Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Robert A.

Did you ever have to make friends with someone who is different in some way? Toby Wilson had to do just that. "When Zachary Beaver Came To Town," by Kimberly Willis Holt, takes place in Antler, a suburb of Amarillo, TX. This realistic fiction book concerns Toby, his friend Calvin McKnight, and Zachary Beaver. According to Toby, the narrator, Paulie Rankin, a circus guy, is searching for acts for his sideshow. This summer, he dropped off his only act (Zachary Beaver, fattest boy in the world) in Antler. Toby and Calvin, who are both about thirteen, find Zachary, who's about their age, living alone in a trailer, as his own guardian. Sheriff Levi says that Rankin has to pick him up within the next few weeks. Opalina, Toby's mom, is away in Nashville, auditioning for a record cut at the Grand Ole Opry; Wayne, Calvin's older brother, is fighting in the deadly Vietnam War. Toby loves Scarlett Stalling, who loves him back, but also has something like a crush on Juan Garcia. Zachary's mom promised to have him baptized, but then she died, and he never did. Toby wants Zachary to get baptized, but Zachary doesn't.

The characters and their part in the plot made it a page-turner. Even when I had met my reading goal, I kept wondering about what would happen next. I even kept reading the book one time. I enjoy stories where one character, like Zachary, is a little bizarre. However, all the subplots lead back to Toby, the main character. I can imagine myself as him.

Kids who stand out as "different" in their school would definitely enjoy this book. Zachary Beaver is that "different" character. He discovers that "normal" people can still make friends with "different" people. In summary, the people of Antler were in for an adventure "When Zachary Beaver Came To Town."