"When Sal had told him that Mr Tooley had died, Billy thought that it was his fault because of the wish he'd made. The world - including himself - had seemed to shift and unravel, to dissolve into a million pieces. And, now, just like that, everything had come back into place, into focus. Billy felt steady again. Solid. He felt like a normal eight-year-old boy."
I am getting ahead of myself with this quote but I just wanted to share these sentences which hopefully allow you to read and hear the delightful way Kevin Henkes expresses his ideas.
Here are the opening sentences of Billy Miller makes a Wish: "When Billy Miller blew out the eight candles on his birthday cake, he made a wish. He wished something exciting would happen."
Something does happen but perhaps this is not the kind of excitement Billy anticipated. An ambulance and police car arrive in Billy's street. His elderly neighbour Mr Tooley has sadly died. Billy is wracked with guilt. Did his innocent wish cause this terrible event?
It is the summer holidays and when school returns Billy will move from the comfort and security of second grade up to grade three which Billy is sure will be filled with huge kids and frightening teachers. For now, though, Billy and his sister are at home with their mother and father enjoying every day activities. Billy is kind to his little sister Sal but she can be a handful. One of the best presents Billy is given for his birthday is a huge set of fifty deluxe markers. Sal is desperate to use them but Billy knows she won't be careful and all of his fears are realised when Sal uses the markers to copy the butterfly tattoos she has seen the legs of their mail carrier. This is a small thing perhaps but at the same time it is a very realistic family disaster. This story is filled with tiny incidents like this - tiny family dramas, all seen though the sweetly innocent voice of Billy.
One aspect of the writing in this book that really appealed to me is the way Kevin Henkes references our senses:
"He got a T-shirt with a bat printed on it ... the shirt smelled new. Billy repeatedly pulled the shirt up, buried his face in it, and inhaled deeply."
"Billy smelled his soccer ball the way he'd smelled his shirt. It, too, smell new. And it looked new - the white parts were so white. And it felt new - smooth and shiny and polished."
"When he finally breathed normally, he realised that Mr Tooley's house smelled like the old fashioned hardware store with creaky floors that Papa liked to shop at. It was a good smell."
"The basement was the coolest place in the house. Billy could feel the temperature change as he walked down the stairs. He went up and down a few times just to feel the sensation. It was like magic."
"The warm night air felt like a blanket of softness. All around the trees were dark, like a border hemming the sky. It seemed to Billy that the day had been a long one - it felt like a year. And it seemed as if Papa had been gone forever."
The other delight that comes from reading this book is the way Mama reacts to every 'disaster'. Her good sense and patience just made me sigh with happiness. After the butterfly marker pen incident Mama says:
"Well, ... we'll do a little scrubbing. Maybe a lot. Don't worry." 'Will it hurt?' asked Sal. 'No,' said Mama. 'Will there be a happy ending?' asked Sal. Mama smiled. 'Yes."
"He felt the weight of Mama's hands on his shoulders and he somehow knew that everything would be okay."
I also enjoyed the tiny moments of tension in the story - anticipating Sal getting her hands on Mama's old letters for example. Sal is very keen to deliver mail in their street and Mama is a little distracted.
The events of this book take place over just a few days when Papa is away at his art camp. I like to think that Papa is really Kevin Henkes himself!
Henkes’s phenomenal ability to tap directly into the hopes, fears, and annoyances of an eight-year-old boy with beautiful clarity make this not only relatable for young readers, but for adults as well ... the laugh-out-loud antics of his little sister Sal make this a darling addition to early middle grade collections for most libraries. School Library Journal
Full of heart and depth. Kirkus Star review
I feel as though I have had this book on my to read list for years and years so when I embarked on a long (12 hour) train journey last week this was the first book I opened on my iPad. I loved every reading moment.
The way Billy Miller makes a Wish focuses on small everyday events made me think of this quote from Max by Bob Graham.
"Let's call him a small hero doing quiet deeds. The world needs more of those."
Billy Miller makes a Wish can stand alone but I highly recommend you look for the first instalment.
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