In Still Sal by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, October 2024), we read about Sal Miller’s difficulties in coming to terms with her own challenging start to the first grade. The Year of Billy Miller captured her brother Billy’s perspective in first grade, and here we have Sal’s own set of circumstances in dealing with a teacher she doesn’t really like, learning to share a room with her young sister, being separated from her best friend for the first time, and in general dealing with the disappointment that comes from growing up as a middle sister. Worst of all, her teacher has written “Sally” on her name tag.

Still Sal continues the story about the children in the Miller family that began with The Year of Billy Miller, Billy Miller Makes a Wish, and Oh, Sal! (Of course that last book and this one is told from the perspective of Billy’s younger sister, Sal, rather than Billy’s perspective.) Just like the Ramona and Henry Huggins books so perfectly captured the unique experiences of the Quimby family (and others on Klickitat Street), the Miller family books seem to seamlessly capture the difficult and yet seemingly tiny experiences that define childhood.

Once again, Kevin henkes has done an amazing job of capturing the thought processes and the real feelings that a young child has. Sal is no longer a young girl looking for her favorite underpants, as in Oh, Sal! but she still has the same innocent personality and characteristics of the younger girl. Afterall, the message of this book is that, despite the fact that Sal is growing up, she is “still Sal,” herself, just older.

The Billy Miller series is an absolutely beautiful series.It is destined to be as classic and well loved as are the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I can’t wait to continue the journey of the Miller kids in Henkes’ future books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First grade didn’t turn out as great as Sal had imagined. She and her best friend were placed in different classrooms, and Sal ended up with a less popular teacher. To make matters worse, her name tag was misspelled, and she embarrassingly tripped in front of a group of cool fifth graders. Her confidence took a serious hit. The rest of the story follows Sal as she learns that things aren’t as bad as they seem.
"Still Sal," explores themes of friendship, personal growth, and adapting to changes, making it a perfect pick for young readers transitioning to short novels or for reading aloud.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley.
The Miller family is back as several changes occur. Poppy has moved into Sal's room and Sal is struggling with sharing. Plus, she is starting first grade and discovers Griff and she are in separate classrooms. Readers see how much she wants to be in the other classroom so is miserable the first few days of school. When an older student makes her cry, she comes inside and has a lovely exchange with her teacher. Sal realizes how lucky she is in her class too and her attitude changes. Young readers will connect with the emotions and challenges Sal feels as a new school year begins. Henkes is a master of sharing heartfelt stories about this age group. It's been a joy to spend time with Billy's younger sister and see Sal bloom in her own tales.

Still Sal , is the second book in the Sal series and features Sal adjusting to first grade and her sister moving into her room. A tender, sympathetic view of what it is like to navigate family, school and friends. Henkes really captures the voice of @6 year old and the complexities of a day. Parents provide support and guidance but encourage Sal to navigate her own problems. A lovely lovely book that would make a great readaloud in primary classrooms.

Kevin Henkes never disappoints. A lovely addition to the Miller family book series. This book firmly cements this series as a great classroom read aloud option. Still Sal stands on its own and I will be recommending it for purchase for my school library and as a class set for our bookroom.

Still Sal, a companion to the Billy Miller books by Kevin Henkel, is a sweet and relatable read. Henkes gets the character’s voices just right, both adult and children, which helps readers believe in and identify with them.. His spot illustrations appear throughout and perfectly complement the text. A terrific choice for a read aloud or emerging chapter book readers. Works well as a stand alone if the earlier books about the Millers have not yet been read.

A great story to read aloud at the beginning of the school year. It is hard for her to be in a new class without her friend.
A story that has many SEL lessons that can be discussed while reading. I love being able to recommend this series in my library.

Super sweet, very Ramona-ish. I get a little stressed out by Kevin Henkes' emotional beats these days, but he always makes everything okay in the end. Good lower-middle-grade school (and family, of course) story.