I was excited to read Pony after being such a big fan of Palacio’s Wonder. However, this book is altogether different. This reads more like a classic historical fiction novel with magical realism. I liked how our main character embarks on an epic journey on the search for his missing father and everything he learns along the way. This book went in a lot of different directions that I wasn’t expecting. I think this could be a hit or miss with my fourth grade students, but they shouldn’t go into it thinking it will in any way be similar to Wonder.

I was a little confused at first, was this a solid western, was it a ghost story, even a little steampunk - because of how clever Silas' dad was. I think it's a bit of a coming of age, with a lot of supernatural thrown in. It's a good story, and you can visualize the landscape, especially if you grew up on old westerns ;) I would have to say that the ending was my favorite, the coming together of "small worlds" and resolution. beautiful photos of the tintypes and lovely quotes throughout as the beginnings of chapters. Great explanation of all the history at the end, I might or might not have read Author's Notes when I was younger, but I sure read them now ;)

I almost didn’t read this book, thinking how in the world could you write another book as wonderful as WONDER. I am glad I read it. Palacio chose to change gears and write a book that take place during the US Civil War. Yes, a different time but kindness remains a theme. Narrated by Silas as an adult the story revolves around 12-year old Silas. He lives in a small town and his best friend, Mittenwool, is a ghost. He’s been homeschooled and is considered odd by the other kids because he’s got a huge vocabulary and he knows so many things. His father makes boots and is a photographer. Its just Silas and his dad until his father is forced to leave at gunpoint by several men. Silas sets out to free his father. Palacio has done her research into such diverse topics of the time from photography to spiritualism to the treatment of Native Americans as well as counterfeiting. I sure hope this book comes out as an audiobook, because a good narrator will bring even more life into the story. And yes, a pony does play an important part in the story.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Pony by R.J. Palacio.

I was so excited to read this new book by Palacio after being absolutely enamored with her Wonder series. She takes quite a different approach with this new book Pony, but doesn't disappoint.

Twelve year old Silas can see ghosts, his favorite ghost and constant companion being Mittenwool, who acts as his voice of reason. So Mittenwool is none too pleased when Silas decides to leave home in order to track down his father who has just been abducted by three men. But the three men left behind a very mysterious horse, with a bone white face. Naming the horse Pony, Silas and Mittenwool take off on the adventure of their lives.

This was actually a bit heavier than I expected it to be, but also, unsurprisingly heartwarming and sweet. It's an excellent adventure story, with a whole myriad of interesting characters, and backgrounds, and it's written very well. I would recommend this to any family.

RJ Palacio is an incredible writer, and proves once again she is able to reach a wide audience of young readers. She perfectly captures the humanity and depth of "Wonder" - I can see this book being on many booklists for reluctant readers.

Three menacing armed men on horseback arrive in the middle of the night at the home of 12 year old Silas Bird and kidnap his father, a creative, brilliant Scottish bootmaker and self-taught photographer.
When the kidnappers' mysterious Arabian pony appears a few hours later, Silas is sure it will lead him to his father and sets out to rescue him, accompanied by the protective ghost Mittenwool, seen only by Silas. Although Silas is frightened, he is determined, and sets out into the frightening Woods, “like a fortress made of giant logs looming behind a hedge of tall spiky shrubs”. Silas’ one previous experience in the woods, when he went with his father to hunt, had left him terrified, passed out cold, eyes rolled up. Silas can see ghosts, and the Woods are full of them. He hears a hum, a buzz, “A rumbling. Whispers and moans, everywhere around me.” Pony bolts into the woods, and they find themselves in the company of a gruff U.S. marshal, Enoch Farmer, who is tracking outlaws holed up in a cave. Marshall Farmer reluctantly agrees to Silas’ company, and after a night camping out they enter the Bog, a place full of the ghosts of murdered men, women, and children. ”Shapes in the shadows. Walking. Talking to themselves. Some whimpered… They moved around us, like water around a rock.” Slias’ gasp again causes Pony to bolt, infuriating the marshal. The paranormal blends smoothly with the mystery, weaving the pieces together to propel the engrossing story. Eventually, they track down the criminal gang, but the suspenseful end will keep readers engaged until the unexpected twist at the end. The story concludes with Simon returning to the place his mother grew up, tying together many pieces of history, and a final newspaper article about Simon.

