wonder Story

by R. J. Palacio Narrated by Hillary Huber, Emily Ellet, Michael Crouch, Various Narrators

Overview

Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon Wonder, R. J. Palacio presents an unforgettable story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war.

In R. J. Palacio's bestselling collection of stories*Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in*Wonder, audiences were introduced to Julian's grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio*presents Grandmère's heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.*

Sara's harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything." With poignant symbolism that brings Sara's story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history,*White Bird*is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book*Wonder*or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message.

This full-cast audio adaptation of White Bird transforms the graphic novel into a truly original audio performance.

This audiobook includes a PDF of the Glossary, Suggested Reading List,*Organizations and Resources, and Bibliography.

Audio Narrators:
Grandmère, read by Hillary Huber
Sara Blum, read by Emily Ellet
Julian and Paul, read by Robbie Daymond
Maquisard and Monsieur Lafleur, read by Graham Halstead
Mademoiselle Petitjean, read by Lauren Ezzo
Jean Paul, read by Sean Patrick Hopkins
Max, Jerome, and Rabbi Bernstein, read by Robert Fass
Julien, read by Michael Crouch
Nazi Soldier, read by Tristan Morris
Pastor Luc, read by Adam Alexi-Malle
Vincent and a Nazi Soldier, read by P.J. Ochlan
Marianne and Ruth, read by Karissa Vacker
Rose, Sophie, and Madame Lafleur, read by Elizabeth Knowelden
Vivienne and Rabbi Bernstein's Wife, read by Lisa Flanagan

Praise for*Wonder:
#1*New York Times*bestseller
USA Today*bestseller
Time*Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time

"In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for." --Entertainment Weekly

"Rich and memorable." --The New York Times

"A beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation." --The Wall Street Journal

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner 

Praise for White Bird:

"At once expressive and chaste, an elusive but ideal combination." —New York Times

"A story that shows the impact of the Second World War and the rise of fascism on what had been a pastoral, fairy-tale childhood, with White Bird pulling no punches in connecting that historical moment to what’s happening in the world today." —The Hollywood Reporter

“Extraordinarily powerful.... White Bird does not shrink from depicting the terror and violence of the Nazi occupation for younger readers, and respects the ability of those readers to handle strong material.” —Forbes

"A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending and beautifully hopeful." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A story of resistance, bravery, and survival.... This compelling story is served well by the graphic novel format." —Booklist

“Sure to be popular among fans of Wonder and educators who want to connect past to present.” —School Library Journal

"R.J. Palacio brings to life the nature of heroism and the real risks we face today." —Meg Medina, Newbery award-winning author of Mercy Suarez Changes Gears

"Rare, superb, timely, and timeless." —Mark Siegel, author of the 5 Worlds graphic novel series

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2019-06-23
A grandmother shares her story of survival as a Jew in France during World War II.

As part of a homework assignment, Julian (Auggie's chief tormentor in Wonder, 2012) video chats with Grandmère, who finally relates her wartime story. Born Sara Blum to a comfortable French Jewish family, she is indulged by her parents, who remain in Vichy France after 1940. Then, in 1943, after the German occupation, soldiers come to Sara's school to arrest her and the other Jewish students. Sara hides and is soon spirited away by "Tourteau," a student that she and the others had teased because of his crablike, crutch-assisted walk after being stricken by polio. Nonetheless, Tourteau, whose real name is Julien, and his parents shelter Sara in their barn loft for the duration of the war, often at great peril but always with care and love. Palacio begins each part of her story with quotations: from Muriel Rukeyser's poetry, Anne Frank, and George Santayana. Her digital drawings, inked by Czap, highlight facial close-ups that brilliantly depict emotions. The narrative thread, inspired by Palacio's mother-in-law, is spellbinding. In the final pages, the titular bird, seen in previous illustrations, soars skyward and connects readers to today's immigration tragedies. Extensive backmatter, including an afterword by Ruth Franklin, provides superb resources. Although the book is being marketed as middle-grade, the complexities of the Holocaust in Vichy France, the growing relationship between Sara and Julien, Julien's fate, and the mutual mistrust among neighbors will be most readily appreciated by Wonder's older graduates.

A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending and beautifully hopeful. (author's note, glossary, suggested reading list, organizations and resources, bibliography, photographs) (Graphic historical fiction. 12-16)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172226649
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Series:	R. J. Palacio's Wonder Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

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