"Billy Miller's second-grade year is quietly spectacular in a wonderfully ordinary way... Henkes offers ... a sense that experiences don't have to be extraordinary to be important and dramatic... Sweetly low-key and totally accessible."
Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Henkes's delightful story is restrained and vivid in in just this way: forgoing the overdramatic or zany, it shows the substance, ... Read morewarmth and adaptability of beautifully common family love."
New York Times "A vivid yet secure portrait of a boy coming into his confidence ... [with] a comfortable rhythm perfectly suited to young readers... Nuanced and human."
Horn Book (starred review) "Funny and often poignant ... Billy himself might have been daunted by a book with more than 200 pages, but eager young readers will find this a great first chapter book to share or read solo."
School Library Journal (starred review) "A story with a lot of heart."
Booklist "Smartly attuned to emerging readers, and its warmth, relatable situations, and sympathetic hero give it broad appeal."
Publishers Weekly "Thoughtful kids able to tackle a book of this length will enjoy reading this on their own, but it would also make a fine choice for reading aloud in the classroom or home."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Show Less