Book: When Zachary Beaver Came To Town
Author: Kimberly Willis Holt
Publisher: Yearling
Pages: 240
Grade Level: 4th Grade and up
Rating: 5 Stars
Nothing ever happens in Antler, Texas. In the summer of 1971, Toby is
having a rough time adjusting to major changes in this town, specifically his
mother leaving to pursue personal dreams in Nashville and his best friend Cal’s
older brother has been shipped to Vietnam. Just when he thinks the changes have
ended, the fattest boy in the world makes an appearance in Antler and sparks a
new adventure for Toby and Cal making that summer one they would never forget.
This book is a National Book Award Winner and is written for every boy
that ever needed to read a book for school. Holt takes serious subject matter
and makes it easy to comprehend. There is a lot of turmoil, and the characters
are so well developed that you feel their pain when and you celebrate their
triumphs. It is definitely a book for older children, teens and adults. I am so
happy that certain schools have this book on their reading list and use this
book for class discussions because children have so much to gain from reading
this novel.
