The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

The best of books write about the things that we fear and care about the most.  I have always loved the author’s books written for younger children, and when this one was recommended by a children’s book lover for my DIL to consider reading to her third grade class, I thought I would dive in.
One thing to keep in mind when reading chapter books for the grammar school crowd is that unlike the young adult literature, which is about the things we all care about but written in a more straight forward manner, the issues of children are inherently less complex from their point of view than they really are, and the book reflects that.  Billy Miller has a lot going on in his life, but he has the support of each of his parents, his sister, and his teacher in working them out. I like the way it deals with his fears and how they are countered and how he learns from his successes, how he comes to appreciate what he has and how to mobilize his assets.