Skip to main content

The Year of Billy Miller

By
The Year of Billy Miller
by Kevin Henkes
HarperCollins, 2013.  229 pgs. Intermediate.

     The Year of Billy Miller is a Mr. Rogers kind of book. Nothing too wild or off the wall.  You can just walk into this book, put on your sweater and your slippers, and step into Billy's life at the beginning of his second grade year.  Billy is afraid he will not be smart enough because at the end of the summer he fell over a railing at the amusement park and landed on his head.  But he is smart enough. With his father's help he creates a bat cave diorama; he figures out how to get back into his teacher's good graces when she thinks he is making fun of her; he tries to stay up all night but doesn't quite make that trip. Kevin Henkes' latest is gentle reading which tells the truth about young boys, their annoying little sisters, their guaranteed-to-get-you-in-trouble friends, and the snotty, superior girls who torture them in class. Plus, this is one of the few contemporary fiction books with two loving, supportive parents in the cast. Billy is very lucky, and so is his sister Sal.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The House with Nobody in It

By
  The House with Nobody in It By Jon Klassen Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2026. Board Book.  The House with Nobody in It may very well be your child's first ghost story. The simple story begins with the narrator explaining to readers that this house used to have someone in it, but there is now nobody there. Toddlers and preschoolers will love contradicting this statement as they peek through the house that the board book forms, as the ghost is clearly visible throughout the story.  This unique and imaginative board book is the perfect thing to read during Halloween season! The book itself plays into the experience, with cutouts and clever turns that make it especially interactive. The illustrations are superb, simple but well crafted, adding to the story's theme as a whole. This will likely be a book that gets many repeat reads!
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Teddy's Top Picks

By Suzanne
  Bear in the Air Written by Susan Meyers Illustrated by Amy Bates New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. Picture book. When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an adventurous journey to get back home again. -- Editor Blanket and Bear, A Remarkable Pair Written by L.J.R. Kelly Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013. Picture book. When a boy loses his beloved blanket and bear, they travel a great distance to make their way back to him. -- Editor A Bear to Share Written by Jessica Alba, Nora Weinstein, and Kelly Patricof  Illustrated by Alicia Mas New York, NY : Baby2Baby/Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture book. Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn't mind that he's a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can't believe her ears! Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for t...
Post a Comment
Read more

De la hora del cuento: La letra "E"

By
  Cuentos Mi perro solo hable español Por Andrea Cáceres Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2023. Libro ilustrado. "Cuando Aurora llegó a los Estados Unidos, aprendió a hablar inglés, pero Nena, su spaniel, no. Por eso, cuando pasea a Nena, Aurora les explica a sus nuevos amigos que su mascota solo habla español ..." --Editor Cuentitos Colores Por Joel Sartore Washington, DC : National Geographic Partners, LLC, 2025. Libro ilustrado. "El National Geographic Photo Ark es una iniciativa plurianual para concienciar y encontrar soluciones a algunos de los problemas más urgentes que afectan a la vida silvestre y sus hábitats. El proyecto busca documentar todas las especies que viven en zoológicos y santuarios de vida silvestre del mundo, inspirar acciones a través de la educación y ayudar a salvar la vida silvestre apoyando iniciativas de conservación sobre el terreno." --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "E" Papá Monstruo y el bosque de las emocion...
Post a Comment
Read more