32. Billy Miller Makes A Wish

Billy Miller Makes a Wish. Kevin Henkes. 2021. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: When Billy Miller blew out the eight candles on his birthday cake, he made a wish. He wished that something exciting would happen.

Premise/plot: Be careful what you wish for. Billy Miller makes a wish on his birthday for life to be more EXCITING. What follows is an exciting summer that maybe is a little too exciting for his liking. 

My thoughts: Billy Miller Makes A Wish is a follow-up to The Year of Billy Miller. Don't worry if you haven't read the first book--which released in 2013. Billy Miller Makes a Wish makes a marvelous stand alone read.

What I enjoyed most in the first book, according to my review, were the home scenes. Since Billy Miller Makes a Wish is set in the summer, it is ALL home scenes. The book just made me HAPPY or GIDDY. It was such a joy to see Billy Miller at home with his family: his dad, his mom, and his younger (4 year old) sister. I picked up some authentic FAMILY vibes. Billy can still be tender and sweet with his sister one minute and want to be far, far, far away from her drama the next. (Especially in the grocery store!)

I did make a little guess about the ending halfway through the novel, but I doubt young readers will pick up on the same clues.

It was just a joy to read this one. 

Quotes:

“Can I use your markers?” Sal repeated. “Please?” Slatted sunlight striped her face. “I need to make a symphony card.” “What’s that?” Billy asked. He had never heard of a symphony card. “Well, I’m not sure,” said Sal. “But Mama’s doing one, too. It’s because Mr. Tooley died.” 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers