When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

One of the best books I've ever read!
A reviewer, A reviewer, 02/28/2007

'When Zachary Beaver Came to Town' is truly one of the best books I've ever read. It's the kind of book that really doesn't seem to be about much, but yet it really is about many things. No matter what part of the book I was reading, it kept me interested. I always wanted to find out what happened next. I usually don't like books like these but there was something different about this book. It was very easy to feel like I was part of the story. I can't pinpoint what it was about the author's writing that was so good, it just was. I find it hard to read anything else because I know nothing will be as good as this book. I have read many books with more adventure in them than you can imagine. However, this book was better. Maybe it was because something like this is easier to relate to because it actually can happen. It is sad, happy, funny, and everything else. I highly recommend this book. It is better than words can describe.

When the Biggest Kid Came to Town.
Shiflett- Frazier,A, A reviewer, 10/24/2006

Willis Holt, Kimberly. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999 When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is a story about a boy named Toby, who was going through a hard time because his mom left him and his dad. Toby’s mom was leaving to go to Nashville, Tennessee, for a singing career but she never will come home. Toby’s dad raised worms for the farms. Then a boy named Zachary Beaver moves to the town Antler, Texas. A new kid moved to town. His name is Zachary Beaver, and everyone in town calls him the fat monster because he is the fattest person that they’d ever seen. The sheriff of the town tells Toby that he and his best friend, Cal, would have to visit Zachary and make sure that he is safe and that he has enough food. Zachary does not want them to be his friends or look out for him. The town helps Zachary by taking care of him and helping him until he leaves to live somewhere else. Toby has a great life with his mom and dad until his mom wants to follow her dream. Toby’s mom Opelania enters to go to Nashville, Tennessee, to be the best country singer in the world. She had gone to a big competition but she loses. Everyone in the town is voting for her until she starts to send letters to Toby saying that she is really going to miss him. After Toby reaches that she isn’t coming back, he decides that he would help the sheriff help Zachary. Zachary has no guardian staying with him in his trailer. He doesn’t have any friends or any food, but most people think that he can survive for months without food because he is so big. Lots of kids make fun of him because he couldn’t even get out of his trailer because he was so big. Cal and Toby become his friend and helps him while the sheriff goes to find where his owner is. The sheriff finds him and Zachary’s legal guardian was in Paris, France looking for a new act that he and Zachary are putting together to make a talent show. Then finally Zachary Beaver leaves and goes somewhere else. I thought that Toby’s symbolism excellent and that he is showing the feelings of the characters very well. The characters played great parts and I could see the story of the book. Toby had a hard life and I could picture that in my head. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is a fun and interesting book. The reader will laugh at times, but then he/she will get sad. It has a great setting and plot.

Great Book!!
nau Latu (rlatu2008@hotmail.com), I am polynesian islander..ha..ha, 04/07/2006

Taufanau M. Latu Mr. Coulter Per.4 4/5/06 Book Review The title of my book is “When Zachary Beaver Came to Town” by Kimberly Willis Holt. She also wrote different books such as “My Louisiana Sky”. The genre of this book is Fiction. The book takes place in Antler Texas during the Vietnam War. I believed that the setting play a huge part on the book, since Texas is nothing but desert and it’s hot every day, so that limited a lot of things that they can to. Like they can’t go swimming in the middle of the desert, which what I mean limited. Toby is the protagonist along with Cal his best friend. They will have a summer like no others. The fun begins when a side shows boy pulls in to the parking lot on a trailer. That’s when the summer begin, and the main character Toby and Cal try to figure why his there, when he’s going to live and how they can create a new friend. The writers style in this book is very unique meaning that it has a lot of description making you want to flip to the next page every time. A lot of the description is mostly describing smell and very detail subject of certain things and how they look, making you fill like your there. Theirs is a lot of description that it brings the picture to life. One of the major Conflict that hurt the relationship between the main character and his best friends. Is because that the Protagonist Toby got caught up with something and didn’t get to go his best friend’s brother funeral that died in the Vietnam War that week, but its really an external conflicts. In this book there is a dynamic character, that would be Zachary Beaver, because he changes big time in the story. He used to be stubborn and didn’t like it went others starring at him or try to make funny jester. Until the end, he finds out that there is people out there that would not make fun of him for who he is, but love to help out in time of needs. The main character Toby and his best friend Cal help there friend Zachary Beaver by putting sack of grocery next to his Trailer door every morning. The protagonist is like a static character that doesn’t really changes throughout the whole book. Toby will act the same from the beginning to the end. In this book you will know a lot about the main character’s head since it is on the First Person point of view. Toby the main character shows a little interior monologue, like he shows us a little of what his or her filling about other character and what happened during his pass or how he liked them. In his head, we can tell that he had some crush on a girl which he things he has no chance. But, as you read this book, you will come to fine that he will give it one last chance. I’ll let you find out what happened to that dream. All of these facts, are just little hinds of what you’re about to read. But remember I’ll let you find out what happened in this great book. I had read this book over and over and I would recommend this book to those who likes drama and curiosity about other. This book will held you on the edge on your seat, you will not put it down until your done.

Also recommended: The Outsider

when zachary beaver cam to town
Coty, a sohpmore in high school, 03/21/2006

This book was very confusing idk they would switch off to like different settings where i could not like picture what they were doing. The book wasnt the best there was just allot that didnt make sense but a very good book is A look at life from a treestand but it was very boring and it could have made a little more sense and maybe could have a little more detail.

Also recommended: A look at life from a treestand Brett Favre #4

Talk about putting this book down
A reviewer, a middle school student., 02/14/2006

This book is not even what i expected it to be.The first two sentences of the book 'When Zachary Beaver Came to Town' by Kimberly Willis Holt were, 'Nothing ever happens in Antler, Texas. Nothing at all.', well Antler, Texas was where the whole book took place. The lead of the book didn't even make me want to read on. Turning on to the next page was like watching television on a Saturday night when you don't even expect any excitement to happen. I would give this book, at most, two stars. I was disappointed in reading this book. There was nothing exciting about any of the characters, accept for the amazement over Zachary Beaver being six hundred forty-three pounds. The two main characters, Cal and Toby, have nothing to do. Their big event for the day is going to Bowl-a-rama across the street to bowl and get some ice cream. Also I can't forget about talking to Zachary Beaver, who lives in a trailer and never comes out because he's over weight. Toby and Cal go finding out things about how hard it is to be Zachary. They also go out to try and see if he's really the fattest guy in the World Records Book. The two also keep up with Cal's Brother in Vietnam and Toby's Mom who is going to become a country singer. To me, none of that makes me want to turn the page to see what happens next. I would not suggest this book to you, but if I did you would be doing a lot of sleeping. I want a book that catches my eye and makes me want to read it non-stop. The book 'When Zachary Beaver Came to Town' didn't do anything like that. It made the book feel like it takes forever to read and it was slow going on to the next problem or solution. I really don't think the book had many problems. I didn't even think this book had that much of a plot. I know now to not judge a book by its cover because it might not be as good as you suspected.