Overview

From National Book Award-winning Kimberly Willis Holt, a historical middle grade novel set in 1948 in which a young girl writes letters to country-music star Hank Williams to cope with turmoil at home. It's 1948 in Rippling Creek, Louisiana, and Tate P. Ellerbee's new teacher has just given her class an assignment: learning the art of letter-writing. Luckily, Tate has the perfect person in mind for a pen pal: Hank Williams, a country music singer-songwriter whose star has just begun to rise. Tate and her aunt and uncle listen to him on the radio every Saturday night, and Tate just knows that she and Hank are kindred spirits. Told entirely through Tate's hopeful letters, this new novel from National Book Award-winning author Kimberly Willis Holt gradually unfolds a story of overcoming tragedy, of family love, of small-town gossip, and of a young girl learning to find her voice.

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9781250079787

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Reviews

The strength of this novel lies in the insight Tate develops as she deals with tragedy and depends on the love of family. VERDICT Artfully told, this middle grade novel pleases on many levels.--Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH School Library Journal

<b>An Amazon Best Book of the Year</b><b>A VOYA Perfect Ten</b></p> The strength of this novel lies in the insight Tate develops as she deals with tragedy and depends on the love of family. VERDICT Artfully told, this middle grade novel pleases on many levels. --Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH, <i>School Library Journal</i></p> Soulful and satisfying. --<i>Kirkus Reviews</i></p> This book packs more emotional power than 90% of the so-called grown-up novels taking up precious space on bookshelves around the country. --<i>USA Today on When Zachary Beaver Came to Town</i></p> Holt may not take her readers on wild flights of fantasy, but her quiet novel offers a slice of life that's hard to resist. --<i>The New York Times Book Review on When Zachary Beaver Came to Town</i></p> In her own down-to-earth, people, smart way, Holt offers a gift. . . . It is a lovely--at times even giddy--date with real life. --<i>The Horn Book, starred review on When Zachary Beaver Came to Town</i></p> An unusually auspicious debut. --<i>Publishers Weekly, starred review on My Louisiana Sky</i></p> This lyrical first novel brings fresh perspective to the guilt and anger and caring that surround the mentally disabled. All the characters . . . are drawn with warmth but no patronizing reverence. --<i>Booklist, starred review on My Louisiana Sky</i></p> Evocative . . . haunting . . . magic. --<i>Publishers Weekly, starred review on Keeper of the Night</i></p> Beautifully written. --<i>School Library Journal, starred review on Keeper of the Night</i></p>

Author Information

Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of many award-winning novels for young adults and children, including The Water Seeker, My Louisiana Sky, and When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, winner of a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She is also the author of the bestselling Piper Reed series of chapter books and several picture books. Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and has lived all over the U.S. and the world--from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. She now lives in Texas with her family. kimberlywillisholt.com

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