Books with author Kimberly Willis Holt

Unabridged audiobook on 7 cassettes! Nothing ever happens in Toby's small Texas town. Nothing much, that is, until this summer. This summer, everyone seems to be leaving. Toby's mother leaves home to be a country singer. His best friend Cal's older brother goes off to fight in Vietnam. But their sleepy town is about to get a jolt with the arrival of Zachary Beaver, billed as the fattest boy in the world. Toby is amazed by Zachary and his tales of the people and places he's known. Toby is in for a summer unlike any other, a summer sure to change his life.

Jolene's family was just Momma and Grandpa until big, loud Leroy Redfield started taking Momma dancing. Jolene refuses to call him anything but "Mister." Without a name, he isn't a real person to her. But then Jolene learns that Mister wants to marry Momma. Is there anything Jolene can do to make him go away?"The warmth and love in the Johnson household envelops the novel... Jolene's willingness to face the uncertainties of her future may well give courage to readers confronting sea changes of their own."-Publishers WeeklyAwards:( New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"( A Texas Bluebonnet Master List Book

“When I was a boy, my pa dowsed to earn extra money when we had a lean year. And when he put the branch in my hands for the first time, I felt a burning inside me because I had the gift, too. Just be thankful I didn’t hand that gift down to you.”Amos figured it was probably best not to tell his father that it was too late. What would you do if you knew you had a special gift—a sixth sense—that was passed down from one generation to the next? A gift that could help people in times of need, but one your father often saw as a trap. Would you use that gift? This is the story of Amos Kincaid, the dowser’s son.

"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.

The lives of four generations of one Louisiana family, woven together by a master storyteller Tracing 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.

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Since her mother's suicide, 13-year-old Isabel finds herself taking responsibility for her younger brother and sister while their father spends long hours on his boat. Isabel's determination to keep going in the face of overwhelming loss and responsibility and the help she ultimately receives from concerned adults, distinguish this beautifully written story of sorrow and recovery.