When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town Summary | Plot Summary

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is a coming of age tale, centering around thirteen-year-old Toby Wilson and his best friend, Cal. When a sideshow act comes to town featuring the reported fattest boy in the world, Zachary Beaver, it is the beginning of major changes for the unsuspecting boys. The next few weeks will test Toby and Cal's friendship in ways neither ever imagined. However, helping Zachary will bring them back together, stronger than ever. Kimberly Willis Holt, an award-winning author, has once again brought memorable characters and a heartwarming story to life for young adult readers everywhere.

Toby Wilson wants to have the best summer ever. However, when you live in a small town like Antler, Texas, there just is not much to do that you have not done a million times before. This year is different, though. Today, a trailer rolled into town carrying the world's fattest boy.

Toby and Cal pay their two dollars to see Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy, expecting he will be long gone by morning. However, when Zachary's trailer is still parked in front of the Dairy Maid three days later, the boys cannot help their curiosity. It seems his partner, Paulie Rankin, has abandoned Zachary. At first, they deliver groceries to the boy, leaving them on the doorstep and then hiding to catch a glimpse of Zachary. Then, when the sheriff asks for their help, the boys find themselves back in the trailer attempting to forge some sort of friendship with Zachary. It is not an easy task.

While Zachary fights Cal and Toby's overtures at friendship, Toby is steeped in other dramas in his life. Toby's Mom has left her family to follow her dreams in Nashville where she is participating in a contest to be the next big country music star. When the contest ends, however, Toby's Mom decides she does not want to come back to Antler. Toby is also having trouble with the fact that Cal's brother, Wayne, is in Vietnam. Toby looks up to Wayne and cannot understand why Cal does not write Wayne every time Wayne writes to him. Toby takes it upon himself to write his own letter to Wayne, signing Cal's name, without telling Cal.

During all of this, Toby is also dealing with a crush on the most beautiful girl in Antler, at least in his opinion. Scarlett has never noticed Toby beyond the normal bounds of classmate. Scarlett is in love with Juan, the son of local farm hands. However, when Scarlett breaks up with Juan for not attending a family party with her, Toby finds an opening into her life. Toby even goes as far as giving Scarlett his Mom's pearls to prove his love. Unfortunately, Scarlett is still in love with Juan.

To add to all his other problems, Toby also has a summer job mowing the lawn for the local librarian and historian, Miss Myrtie Mae. Miss Myrtie Mae's brother, the Judge, is senile. He scares Toby. Once, when Toby goes to care for the lawn, the Judge throws apples at him. Eventually, however, Toby realizes that the Judge has mistaken him for his granddad. Toby takes the time one afternoon to play baseball with the Judge, ending the Judge's obsessive behavior.

Cal is determined that he and Toby befriend Zachary. Cal devises a plan to take Zachary to the drive in movie, with Kate's help. Zachary only goes to the movies because of Kate, but he seems to truly enjoy himself. Cal also discovers in his snooping in Zachary's trailer that not all of Zachary's stories of having traveled around the world are true, that he learned all the facts he likes to tell them through dozens of books stacked in the back of his trailer. Cal also discovers that Zachary has a bible his Mom gave him for his baptism, except Zachary has never been baptized. During the course of the sheriff's check into Zachary's background, he tells the boys that Zachary's Mom was also big and her funeral was a media circus. The boys realize that this must be why Zachary never went through with his baptism, afraid it too would turn into a circus.

The summer is thrown into a dark abyss, when news comes that Wayne has died. Toby is so shocked by the news that he cannot bear to look at Cal or anyone else in his family. Toby refuses to go to the wake and the funeral. As a result, Cal is very angry with Toby and ends their friendship. However, with help from his Dad in understanding Cal's pain, Toby makes amends with Cal. It is then that Cal tells Toby they should continue with their plans to get Zachary baptized.

The boys' conspire to baptize Zachary in Gossimer Lake. They conspire with Kate, the local bully, Malcolm and Ferris. Zachary is reluctant at first. However, when the boys describe their plan and explain what they know about why Zachary has not been baptized before now, he relents. Kate drives Zachary to the lake in Wylie Womack's cart. Ferris, who was reluctant at first to perform the ceremony since he is not an ordained minister, meets them there. The baptism goes off without a problem. When they return to Zachary's trailer, the sheriff is there waiting. Sheriff Levi has heard from Paulie Rankin. Paulie has been in Paris and will be returning to reclaim custody of Zachary in a few days.

Toby has learned from all these events in such a way that he finds himself helping Juan and Scarlett get back together and has agreed to go visit his Mom in Nashville. Zachary rides off into the sunset with promises to write, though Toby knows he probably will not. However, this summer has taught Toby a lot, and he now looks at the little town where he lives and the people in it with new insight.