The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes (review)

A school year in the life of second-grader Billy Miller is presented here in four complete episodes, with each set during a different time of year and focusing on a different relationship in Billy’s life. In “Teacher,” Billy struggles with his fear that he isn’t smart enough for second grade; “Father” finds Billy interacting with his stay-at-home artist dad; in “Sister,” Billy deals with sibling issues as he tries to get three-year-old Sal to stay up all night after a greatly anticipated sleepover with a pal is cancelled; “Mother” finds Billy working on writing and reciting a poem about his mom for a school performance. The action is fairly mild, but Billy’s second-grade thoughts and actions are solid and believable, and the relationships between Billy and the other characters (Billy’s father and sister are particularly dimensional) are warmly and credibly rendered. The large print, occasional black and white spot art, and strong story structure will bolster young chapter-book readers as well. Thoughtful kids able to tackle a book of this length will enjoy reading this on their own, but it would also make a fine choice for reading aloud in the classroom or home.