Gear up for a rollercoaster ride, Shmoopers, because that's what school is like for Billy in The Year of Billy Miller. One day he's nervous as all get-out because of the lump on his head, and the next he's happy as a clam playing with his friends. Then our guy is feeling confident and awesome… until he's feeling tired and bored.
Yep, Billy feels all the feelings when it comes to his second-grade education, and he's got a lot of homework and new challenging lessons (hello poetry-writing) to boot, which means he's constantly facing new challenges. Good thing Billy has a bunch of good teachers to help make second grade go from a scary place to the best year yet.
Questions About Education
- What makes school a positive experience for Billy? And how is it a negative one? Is school overall more of a good thing or a bad thing?
- How do teachers make an impact on Billy's education? And which folks serve as teachers in this book?
- How does Billy grow thanks to his second-grade year? Does education change the way he looks at his identity?
Chew on This
School is the pits. For Billy, school is a lot of hard work no matter how you slice it, and that stinks.
School is the best. For Billy, school is fun no matter what, so it's a pretty cool place to be.