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Summary: Fat Boy, Good Friend and Chaos! What More Could You Ask For?
Review: I am twelve years old, and thought this book was age appropriate. Although it had more than one story within the story, all of the little colors made a beautiful painting. It was easy to follow, and the characters were believable yet unique-- much like some people of today's society. Toby and his friend Cal are amused when a trailor containing the world's fattest boy arrives in their sleepy hometown. While befriending the boy, Zachary, chasing after his beloved crush, and coping with tradgedy, Toby Wilson learns to accept himself and others.
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Summary: Great book!
Review: I really liked this book! It is good because the characters seem real and they have problems too. I would recommend this for boys in junior high.
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Summary: When Zachary Beaver Came To town
Review: This book is about a boy named Toby. He is thirteen and he lives in Antler, Texas. One day a trailer is sitting in the middle of nowhere. It is holding the fattest boy in the world who weighs six hundred fourty-three pounds. Paulie Rankin is a skinny man who collects money for people to see the fattest boy and he takes care of Zachary. Also, Toby's mom goes away to a place called Nashville to sing at a contest, but she loses. Toby's mother writes something to him that makes him very upset. Toby will probably live the rest of his life without his mom. At first, Toby meets Zachary, and they do not get along. But at the end of the story, they become friends.
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Summary: when zachary beaver came to town
Review: I can't even explain how fabulous the book "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town" is. It is a suspenseful story about a very heavy teenager. His name is Zachary and he is the main act of a freak show run by Paulie Rankin. Paulie leaves Zachary to go find another act for the freak show. A local boy named Toby decides to help Zachary with some of his internal conflicts. If you would like to read a book that deserves the award that it earned, this book definitely deserves its award.
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Summary: An Amazing book!
Review: I'm an 18 year old college student, who loves nothing more than to read. Majoring in childen education, I esp. love reading children's books. After beginning the book, I couldn't put it down. I finished the book in about a week, and loved ever part of this book. This book made me realize that you should pick people out just because they look different. Some of the most weirdest and strange looking people out there today, can be have the most amazing minds in the world. I loved this book and would reccomend it for anyone young and old.
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Summary: He lives in a trailer?
Review: I liked When Zachary Beaver Came To Town because it tells about how it feels to be thirteen year old kid.Toby feels really sad when his mom leaves home. He misses her and the way she takes care of him.He feels good about his friendship with Zachary Beaver, a fat kid he though he wouldn't like. In between, Toby is jealous when he sees the girl he likes with another boy. This book shows how crazy it can get when you are a kid.
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Summary: The fattest boy in the world comes to Antler...
Review: This book starts out innocent enough. Toby and his friend Cal find out that the fattest boy in the world has come to Antler, a slow moving town in the middle of Texas. So, they decide to go see them. And when they see him, Cal becomes obsessed with the boy. So starts out this books. Although many other things happen throughout the story, Toby and Cal's friendship with Zachary remains the main topic.Toby has a lot happen to him, as this is one of those "Summer Of" books where your supposed to remember it as the greatest summer of your life. Holt did a great job telling the story to this one. One problem I did have though, was its thing with religion. At a point, I began to think this was a religious book of sorts. It pushes a huge emphasis on baptism at one point, which I did not like. Whats amazing is that this book is meant for Readers ages 9 to 12. I'm 16, and I seriously doubt the average 11 year old to read this book. When Zachary Beaver Came To Town is a good book, and well worth reading, but I don't think it's one that deserved an award. And [it] definately should be directed towards an older age.
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Summary: Zachery Beaver Came to me from my MOM!
Review: Zachery Beaver is a winner. My mother gave this book to me and it was excellent. Though I was not living at this time I could actually picture it. Kimberly Holt has created a real work of art. One night I began to read and could not stop. With the series of events and they way they happened I was so into it I just couldn't stop reading it. At 1:00 in the morning I fell asleep after finishing the book. This book has a very nice ending and I suggest all 10-15 year olds read it. This is a great book book if you want to know what the past was like. I believe that the characters Toby and Cal are discribed very well and are just like most 12-13 year olds. Therefore I gave this book a 5 but really it is a atleast a 10. I hope others enjoy this book as much as I did.
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Summary: Good book, but didn't deserve the award.
Review: I read this book because my friend recommended it to me. At first it seemed like the plot of this book is pretty unique. Not many books have sideshow acts as main characters. In the beginning, Zachary Beaver comes to a small town in Texas for a few days. Soon, Toby, the main character, tries to befriend Zachary. They don't hit it off at first, but do after a couple chapters. I think there are many stereotypes in this book about some of the townspeople. It was a pretty good book because the main idea of the story is good, but it has no definite beginning, middle and end. You should read this book, if you want something to relax you and has a happy ending.
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Summary: Why all the hoopla?
Review: In WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN, a small texas town is changed forever when a Freak Show Character comes to visit thier town. Zachary Beaver is advertised as the fattest boy in the world. He is a very unlikeable character. He is unfriendly, rude, and a liar. The author tries to show you that his personality characteristics are essentially reactions to the way people react to him, and how they reacted to his late mother. Cal and Toby befriend Zachary when the barker abandons Zachary. Throughout the story, the boys try to help Zachary fulfill a wish that he had made to his deceased mother. This book had so much potential, but it was frankly confusing, and didn't flow well at all. Intertwined with the main plot are some subplots that either confuse, or make you question why the author placed them there. Some of the subplots included are Toby's love for an unlikeable and unattainable girl, Cal's brother fighting and being killed in Vietnam, Toby's mom and Dad splitting up so that she can persue a country music career in Nashville, and the strained relationship between Toby and his worm farming father. In my opinion the book was filled with too many cliches and stereotypes. I am also put off by the fact that the Author uses Zachary's size as a source of humor throughout the book.
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