Don’t miss the author's extensive and fascinating note, with information about her research, the daguerreotypes beginning each chapter, and the processes of early photography, plus its history and that of events in the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review

What a nice story. It was not was I was expecting - part historical fiction, part fantasy, purely imaginative. The time period is back in the Civil War era, it's the story of a young boy who's father is taken by force by a band of outlaws. Despondent, the young boy rashly takes off after his father and the band of riders on a pony that broke away from the riders and came back to his home. He is accompanied by his ghostly lifelong friend. Along the way he meets a curmudgeonly federal Marshall on his own ques to capture the outlaws. The two ride together until the Marshall is thrown from his horse and the young boy has to go find help for the Marshall and to recapture his father.

The adventure of this story will appeal to young readers, but the fantasy will also capture an audience. The plot unfolds slowly, but also twists along the way, and it is not until the end that we know how the story all comes together. Definitely worth a read!

RJ Palacio veers away from Wonder and the spin of series to bring readers an historical fiction novel with a fantasy twist.

Pony by R. J. Palacio (Knopf Books for Young Readers) is that rare book destined to be read, cherished, then reread by legions of children and adults. A quest story set in 1860 about a boy, an enigmatic pony, and a ghost companion traveling through treacherous territory to find the boy's father in a journey that transcends history and myth. A book of emotional insight that embraces the unknowable mysteries of our world—I cried more than once, nodded in recognition countless times, laughed, shivered with apprehension. I was mesmerized by this powerfully moving book. 

Yvonne Brooks
McNally Jackson Books

Palacio's latest has hints of "True Grit" with some of the sensibilities of "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" in a completely unique middle grade novel. The titular horse, Pony, may set events in motion, but Silas and his ever-present companion, Mittenwool, a very down-to-earth ghost of unknown origins, are center-stage in this quest to retrieve Silas' father from the outlaws who took him away in the night. There is some violence, appropriate for a middle grade novel but still it might be a bit much for some younger readers. There are ghosts, souls not yet ready to move on to a vague afterlife. And most of all, there are unique characters whose lives intertwine in sometimes unexpected ways. Highly recommended.

I am so thankful to have received an eARC of Pony from the publisher. This book exceeded my expectations. The story is very touching and poignant, but also full of adventure and mystery. The main character, Silas, is full of fortitude even in the face of danger. The supporting characters have such well-developed personalities and do not feel flat. I adore Mittenwool and Pony and really like the spiritual/supernatural elements in the story. Those elements lend plausibility to the coincidences (or are they?) that are revealed towards the end of the book. I was very emotionally invested thanks to the author’s meticulously crafted tale. I especially enjoyed the references to photography during the pre-Civil War era. I am recommending this book to everyone!

This book is amazing, I wasn’t quite sure what expect after the success of Wonder but truly loved this story!

R.J. Palacio is incredible when it comes to driving home a message through her stories to where you feel things deeply. The world needs so much more of this. Through her book Wonder, we learned all about Choosing Kind. Through Pony, the focus shifts to Courage, which is also much void and needed within our world. This story grips your heart and is absolutely certain to not only be an instant hit but grip the hearts and captivate the attention of millions worldwide! I cannot encourage you to read this or recommend it enough!

This was a very interesting and entertaining story. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. There was a great mix of suspense that kept me hooked, wanting to know what was going to happen next. I would recommend this for adults and upper high school students.

Silas is growing up in the 1800s, in a remote area with his dad (his mom died in childbirth) and his best friend, a ghost named Mittenwool. Silas's dad doesn't think anything of the fact that Mittenwool is part of Silas's life, or that only Silas sees him
Silas's dad is a thinker way ahead of his time who has decided to educate Silas himself. He is accepting, encouraging, and kind. A tinkerer and scientist by nature, he makes boots for a living; he's also building his reputation as a photographer because he uses his knowledge with chemicals to get the best results.

One evening, some strangers show up on horseback. Assuming Silas's father is someone else, they want to take him away with them. He leaves, at gunpoint, and makes Silas promise to stay in the cabin. That he'll be back in less than a week.

But one of the horses the men brought with them escapes and returns to the cabin the day after his father leaves, and Silas takes that as a sign that he should go find his father. Mittenwool thinks this is a horrible idea. But he goes with Silas, anyway. Because that's what best friends do.

As Silas and Mittenwool navigate their way through rough terrain with unexpected perils and wonderful adventures, they learn about friendship that binds you together no matter what, love of family, and courage.

This book is part adventure, part mystery, and part ghost story, with a big dose of growing up in between. Silas's developing relationship with his horse (on whom he tries out a lot of names, but finally decides on Pony) is pure magic!

