6th graders may be beyond Billy’s problems. First graders will listen with interest to the story but. This is a good first chapter book for competent 2nd grade readers, though the vocabulary may be a slight challenge. Still Billy’s problems are real and he faces them with determination and with help from intelligent, fallible, loving adults.

The problems so prevalent in childrens’ literature today-child abuse, divorce, separation, poverty, alcohol- are not present. Henkes deft hand is a welcome addition to school stories such as Andrew Clement’s Frindle. He scatters small, black and white illustrations throughout the pages. Literary elements at work in the story: Kevin Henkes, an award winning author, weaves a quiet, humorous, satisfying story about Billy’s year in 2nd grade, dividing the book into four sections: Teacher, Father, Sister, Mother. And you’ll remember the Drop Sisters, a winning stuffed animal group belonging to Sal, who deserves her own book. The greatest gift of this book is the reminder that an ordinary seven year old boy is never really ordinary. Billy’s father says, “It’s really the year of Billy Miller.” Despite his worries about a bump on his head, an aggressive and irritating table mate, a misunderstanding with his teacher, Sal, his little sister, who scatters glitter on his bat cave diorama, his failure to stay awake all night, and the struggle to write a poem about his mother, Billy comes to the end of the year with the confidence that his father was right.

Miller, Billy’s 2nd grade teacher, informs her class that this year, according to the Chinese Calendar, is the Year of the Rabbit.

The year of billy miller review