When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

The creativity of Kimberly Willis Holt comes at you full-speed in this novel. What's most impressive is the clever way that the seemingly simple small town of Antler, Texas is juxtaposed with the very complex happenings of its townspeople. Toby, our protagonist, spends the summer of 1971 trying to understand his mother's ambitions, his father's lack of emotional expression, and his best friend Cal's under-appreciation of a brother fighting in Vietnam. Toby is given a chance for adventure when a side-show comes to town in the form of the trailer-home of the anti-social Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world. In the end, Toby is able to make better sense of his own world through what he is able to offer to Zachary. The dead-on descriptions of adolescent boys in any given summer in the 70's is captivating. I highly recommend this book to middle school-aged boys and girls.

This is a great book by an amazing author. It’s such a bonus that there’s a movie for my class to watch after.

I watched the movie several times and wanted to read the book because the book is usually better. It was, though I liked the age of the boys in the movie better. Only a minor issue.

Read this book if you want to become kinder and more perceptive towards others. It is a fine little piece of writing, and not just for the "older juvenile" (12 years and up) reader; adults will see truths, reflections, and painful memories in it, as well as strangely hilarious compassion. The dialogue is realistic, the voices are spot-on, and the 60's era is subtly apparent throughout the book. The unfolding story is a gem in itself. I am just so glad I bought and read this book!

Like new condition hardback

This is a wonderful book to help middle and high schoolers expand their compassion levels. EMPATHY is a KEY to raising a generation of young people who will change the Nation and the World. Far too much selfishness out there today. This book, for reading and for discussion, will help touch hearts and minds.

I loved this book, except for a few words we don't say at our house, and believe it to be a compelling story of friendship. I used to read it to my 5th graders, changing the bad words as a went along. They always enjoyed it.

A unique storyline makes this book intriguing. It is different in that so many coming of age stories use female characters. Boys will be able to read this one. Great novel!

I loved the storylines about forgiveness and acceptance. It brought back a lot of childhood memories.it’s definitely a must read.

テキサスの寂れた田舎町Antler。この退屈な町では、永遠に何も起こらない。そう思っていた。Zachary Beaverがやって来たあの夏までは。Zacharyが「世界一太った少年」の看板を掲げたトレーラーに乗って、町の広場にやってきたその夏、Tobyの母親は、歌手になる夢を追って、家族を置いて町を出た。そして、Tobyの親友Calの一番上の兄、Weyneはベトナムの戦地にいた。母親を亡くし、見世物としての一生を送るZachary。夢のために家を出た母親と、何も言わずに、退屈な町で退屈な人生を送る父親を理解できないToby。戦地にいる兄に、手紙をかけなかったCal。戦地から届くWeyneの、故郷を思う手紙。自分の、友人の苦しみ、そして大人たちが隠していた傷やせつない思い、そういうものに触れながら、少しだけ成長する少年達の夏。ちょっと苦い、けど、終わったあとはさわやかな感じ。