When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (Readers Circle) - Softcover

Holt, Kimberly Willis

3.65 out of 5 stars

6,278 ratings by Goodreads

9780440238416: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (Readers Circle)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0440238412 ISBN 13: 9780440238416

Publisher: Laurel Leaf, 2003

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With his mother working to become a country singer and his best friend's brother going off to fight in Vietnam, young Toby finds his life in turmoil, but when Zachary Beaver, the world's fattest boy, comes to his town, Toby's summer is made more eventful than he could have ever imagined. An ALA Notable Book & National Book Award Winner. Reissue.

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Review

"This book packs more emotional power than 90% of the so-called grown-up novels taking up precious space on bookshelves around the country. Kimberly Willis Holt's "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town" will resonate with readers."--"USA Today"
"Holt may not take her readers on wild flights of fantasy, but her quiet novel offers a slice of life that's hard to resist."--"New York Times Book Review"
"As in her first novel, "My Louisiana Sky," Holt humanizes the outsider without sentimentality. . . . Holt reveals the freak in all of us, and the power of redemption."--"Booklist," Starred Review
"In her own down-to-earth, people, smart way, Holt offers a gift. . . . It is a lovely--at times even giddy--date with real life."--"The Horn Book," Starred Review
"Well-developed characters, all fantastic and flawed in their own ways, add plenty of spice."--"Publishers Weekly," Starred Review
"Holt reinvents the coming-of-age story, breathing life into a quirky cast of characters. . . . The events of the story combined may seem no larger than a pebble underfoot, yet the characters tug at readers, gaining steadily their attention and affection."--"Kirkus Reviews" "Holt deftly fleshes out her characters and expands their worldview beyond the borders of their small town."--"Library Journal"
"This tale of Toby and Cal's growing friendship with Zachary is full of humor as well as sadness as Toby learns to deal with loss. It's beautifully and sensitively related by Holt, who displays a finely tuned sense of place and time. A rich and satisfying read."--"KLIATT" An ALA Notable Children's Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
National Book Award Winner
Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library
Booklist Editors' Choice
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
An American Bookseller "Pick of the List"
Arizona Young Reader Selection Nominee
Connecticut's Nutmeg Award Nominee
Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee
Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Finalist
Indiana Young Hoosier Award
Iowa Teen Book Award Nominee
Kansas Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Literature Finalist
Maine Student Book Award Nominee
Maryland's Black-eyed Susan Award Nominee
Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award Finalist
Michigan Reader's Choice Award Winner
Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Awards Master List
New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award YA Master List
Tennessee Volunteer State Award Master List
Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
Vermont's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Nominee

About the Author

Kimberly Willis Holt’s first novel, My Louisiana Sky, was an ALA Notable Book and an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. It also received a Boston Globe—Horn Book Honor Award. Her most recent book is Keeper of the Night.

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