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    The Year of Billy Miller
    The Year of Billy Miller
    The Year of Billy Miller
    Audiobook2 hours

    The Year of Billy Miller

    Written by Kevin Henkes

    Narrated by Dan Bittner

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller!

    Award-winning, nationally bestselling author Kevin Henkes introduces second-grader Billy Miller in this fast-paced and funny story about friendship, sibling rivalry, and elementary school.

    The Year of Billy Miller includes black-and-white art by Kevin Henkes and is perfect for fans of the Ramona books; Frindle, by Andrew Clements; and the Clementine series.

    The New York Times declared: ""Henkes's delightful story is restrained and vivid . . . forgoing the overdramatic or zany, it shows the substance, warmth and adaptability of beautifully common family love."" When Billy Miller has a mishap at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation, he ends up with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade!

    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 busy working mom and stay-at-home 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. This is a perfect short novel for the early elementary grades.

    Plus don't miss the follow-up, Billy Miller Makes a Wish!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 17, 2013
    ISBN9780062295361
    The Year of Billy Miller
    Author

    Kevin Henkes

    Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

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    Reviews for The Year of Billy Miller

    4/5

    30 ratings18 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Billy Miller shares his 2nd Grade world with us in this often mentioned-for Newbery-Award book. The beauty of this story lies in how Henkes understands the worries and challenges of a young child. Divided into 4 parts, Billy's life rotates around 4 people--his teacher, his father, his little sister and his mother. For those of us who can remember that far back, it is easy to relate to Billy's fear that he insulted his teacher accidently and his challenged relationships with other kids in his class. Billy's father is a stay at home father. His mom is a high school English teacher. I SO identified with Billy's struggles with a diorama and shared his angst when he discovered his little sister had "improved" it. Thank goodness for smart dads. Henkes has made the every day life of a kid sparkle." This would be an excellent choice for a read-a-loud.
    • 2/5
      Nice beginning chapter book, decent character development, several funny/charming moments, but didn't have "wow" factor.
    • 5/5
      Practically perfect in every way. I will be recommending this to every second grade teacher I know. Henkes does a brilliant job of capturing the world of 6- and 7-year olds; he simultaneously honors the day-to-day emotions and struggles while also showing the important growth that happens over the course of a year. The teacher is just saintly enough and the unpleasant kid isn't explained away. I am a little surprised that Ms. Silver never once changed the students' seating arrangements in the whole year, but perhaps she's new at this. I won't fault her for it.
    • 5/5
      The Year of Billy Miller is about Billy who is starting the 2nd grade and he is filled with doubts. With the help of his family and friends he successfully completes it. This book is phenomenal! it is absolutely perfect for a 2nd grader. Billy is a character that shares a slot of common behaviors and thoughts that a 2nd grader would think and feel. I highly recommend this book!
    • 3/5
      Good story with great characters for younger readers, although the beginning did not seem to have much to do with the end.
    • 2/5
      Billy is a young second grader that after bumping his head set of a chain of events. His dad is a stay home dad and mom works. He interacts with family and siblings that offer insight on what a child thinks and worries about. The story does not have a climatic event but does have topics that many children go through in school. As adults we don't consider how problems have no age or gender. Good book for beginners and also great to build on with activities that maybe foreshadow 5 and sixth grade!
    • 4/5
      The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes is a new release. We all know what kind of stress and anxiety second grade can cause and Billy is right there on the stress-o-meter. Will he be smart enough? Will he say the wrong thing? Mr. Henkes has penned a book that will make you smile. Broken up into four segments: Teacher, Father, Sister, Mother, we suffer along with Billy as he thinks he inadvertently insulted his teacher on the first day of school, helps his artist father get his ‘breakthrough’, decides whether he loves or hates his younger, demanding sister and finally write a poem about his mother, all the while dealing with Emma, a crabby classmate. There’s nothing sinister going on, no major hurdles to jump over, just the normal, everyday worries of a second grader. If this book doesn’t make you smile, then you’re crabbier than Emma.
    • 4/5
      This is a story about a boy named Billy who is navigating the ups and downs of life and second grade. He is often worried about school, his summer head injury, and life in general. While there isn't a lot of action in this story, Henkes definitely gets into the mind of a child. You will grow fond of Billy and root for him as his confidence grows throughout this sweet book.
    • 5/5
      Kevin Henkes is a miracle - picture books, fiction books ,and now, beginning readers. Except that with this magic touch, he turns this beginning readers into a 200 pager, perfect for second graders, all who are yearning for "big books" about kids and situations that they can relate to. Read it aloud to your class, or hand to that second graders you know who has blossomed into a reader, but needs something to read that they can comprehend, truly and deeply.

