When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

National Book Award Winner

"This book packs more emotional power than 90% of the so-called grown-up novels." --USA Today

"Holt reinvents the coming-of-age story, breathing life into a quirky cast of characters." --Kirkus Reviews

Award-winning author Kimberly Willis Holt tells an elegant coming-of-age story about a thirteen-year-old boy struggling to find himself in an imperfect world. At turns passionate and humorous, this extraordinary novel deals sensitively and candidly with obesity, war, and the true power of friendship.

Toby Wilson is having the toughest summer of his life. It's the summer his mother leaves for good; the summer his best friend's brother returns from Vietnam in a coffin. And the summer that Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in their sleepy Texas town. While it's a summer filled with heartache of every kind, it's also a summer of new friendships gained and old friendships renewed. And it's Zachary Beaver who turns the town of Antler upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever.

Kimberly Willis Holt stopped talking about wanting to be a writer and started pursuing her ambition twenty-three years ago. She considers herself a southerner because of her family's Louisiana heritage, although her father's military career led her to places other than the South, including Paris and Guam. She has written a number of novels for a variety of ages, several of which have received prizes and accolades. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, her third novel, won the National Book Award for Young People's Fiction. She lives in Texas, where she writes and plants.