Booktalking Colorado - Full Booktalk Record

Booktalking Colorado Full Record:

	Title:	When Zachery Beaver Came to Town
	Author:	Holt, Kimberly Willis
	Date Published:	1999
	Genre:	Real Life
	Grade Level:	5 - 7
	Booktalker:	Bonnie Phinney

Booktalk:
Nothing ever happened in Antler, Texas. Nothing. Until the summer of 1971, that is, when an old blue thunderbird pulled a trailer decorated with Christmas lights into the Dairy Maid parking lot. The words on the side of the trailer caused quite a buzz around town, and before you knew it, half of Antler was standin’ in line with two dollars to see “the fattest boy in the world.” My name is Toby Wilson. I’m 13 years old and my best friend, Cal, and I, are in that line. It was Cal’s idea. What’s worse, I’m holding the hand of a bratty four-year old named Tara – Tara’s dancing around like she has to go to the bathroom. She’s the little sister of the prettiest girl in eighth grade. Man, what a sucker; when Scarlet batted her eyes at me… well, so here I am in line with everyone else. We finally get to the trailer. The cramped area smells like Pine-Sol and Lemon Pledge – and it’s dark, except for a lamp and a little sunlight sneaking in through the crack in the curtains. In the middle of the trailer sits the largest human being I’ve ever seen. Zachary Beaver weighs 643 pounds – and he’s the size of a two-man pup tent! Cal immediately starts asking embarrassing questions. I just knew he was gonna ask him about his bathroom routine, when Tara wets her pants. Geez! I want to die. Well, in spite of this odd introduction, Cal and I get to know Zachary a lot better, especially after his guardian takes off and leaves him alone in the trailer. We start to leave him food on the trailer step; then later, the sheriff, who’s beginning to get suspicious, asks us to come with him to talk to Zachary. We thought we were in trouble for breaking his window, but turns out the sheriff just thinks Zachary will talk to boys his own age. Zachary’s not the friendliest guy; he’s rude, bossy, and acts like a real “know it all” when he tells us all about his international travels. He practically sounds like an encyclopedia! He’s weird, but there’s something that keeps drawing us back, despite ourselves. We’ve got plans for Zachary. But Zachary’s not the only major event that summer. My mom had a hankering to pursue a singing career, so she took off for Nashville for a contest. Don’t know when OR IF, she’s coming home. And Cal’s older brother is fighting in Vietnam. He sends letters home every day, but he never talks about the war. He talks about Antler like it’s the best place in the world – sounds like he misses this place! Stupid Cal won’t write back, so one day I do something I’ll soon regret: I forge a letter and sign Cal’s name. And then there’s Scarlet – do I really have a chance with her, when she breaks up with Juan? The summer of 1971 was one of changes. Yes, sir. By summer’s end we’d be three very different people, Zachary, Cal, and me.. Very different people.