True Friendship Can Take You on
the Journey of a Lifetime

An extraordinary story of adventure, friendship, and the invisible bonds that connect us.
This unforgettable, instant New York Times bestseller from the author of Wonder is now in paperback.

Pony

R.J. Palacio

The bestselling author of Wonder returns with an unforgettable adventure about a boy on a quest to rescue his father, with only a ghost as his companion and a mysterious pony as his guide.

When Silas Bird wakes in the dead of night, he watches powerlessly as three strangers take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost.

But then a mysterious pony shows up at his door, and Silas knows what he has to do.

So begins a perilous journey to find his father—a journey that will connect him with his past, his future, and the unknowable world around him.

R. J. Palacio spins a powerful and heartwarming story, one of those rare books destined to become a classic, beloved for generations to come.

See What People are Saying About Pony

"R.J. Palacio, author of a modern classic children’s book of our era, has somehow crafted what feels like an entirely different breed of classic: page-turning and heart expanding, elegiac and adventurous, reminiscent of Jack London, with mediations on love and faith that feel timeless and utterly necessary to our current moment.”
—Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay and Frankie & Bug

“A magical story—Pony is pure delight.”
—Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal–winning author of When You Reach Me

“A mystery, a frontier adventure, a ghost story: Pony tells the tale of a child ‘with fire in his mind,’ and it will light a fire in yours. R. J. Palacio’s most ambitious book yet, it is as compelling as it is satisfying.”
—Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Inquisitor’s Tale

“I feel like I just read a symphony, a melody I’d never heard before, but my heart somehow remembered. RJ Palacio, you are a Wonder.”
—Erin O'Leary, Reading Specialist

“Beautifully crafted...A timeless adventure of the heart.”
—Barb Langridge, M.Ed; Children's Instructor and Research Specialist; Howard County Central Library (retired); Founder of Abookandahug blog

“Once I started reading, I could NOT stop. This may have become my new favorite middle-grade story of all-time!”
—Patrick Andrus, Fourth Grade Teacher at Eden Prairie Schools/Prairie View Elementary

“[A] rip-roaring adventure… Pony illustrates Palacio’s range as an author, with this tale being distinctly different from Wonder, yet sharing movingly captured central themes of heart, family, and overcoming challenges.”
—Booklist, starred review

“Readers in search of fast-paced historical fiction with speculative elements should look no further than Pony. The twists and turns of Silas’ odyssey are both stunning and satisfying.”
—BookPage, starred review

“The blend of rambling western, scientific, and paranormal elements mixed with lingering questions about Silas’s father’s past will appeal to many as the trio underscores how even unlikely friendships can make for strong bonds.”
—Publishers Weekly

Read an Excerpt

It was my bout with lightning that inspired Pa to become immersed in the photographic sciences, which is how this all began.

Pa had always had a natural curiosity about photography, having come from Scotland, where such arts flourish. He dabbled in daguerreotypes for a short while after settling in Ohio, a region naturally full of salt springs (from which comes the agent bromine, an essential component of the developing process). But daguerreotypes were an expensive enterprise that turned very little profit, and Pa did not have the means to pursue it. People haven’t the money for delicate souvenirs, he reasoned. Which is why he became a boot-maker. People always have a need for boots, he said. Pa’s specialty was the calf-high Wellington in grain leather, to which he added a secret compartment in the heel for the storing of tobacco or a pocketknife. This convenience was greatly desired by customers, so we got by pretty well on those boot orders. Pa worked in the shed next to the barn, and once a month traveled to Boneville with a cartful of boots pulled by Mule, our mule.

But after lightning imprinted my back with the image of the oak tree, Pa once...

R.J. Palacio

R.J. Palacio is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. The book’s message inspired the Choose Kind movement and has been embraced by readers around the world, with the book published in over 55 languages. Wonder was made into a blockbuster movie starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. Palacio’s other bestselling books include 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, the picture book We’re All Wonders, and the graphic novel White Bird, which is currently being filmed as a major motion picture starring Gillian Anderson and Helen Mirren. Palacio lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.