Billy Miller Makes a Wish
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“Full of heart and depth.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Henkes is a master of characterization. —The Horn Book (starred review)
“A first-rate choice for reading aloud.”—Booklist (starred review)
Billy Miller is back! This stand-alone companion to two-time Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes’s award-winning, acclaimed, and bestselling The Year of Billy Miller, Billy Miller Makes a Wish is a laugh-out-loud funny and accessible story about summer, family, and wishes that (almost) come true.
Billy Miller Makes a Wish is illustrated in black-and-white throughout by the author, and is perfect for fans of the Ramona books and the Clementine series.
On his birthday, Billy Miller wishes for something exciting to happen. But he immediately regrets his wish when an ambulance rushes to his neighbor’s house. Is Billy responsible? Award-winning author Kevin Henkes delivers a short, funny, and emotionally complex novel complete with misplaced love letters, surprising critters, art projects, misguided tattoos—and another surprise for Billy and his family, maybe the best one yet!
Illustrated throughout with black-and-white art by the author, this is a perfect novel for the early elementary grades and an essential choice for summer reading. A stand-alone companion to The Year of Billy Miller, a Newbery Honor Book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this short, well-paced follow-up to Newbery Honoree Henkes's The Year of Billy Miller, the rising third grader, celebrating his eighth birthday as summer begins, wishes that "something exciting would happen." When an ambulance arrives moments later and his elderly neighbor dies shortly after that, Billy, distraught, is sure that his wish is the cause. As summer progresses, further excitement ensues—a bat in the basement, a fire in the chimney, and an unfortunate permanent marker mishap involving Billy's rambunctious little sister, Sal—and Billy worries that he is somehow to blame. Filled with Billy's observations ("He thought that teachers weren't regular people. They were in a different category—like doctors or presidents") and Sal's exploits (such as delivering her parents' love letters to every mailbox in the neighborhood), Henkes's sequel offers a refreshingly honest portrayal of kid life: Billy's first encounter with death, the frustration and embarrassment he feels courtesy of a sibling, and the joy of summer experiences such as air conditioning on a hot day and getting to order from the pool's snack bar. Henkes captures the warmth of Billy's family, which is white, as well as his guileless voice as he navigates common trials and tribulations of childhood. Ages 8–12.
