Books with author Kimberly Willis Holt

Tiger Ann Parker wants nothing more than to get out of the rural town of Saitter, Louisiana--far away from her mentally disabled mother, her "slow" father who can't read an electric bill, and her classmates who taunt her. So when Aunt Dorie Kay asks Tiger to sp the summer with her in Baton Rouge, Tiger can't wait to go. But before she leaves, the sudden revelation of a dark family secret prompts Tiger to make a decision that will ultimately change her life.Set in the South in the late 1950s, this coming-of-age novel explores a twelve-year-old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally deficient parents, and the changing world around her. It is a novel filled with beautiful language and unforgettable characters, and the importance of family and home.My Louisiana Sky is a 1998 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award Honor Book for Fiction.

After Grandpa comes to live with them, 11-year-old tomboy Jaynell, called "Boy," discovers that he has befriended the Pickens, a poor family from the wrong side of the tracks, and when he dies, he leaves his house to the Pickens, which forces Jaynell to change her views on poverty forever, in a wonderful novel set in Texas in 1968. 17,500 first printing.

National Book Award WinnerThe red words painted on the trailer caused quite a buzz around town and before an hour was up, half of Antler was standing in line with two dollars clutched in hand to see the fattest boy in the world.Toby Wilson is having the toughest summer of his life. It's the summer his mother leaves for good; the summer his best friend's brother returns from Vietnam in a coffin. And the summer that Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in their sleepy Texas town. While it's a summer filled with heartache of every kind, it's also a summer of new friendships gained and old friendships renewed. And it's Zachary Beaver who turns the town of Antler upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever.With understated elegance, Kimberly Willis Holt tells a compelling coming-of-age story about a thirteen-year-old boy struggling to find himself in an imperfect world. At turns passionate and humorous, this extraordinary novel deals sensitively and candidly with obesity, war, and the true power of friendship.When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is the winner of the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. This title has Common Core connections.

Amos Kincaid is the son of a dowser – a person gifted in knowing how to "find" water deep in the ground. As a young person, Amos doesn't reveal his gift to others; he's not sure he wants the burden. But through his experiences growing up and crossing the Oregon Trail, Amos learns about life's harsh realities, especially the pain in losing loved ones. As he cares for those around him, Amos comes to accept his dowsing fate. This epic novel is a fascinating period piece about the westward expansion and one man's destiny as he searches for love and family.

The lives of four generations of one Louisiana family, woven together by a master storytellerTracing a family's roots is like taking a journey through the years. In the case of one Louisiana family, that journey can be charted by the books they read and loved. The journey begins in 1939 with Rose, who moves with her mother and siblings from rural Texas to live with their estranged grandfather in the Louisiana bayou. Rose connects with this flavorful community through her love of books and by driving a bookmobile. Two decades later, Merle Henry, Rose's son, is more passionate about trapping a mink than about reading, although there is a place in his heart for Old Yeller. In 1973, Merle Henry's daughter, Annabeth, feels torn between reading fairy tales and a crush on a real-life knight in shining armor. And in the present day, Annabeth's son, Kyle, finds himself in a bind: he hates reading, but the only summer job he can get is at the library.In her people-smart way, Kimberly Willis Holt introduces us to a Louisiana family: touching, lyrical, and always intriguing, their stories reveal the powerful connections between four generations.Part of Me is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Out of the Dust Enhanced eBook (Focus On Reading)Features Include: Contains teacher and student support materials, reproducible student activity sheets, an end-of-book test, and an answer key. Each reading guide divides the novel into six manageable units. Prepares all students for reading success through activating prior knowledge. Focuses reading with guiding ""Questions to Think About"". Build vocabulary with pre-reading and during-reading activities. Develops cultural literacy.An Enhanced eBook is an electronic version of a Saddleback book that you can dodwnload to your computer & manipulate to fit your instructional needs. You will have the freedom to cut & paste any portion of the text into your own document; to extract & post pages & activities on your class website; to e-mail parents & your students individual pages form the eBook; to project the eBook contents on a whiteboard; and more! Struggling readers frequently lack basic reading skills and are not equipped with the prior knowledge and reading strategies to thoroughly engage in the classroom literature experience. Give your students the background and support they need to understand and enjoy literature. With these reading guides, your students will practice reading comprehension skills, sharpen their vocabulary, and learn to identify literary elements. Paperback books range in reading level from 4 to 10. Reproducible.

Tiger Ann Parker is smart in school and good at baseball, but she's forever teased about her family by the girls in class. Tiger Ann knows her folks are different from others in their small town of Saitter, Louisiana. They are mentally slow, and Tiger Ann keeps her pain and embarrassment hidden as long as her strong and smart Granny runs the household. Then Granny dies suddenly and Aunt Dorie Kay arrives, offering Tiger Ann a way out. Now Tiger Ann must make the most important decision of her life.

The red words painted on the trailer caused quite a buzz around town and before an hour was up, half of Antler was standing in line with two dollars clutched in hand to see the fattest boy in the world.Toby Wilson is having the toughest summer of his life. It's the summer his mother leaves for good; the summer his best friend's brother returns from Vietnam in a coffin. And the summer that Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in their sleepy Texas town. While it's a summer filled with heartache of every kind, it's also a summer of new friendships gained and old friendships renewed. And it's Zachary Beaver who turns the town of Antler upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever.With understated elegance, Kimberly Willis Holt tells a compelling coming-of-age story about a thirteen-year-old boy struggling to find himself in an imperfect world. At turns passionate and humorous, this extraordinary novel deals sensitively and candidly with obesity, war, and the true power of friendship. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is the winner of the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

There's not much for teenagers to do in the tiny town of Antler, Texas. So Toby Wilson and his best friend Cal, along with the rest of Antler's residents, are intrigued when Zachary Beaver, the world's fattest boy, comes to town in a carnival trailer. Most people pay two dollars to gawk at Zachary, and think of him only as a sideshow attraction, not as a real human being. But over the course of Zachary's stay in town, Toby and Cal befriend him, and the three boys share many bonding experiences.