“When Zachary Beaver Came to Town” by Kimberly Willis Holt

This National Book Award winner and TAB title has been on my “need to read” list for a while. One of those few books left that is clearly a middle school book, I don’t see it appealing to many of our students. In a time when contemporary urban stories are popular, the book is set in small-town Texas in 1971. One of the themes includes Christian redemption and the protagonists are all male – in a book with virtually no action. None of which is to say it is a bad book. I just think it would take a more reflective reader to appreciate it. Perhaps it could find a home with niche readers. It is a charming story in many ways and the characters are drawn richly. The religious theme, along with the other plotlines (mostly of loss), is gently written. And perhaps that is the point of the story. Focusing on 13 year-old Toby and his friend Cal, the tale unfolds when a 600+ pound teen is brought to the town of “Antler, TX” as a sideshow attraction. Humanizing the freak becomes a journey that allows each of the characters to deal with their own internal struggles. It is not a sad book, just a sweet one. There is discovery and there is growth, but mostly it felt like a slice of life. It’s a worthy read should someone come across it.