      This novel sings! Highly recommended.
    • 1/5
      No stranger to the production of award-winning books, Henkes received a 2004 Newbery honor award for Olive's Ocean, a Caldecott medal in 2004 for Kitten's First Full Moon and a Caldecott honor for Owen.He is notably recognized by the American Library Association.The Year of Billy Miller is the tale of Billy who is nervous about second grade. The summer before returning to school, while on vacation, he fell from a great height and sustained a concussion. Fearful he won't remember things, he is reluctant.He has a cute sister and two loving parents. This is a slow read with very little action. The parents are too good to be true.I don't particularly care for this book, and I am wondering why it received a Newbery award. It is a trip down sugar coated Pleasantville.I read it a few days ago and waited before writing the review to see if maybe the book would haunt me in some way, or I would find a revelation. Since this hasn't happened, I'm sticking to my initial impression.One star because Billy and his sister are likeable.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful novel for children ready to take on chapter books.
    • 3/5
      How does Kevin Henkes do it? He writes quiet books where seemingly not a whole lot is going on yet he is pitch-perfect in expressing the emotional resonance of children. Not a lot of authors can do that. Billy Miller has his worries, insecurities and concerns, but a loving family and supportive teacher shore up his resilience. Nice.
    • 5/5
      Oh, goodness, the books of Kevin Henkes shred my heart" as Billy's Papa would say. I have to be honest; I'm not sure if young independent readers would be drawn to this story. But it would make a wonderful family read-aloud.

      I love how individual and interesting the characters are. Papa a stay-at-home-dad and an artist working for a breakthrough, Mama a high school English teacher, little sister Sal and her dearest plush friends, the Drop Sisters, and Billy. Sometimes anxious, sometimes proud, sometimes naughty, sometimes loving... but always authentic and lovable.

      I love other details, too, like the name of the school is not some politician or other DWM (dead white male) but the artist Georgia O'Keeffe, and the teacher's hair held back with red chopstick. Highly recommended to fans of second-graders."
    • 5/5
      Heart warming. You will fall in love with Billy as you follow him through his year in second grade. His dad is a quirky stay at home artist waiting for his "break through." His 3 year old sister is annoying dragging around her beloved Drop Sisters. Mama teaches English at the high school. Ms. Silver is Billy's teacher who wears chopsticks in her hair.
      Billy...
      Is worried about 2nd grade
      Thinks bats are cool
      Best friend is Ned
      Thinks Emma is a pain
      His dad makes really good cookies
      And
      This is HIS YEAR!
    • 4/5
      Billy Miller is not sure if he is ready for second grade. What if he doesn't like his teacher? What if she doesn't like him? What if the bump he got on his head on a family vacation makes it so he can't learn the things he needs to know? Billy has other worries, too: will his artist father ever get his "breakthrough?" Will his little sister always be so annoying? And he has big plans, like the one to say up all night long, and the one to memorize the poem he has to say for Family Day at school. Don't worry, Billy Miller -- you're going to have a great school year!Kevin Henkes' real strength as a writer lies in creating child characters that are entirely believable and sympathetic. Every time I read one of his books, I think, "Here is a man who remembers exactly what it's like to be a kid." Billy's worries and feelings and plans are so authentic to kids of his age that I'm sure readers will enjoy his story, even though there are no big, exciting events in the plot -- just a string of normal school-year adventures. In that regard, this book reminded me of Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, so readers who enjoy that sort of story will probably like this one, as well.
    • 5/5
      I really thought this book was a great one for my son who will be in 2nd grade next year. I started reading the book and found a lot of humor. Billy's start of the school year with a bump on the head from the Jolly Green Giant statue he got over summer vacation. His baby sister, who cried all the time. And Emma, a girl in school whom loved to tease Billy, but he would tease back. This is a great book for young readers to start out with. Keeping the humor throughout the book, can keep children into the story.
    • 4/5
      The Year of Billy Miller is told in four segments, each largely an independent story, focusing on Billy's relationships with his 1) Teacher 2) Father 3) 3-year old sister and 4) Mother. The stories take place as Billy tries to navigate his 2nd grade year at school. You won't find many books quite like this one, because few second graders read well enough to tackle this book, and 4th or 5th graders, whose reading level it's closer to, don't generally want to read about younger children. But as I am an adult who just likes books for intermediate and teen readers, it didn't bother me.There is much in common with Henkes' books for middle grade readers here... the characters are all pretty average people, and there are no extraordinary events in the book. Henkes manages to make the everyday events of life deeply meaningful, and he has an astonishing ability to convey the thoughts and feelings of children. It is a quiet story about common, ordinary people. In spite of its Newbery honor award, I don't think it's quite up to par with some of Henkes books for slightly older children... Olive's Ocean, Bird Lake Moon, Protecting Marie or Words of Stone; but Henkes' weaker book is still better than most author's best.
    • 3/5
      This would be a great read aloud of mentor text for students in 2nd to 4th grade.