The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

If you have a child who is entering the second grade, I have a great book recommendation for you! I just finished reading The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes with my older daughter, who finished second grade in June. This book was a 2014 Newbery Honor Winner.

I have always felt that second grade is a bridge year. It bridges the primary grades of kindergarten and first grade and the upper elementary grades of third and fourth grades. It’s a year where you see tremendous growth in kids – because they are really growing up! You see that in this book.

The book starts out with a family vacation before the start of the school year where Billy and his family are visiting the statue of the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Unfortunately, Billy has an accident at the statue and ends up with a small lump on his head. So, Billy will begin the second grade with a lump on his head – not the way that he wanted to start the new school year. The book is divided up into four parts: Teacher, Father, Sister, Mother. Each part highlights Billy’s interactions with either his teacher, his father, his sister, or his mother – and shows how he starts to appreciate each of these people more. I appreciated the book because it really shows the growth of a second grader and how they learn to navigate life a bit more independently than previously. For example – Billy learns to problem solve when he makes a whale out of a pillowcase to occupy his younger sister, he learns to keep working at his poem for his mother when his teacher doesn’t think his poem is quite ready to be finished, and he shows his thinking skills when he helps his father come up with an idea for his artwork. By the end of the book, readers can see Billy’s progression from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year.

This is a book that you can read together with your child or your child can read it solo. If you are interested in reading this book with your child, here are some questions you may want to discuss together:

Part I:

1. Why does Billy’s Dad say that this year will be the year of Billy Miller?

2. Billy asks Ms. Silver if she thinks he is smart enough for the second grade. Why do you think that Billy is nervous that he is not smart enough for the second grade?

3. Ms. Silver tells Billy that Billy is very smart. How did Billy feel after hearing Ms. Silver say that? How would you feel after hearing that comment? Why?

Part II:

1. Why does Billy want to call his father “Dad” instead of “Papa”?

2. How does his Dad feel about his new name?

3. How does his Mom feel about Billy calling “Papa” Dad?

Part III:

1. Why does Billy want to stay up all night?

2. How does Billy feel when he learned that he did not stay up all night?

Part IV:

1. Why does Billy decide to write the poem about his mother?

2. How does Billy feel when he gets up to the microphone? How would you feel if you had to speak in front of a huge group of people?

3. At the end of the book, Billy tells his mother that “This was the year of Billy Miller.” What did Billy learn during his year in second grade?