Still Sal
Still Sal by Kevin Henkes is a stand-alone companion to the acclaimed The Year of Billy Miller, published by HarperCollins Publishers on September 9, 2025. This 256-page book, written in English, follows Sal as she navigates the challenges of her first day of school, facing unexpected disappointments and the complexities of growing up. With a focus on themes of family, friendship, and resilience, the story captures the emotional ups and downs of childhood in a humorous and relatable way.
Readers will find that Still Sal presents a vivid portrayal of Sal’s experiences, from her initial excitement to the hurdles she encounters, such as being separated from her best friend and dealing with mishaps in class. The narrative emphasizes social skills and emotional growth, showcasing how understanding parents and supportive friends help Sal adjust to her new environment. Enhanced by black-and-white illustrations by the author, this book is suitable for early elementary grades and serves as an engaging option for both individual reading and classroom read-alouds.
Official synopsis Publisher
“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.
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