Billy Miller visits the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation, he has an unlucky fall and ends up with a small lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head! As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his high school teacher mom and work-at-home artist dad. Newbery Honor author and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes delivers a short, satisfying, laugh-out-loud-funny school and family story that features a diorama homework assignment, a school poetry slam, cancelled sleepovers, and epic sibling temper tantrums. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white spot art by the author, this is a perfect short novel for the early elementary grades.
A 2014 Newbery Honor Winner!
REVIEWS
“Funny and often poignant . . . Eager young readers will find this a great first chapter book to share or read solo.”— School Library Journal (starred review)
“Billy Miller’s second-grade year is quietly spectacular in a wonderfully ordinary way.”— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A vivid yet secure portrait of a boy coming into his confidence . . . Nuanced and human.”— The Horn Book (starred review)
“Henkes has . . . created a character for the ages.”— Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production
“A story with a lot of heart.”—Booklist
“Smartly attuned to emerging readers.”—Publishers Weekly