There were aspects of this book that reminded me of How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle, a book my students and I enjoyed a lot. Palacio's use of old photos as chapter dividers brought to mind the photos in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

Palacio knocked it out of the park with this book. You need this book on your shelves! This will become a student favorite and would be lovely as a read-aloud.

I was anticipating this one after how much I (and my students) enjoyed Wonder. I did have some reservations since I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Well, it didn’t. I rarely abandon a book before the end, but I found the plot uninteresting and didn’t believe many students would get into the storyline enough to stick with it. So yes, I abandoned this one before the end since so was uninterested in finding out what happened.

Absolutely, 100% different than R.J. Palacio’s previous blockbuster series, yet just as captivating. I hated to put it down, and found my mind wandering to it throughout the day. I’m truly impressed by the author’s versatility in storytelling, and am onboard for any and everything to be released in the future.

Big thanks to NetGalley, author, and publisher for granting access to an ARC.

How does anyone follow up to the very beloved book, Wonder? Pony is a very close second with the same heartfelt and emotions Wonder brought out in us all. Loved the sweetness of this story and how it makes you feel all the feels. Highly recommend. Congrats RJ Palacio…you’ve done it again!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Silas Bird, the main character, is a 12-year-old boy with a quiet and reflective nature. His mother, dying in childbirth, leaves him being raised by his also quiet and inquisitive father. At one point in the story Silas realizes that he and his father live if in poverty but are rich in books.
Some years ago, Silas was struck and survived a lightning bolt leaving the image of a tree permanently imprinted on his back. Silas and his dad spend hours together studying the natural world. It’s not a life mist of us would choose choose, yet his life is happy and good.

Silas’ meandering adventure is set in the year 1860 in the state of Ohio. His days are spent with his inventive but reclusive father, a Scottish bootmaker and photographic scientist. Silas only real companion is a protective teenage ghost named Mittenwool. What an odd name. It will be explained.

His peaceful existence is shattered, as three men on horseback arrive in the dark of night at the family’s remote cabin to seize Silas’s father. He is told he will eventually return to his home as a rich man. The men arrive with an extra horse and a pony as they intend on taking both father and son. Wisely, his father is able to convince the kidnappers to leave Silas behind. Silas is now virtually alone with the exception of Mittenwool, in the lonely, unforgiving wilds of early frontier Ohio.

Soon after the band leaves and to his surprise, the kidnappers’ white-faced Arabian pony appears a few hours later. To Silas this is a sign and he is sure his father sent it, and rides off to find him, with Mittenwool reluctantly in tow.

Searching through the Woods, which has always been a source of fear for Silas, he meets a rough and burly U.S. marshal tracking three outlaws; Silas is certain that they are the same people who took his father. Thus he join the marshal in a dangerous pursuit and what proves to be a horribly deadly venture.

The journey is long as they move through the rough on horseback. During this time, readers learn more about Silas through the narrative of stories of his family’s history and encountering the many ghosts who died in tragic ways. The ghosts are only visible to Silas.

Palacio’s characters are crusty and at times savage. Palacio employs a unique blend of western, scientific, and paranormal elements mixed with gnawing questions about Silas’s father’s past.

After the book climaxes, I found the ending to be quite unexpected, surprising and satisfying.

Images made from daguerreotypes serve as chapter heads. It is interesting that pictures from that era never show a person with anything resembling a smile.

I found this unique story of a young boy in survival mode, to be haunting, enthralling, and quite suspenseful. If you’ve read Palacio’s work before you can appreciate her talent for creating memorable characters and thought-provoking conflicts.

This book is what some have come to refer to as a good “guy book.”
The lengthy monologues and descriptive passages may deter some readers’ attention, especially in the beginning. By the end, though, the mystery of Silas’s story will motivate all to keep turning pages. The story is true to the laws of the Wild West.

When I heard that R.J. Palacio had written a new book, I knew I had to read it instantly. I, along with the rest of the world, absolutely loved Wonder, and could hardly wait for Palacio to profoundly impact my thinking as she did with her debut novel. This book did not disappoint. While it was a drastically different book than Wonder, this historical fiction book also hit home with its beautiful story of humanity. Silas Bird is a young boy with the incredible gift of seeing ghosts, ghosts that connect him across time, geography and most importantly, love. When three men arrive in the dead of the night to kidnap his father, Silas conquers his fears to follow him through the deep woods...along with Mittenwool, the ghost that has accompanied him since early childhood. Palacio tells Silas’s story as he travels in the present, learns about the past and looks ahead to his future, connecting all the dots with such beauty and yes, wonder. This is a book to be treasured.