When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt is a book about a small town, Antler, where not much happens and everyone knows everything about everyone else. One day Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, comes and visits Antler, and the towns people come to the trailer, pay two dollars, and go into his trailer to see him. Toby, 13, meets Zachary, who he does not care for at all. Toby thinks that all Zachary is good for is being mean and making up stories about the places he has been and Toby does not want any part of spending time with him. But his best friend Cal on the other hand seems to be fascinated with Zachary and wants to help him out with everything. Zachary is left in his trailer when his guardian goes off to find their next place. Meanwhile Cal starts hanging out with Zachary and finding ways to do things with him that he would not have otherwise been able to do. Cal and Toby figure out toward the end of the story that Zachary promised his mother, before she died, that he would get baptized, so Cal and Toby make it their mission to make sure before Zachary leaves, that he is baptized.
Web Resources for teachers:
Random House- This website has before reading activities, connections, about the author, about the book and other teaching ideas.
Lesson Ideas-This site has a lot of assignment ideas, such as writing a letter to Wayne, Cal’s brother, journal entries, Venn diagrams and much more.
Lesson Ideas-This site has a lot of assignment ideas, such as writing a letter to Wayne, Cal’s brother, journal entries, Venn diagrams and much more.
Vocabulary: Chapter 1- reputation, pouty, Chapter 2- adoptee, suspiciously, sterile, irritated, Chapter 3- panhandle, vacant, majority, cotton gin, pruning, senile, Chapter 4- herbicide, frantically, insecticide, accelerates, resuscitation, oblivious, POW, Chapter 5- destiny, avert, emphysema, Chapter 6- Place-Saigon, Chapter 8- transistor radio, Chapter 9- initiation, inconvenience, daintily, pathological liar, Chapter 10- engrossed, possessed, Chapter 11- traipse, Chapter 15- ulcers, Chapter 16- deliberate, Chapter 18- petrified, Chapter 19- dinghy, cicadas, Chapter 20- recruiting, parsonage, and concordance.
· This is the vocabulary I think they might have trouble and with the exception of POW, I would have my students just as they read look of the meanings of the words that they did not know since there are so few words.
Before Reading: I would ask the students what they already know about war and especially about Vietnam War? Then I would tell them a little about the war, especially about how there was little support and a lot of the soldiers came home with more than just physical injuries but Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I would tell them that the book they are about to read is about two best friends Cal and Toby and Cal’s brother is in the Vietnam war. Then I would tell them the story is about one summer that year where something unusual happens. I would then ask them to share what things happen over the summer? Then I would ask what is something different that might happen, that the whole town might take part in?
During Reading: Chapter Questions:
Chapter 2- How do you feel Zachary Beaver feels about people paying two dollars to see him because he is said to be the fattest kid in the world?
Chapter 3- Knowing what Antler is depicted as in the book, how is/ is not like your home town?
Chapter 6- How do you think Wayne Feels about Cal not writing? How do you know?
*At this point I would have my students stop and write a letter to Wayne about their summer so far as if they were Cal.
Chapter 9- Why do you think they judge was talking to Toby the way he was?
Chapter 10- Why would Toby leave Scarlett when she was upset to bring Tara to see Zachary when Toby knows the last time Tara saw Zachary she was scared?
Chapter 11- Why do you think Toby’s mom chose to write a letter to him about his parent’s problems?
Chapter 13- Why does Cal want to do so much for Zachary? Why did he decide to bring him to the movies?
Chapter 14- Why does Toby decide he needs to get the pearls back?
Chapter 15- What happened to Wayne?
Chapter 18- If Scarlett did not want to see Juan, then why does she tell Toby he’s still the nicest guy in Antler?
Chapter 20- Why does Toby keep bothering Ferris with one idea? Do you think Toby will get what he wants?
After Reading: I would have my students write a letter to Cal and Toby from Zachary about one of his new adventures.
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