by Kevin Henkes
First published 2015
Billy Miller's summer ends badly when he crashes into the Jolly Green Giant statue and gets a huge bump on his head. Now he has to start second grade feeling wobbly and uncertain. Billy worries about his new teacher and whether his head injury will make school harder. Throughout the year, he tackles homework assignments like building dioramas, participates in poetry slams, and deals with cancelled sleepovers. At home, Billy learns to handle his little sister's epic meltdowns and finds ways to help his working mother and stay-at-home father. As second grade progresses, Billy discovers how to manage elementary school challenges and becomes a more responsible family member. He grows from a worried boy with a bumped head into someone who understands his place in his family and classroom.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
229 pages · Library Binding · Turtleback Books