Still Sal

Kevin Henkes's 'Still Sal' is a heartwarming and humorous companion novel to 'The Year of Billy Miller,' focusing on Billy's younger sister, Sal, as she navigates her challenging first day of first grade. Sal's initial excitement quickly sours when she's separated from her best friend, her name is misspelled, and she experiences several embarrassing moments. This book beautifully explores themes of adapting to change, resilience, friendship, and the importance of family support. It's an excellent choice for early elementary readers ready for a short novel, offering a gentle narrative that normalizes big feelings and the bumps along the road of growing up. Black-and-white illustrations on almost every page enhance the story, making it accessible and engaging for young readers.

"Filled with emotionally complex characters and riveting, poignant moments, along with plenty of humor, Still Sal is not to be missed." --BookPage (starred review) Kirkus Best Middle Grade Books of 2024! A stand-alone companion to two-time Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes's award-winning and acclaimed The Year of Billy Miller. With themes of family, friendship, and resilience, this very funny school story focuses on Billy's little sister, Sal, and her first day of school. For fans of Ramona, Ivy + Bean, and Dory Fantasmagory. Sal has been looking forward to first grade for a long time. But her excitement quickly turns to disappointment when she learns that her best friend, Griff, is in the other first-grade classroom and has the most popular teacher. Then Sal's name is spelled wrong on her name tag, she trips in front of the cool fifth graders, and her self-portrait doesn't turn out the way she wanted it to. In fact, everything about school is an absolute disaster. Poor Sal! Luckily for Sal, she has understanding parents, a terrific new teacher, and empathetic friends who remind her that it takes time to adjust to change. And sure enough, after a few days, Sal feels like herself again. Still Sal highlights themes of family, friendship, social and emotional growth, resilience, and adapting to change. The fourth stand-alone book in the Miller Family sequence includes black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Medal winner Kevin Henkes on almost every page and is an excellent choice for early elementary grades, for readers ready for a short novel, and for family and classroom read-alouds.