Oh, Sal
written and illustrated by
Kevin Henkes
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
HarperCollins
Imprint
Greenwillow Bks.
ISBN
9780063244924
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
A stand-alone companion to two-time Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes’s award-winning and acclaimed The Year of Billy Miller and Billy Miller Makes a Wish. This short, humorous, and accessible novel for newly independent readers focuses on Billy’s younger sister, Sal, and the story unfolds during an eventful holiday season at the Miller house. A great choice for fans of Ramona, Ivy + Bean, and Dory Fantasmagory. Illustrated in black-and-white on every page by the author.
It’s Christmas, and the Miller family is celebrating their first holiday with the new baby. Billy is excited that Uncle Jake is visiting, but nothing about this holiday season is making Sal happy. The baby is a noisy nuisance and hogging all of Mama’s attention. Plus, the baby doesn’t even have a name yet. To make matters worse, Sal has lost a gift that Santa gave her!
Will Sal find her present? Will the Millers find a name for the baby? Will Billy always be an obnoxious big brother?
The holiday season (and life with the Millers) is full of surprises—and warmth, kindness, family, celebration, and love—in the hands of award-winning author Kevin Henkes. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white art by the author, Oh, Sal is an excellent choice for early elementary grades, as well as a terrific family and classroom read-aloud for every time of the year.
Black-and-white illustrations.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
144
Trim Size
8" x 5 1/2"
Dewey
F
AR
4: points 2
Genre
Fic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Feb 2023
Book Genres
Chapter Book, Realistic Fiction
Topics
Family life. Siblings. Babies. Christmas.
Standard MARC Records
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 1-4-Sal has a lot going on-a new sister, a visiting uncle, an annoying brother, and a missing pair of underpants. The four-year-old sister of Billy Miller from Henkes's previous middle grade novels, Sal received a set of flowered, days-of-the-week undies for Christmas. When her favorite pair goes missing, she's heartbroken. Papa and Mama help her search the house, and when the undies still can't be found, they help take her mind off this very big dilemma. Just when things start looking up, another problem occurs. Sal feels unprepared to deal with it all, but her family-even the new baby-shows her that big problems can sometimes have unexpected and wonderful outcomes. With his characteristic charm, Henkes takes readers straight into the microcosm of a little girl's world where small things mean everything, and imagination helps process emotions; readers will easily feel at home. The picture-perfect narrative creates a natural world filled with a relatable and engaging cast that feels more like family than book characters. The wholesome plot feels authentic and warm. The only downfall of this book is that it is marketed as middle grade because of the previous books when it will resonate far more with the chapter book audience. VERDICT A lovely, honest story perfect for fans of Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks or for those looking for a read-aloud for young children.-Kate Davis?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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