Publishers Weekly
01/11/2021
Following rising seventh grader Rylee, this post–9/11 companion to 1999’s When Zachary Beaver Came to Town revisits familiar characters—including Rylee’s father, Toby, that novel’s protagonist—to poignantly capture a narrative centering both true friendship and national grief. After longtime town librarian and photographer Miss Myrtie Mae dies, she bequeaths Toby a photo of himself; his best friend, Cal; and Zachary Beaver, whose sideshow visited Antler, Tex., in the summer of 1971. Recently shunned by her longtime best friend, Rylee forges a new friendship with Joe, a newcomer from Brooklyn with a painful secret. Determined to locate Beaver, Rylee and Joe comb through the past at the library, piecing together the circus’s timeline after 1971 while contending with their own personal upheavals. Returning readers will appreciate National Book Award winner Holt’s attention to detail as she revisits characters, while newcomers will be drawn to Rylee’s empathy, protectiveness of her community, and curiosity about the world and her place in it. The thoughtfully drawn setting circumvents the ease of contemporary internet access, creating a hearty mystery unraveled with local librarians’ assistance and earnest intergenerational conversations. A quiet celebration of friendship, no matter how brief. Ages 10–14. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
A Junior Library Guild Selection
"In this companion to the author’s memorable When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, 30 years have passed and it’s 2001. Evocatively written (“stiff as burnt bacon”), this is an altogether absorbing and affecting novel. It’s obvious that Holt loves her fully realized characters and their small-town setting, and readers can’t help but feel the same." —Booklist, starred review
"Holt deftly intertwines the stories of the individuals from both books, each set at a pivotal time in our country’s past, the earlier work during the Vietnam War and the latter in the aftermath of 9/11. This volume is a literary reunion of sorts, but more important is its deep examination of the meaning and responsibilities of friendship, family, and community." —Horn Book
"A quiet celebration of friendship, no matter how brief." —Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal - Audio
07/01/2021
Gr 3–5—This companion novel to Holt's National Book Award—winning When Zachary Beaver Came to Town stands alone as a heartwarming story of friendship in the awkward time that is junior high school. Rylee feels like she's lost her best friend; Twig appears to be growing up more quickly and pushes Rylee away. When a new boy, Joe, moves from New York City, Rylee takes it upon herself to show him around in an effort to make him love the small town she calls home. The two join forces to track down Rylee's father's old friend, Zachary Beaver, finding friendship and even a sweet puppy love along the way. Set in the aftermath of 9/11, a tragedy that hit too close to home for Joe, this is an endearing story of growing up and what it takes for friendship to last. Listening to Brittany Pressley's narration is an enjoyable experience; her voice will become a friend in the listener's ear. VERDICT Recommended for middle grade libraries.—Betsy Davison, formerly at Homer Central H.S., NY
Kirkus Reviews
2020-10-13
This sequel to Holt’s National Book Award winner, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (1999), revisits Antler, Texas, 30 years later; this time our guide is Toby’s daughter, Rylee.
Rylee, 12, is a passionate booster of her tiny hometown. Unlike her mercurial best friend, Twig, she’s blessed with a happy family. Rylee’s stunned by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, then heartsick over their faltering friendship. Joe, a new classmate from Brooklyn, provides welcome distraction. He ridicules Antler but warms to self-appointed tour guide Rylee, who piques his interest in Zachary Beaver. Learning how the attacks affected Joe’s family makes 9/11 personal to locals. Stalwart Rylee, navigating tween angst, is engaging, but comprehensive updates on characters from the first novel slow the narrative. Little has changed for the White residents. Antler’s success story is Juan Garcia, the impoverished teen from the Mexican side of town, now a world-famous golfer, his childhood home a tourist attraction. Juan’s affluent extended family includes the brilliant Garcia twins, Rylee’s classmates. A new character, Vietnamese immigrant Mr. Pham, cooks for and lives at the bowling alley’s cafe. He suddenly buys the town’s mansion, planning to open an upscale restaurant. White residents’ struggles, missteps, and achievements are affectionately chronicled; the Garcias and Mr. Pham get no humanizing backstories, and they seem to serve to validate Antler’s post-racial bona fides.
Sticks to the shallows. (Fiction. 10-14)
