The Year of Billy Miller

Synopsis: The Year of Billy Miller follows Billy through his second grade year filled with an annoying (and sometimes cute) little sister, a teacher he's convinced doesn't like him, and the know-it-all girl in his class he can't seem to avoid. At first, it seems to Billy that it's going to be rough year, but then he gets his teacher to smile and he comes up with a plan...

Intended Audience: Children in grades 3-6, interested in books about school, family and friends

But it might also appeal to: Younger children doing a read aloud in class or with an adult, adults working with elementary age students, second graders - it is about second grade!

Strengths: Very realistic representations of classroom and family dynamics, Billy is a likable character who learns a lot of important lessons about being confident and learning to interact with others.

Weaknesses: The description of the book alludes to the bump on his head (he gets while visiting the Jolly Green Giant statue on summer break) playing a bigger role in the story than it actually does, which is a bit misleading. I thought the story might deal with a memory loss or injury, when really that played a small part.

Special considerations: Kevin Henkes has written MANY books for children of all ages, but this is the first Billy Miller text. The book takes place in Wisconsin with geographical references that might be of interest to midwesterners!

Verdict: This novel would make an excellent addition to the shelves of any media center up to middle grades. It is well written, entertaining and has a great message about family for readers of all kinds.