The Genre-Busting Success of R.J. Palacio’s ‘Wonder’
Though initially written for 8- to 12-year-olds, the book has grabbed the hearts of children and adults alike — and it’s not the only recent middle-grade novel to do so.
“Middle-grade books have become a booming publishing category, fueled in part by adult fans who read ‘Harry Potter’ and fell in love with the genre. J.K. Rowling’s books, which sold more than 450 million copies, reintroduced millions of adults to the addictive pleasures of children’s literature and created a new class of genre-agnostic reader who will pick up anything that’s buzzy and compelling, even if it’s written for 8 year olds.”
