The Summer of The SwansThe Summer of The Swans

Author: Betsy ByarsCover Illustration By: Steven Assel

Illustrated By: Ted CoConisPublished By: The Viking Press

Date of Publication: 1981

SettingSettingWhere and when the story takes place

The story took place on a morning at the Godfrey house in West Virginia. Thehouse was fairly big with a porch and some front steps. It had a vast lawn as well. Therewas a kitchen next to a living room. On the second floor were Aunt Willie’s room,Charlie’s room and Wanda and Sara’s room.

It also took place on a afternoon at a lake with swans where Sara took Charlie to explore. There were six swans that seemed motionless on the water. Their necks were all arched at the same angle, so it seemed there was only one swan mirrored five times.

One clear blue night, Charlie left the house to see the swans again, but he got lost in the woods. There were weeds and bushes everywhere that made cuts in his arms. The woods also included many ravines, high walls of masses of weeds, and many hills. It was very dark with scary noises and dark shadows made by the huge trees.

CharactersCharacters

CharlieCharlie

SaraSara

Aunt WillieAunt Willie

Charlie

Charlie is the most important character in the story.

He is ten years old. He has an identification bracelet with his name and address on one wrist.

Charlie is mentally handicapped. Since he was three years old, he hasn’t spoken a word. He likes to listen to the ticking of his watch. It never fails to soothe him. When Charlie got lost, he was wearing blue pajamas and brown slippers.

Sara

Sara is my favorite character. She is fourteen years old. She has

big feet with orange sneakers. Sara is tall and skinny. She has a

crooked nose. Sara is a stubborn young girl. She

has very low self-esteem. Sara worries about how she looks. She thinks she is not anything. Sara is jealous of her sister. She misunderstands her father's coldness for a lack of love. Sara misjudges the motives of everyone around her. At first she disliked her brother, Charlie, but after the incident she realized she loved him.

Aunt Willie

Aunt Willie is in her early forties.

She has bad legs. She always wears her apron and works in the kitchen.

Aunt Willie has been the three siblings’ guardian since their mother died six years ago. Sara doesn't like her very much, but she appears to be a real sport. For example, taking care of the children.

However, Aunt Willie is a bit tooover-protective.

She is the character I detest the most.

SynopsisSummer of the Swans is a book about three siblings, nineteen year old Wanda, fourteen year old Sara, and

ten year old Charlie who lived in West Virginia. They were put under the care of their Aunt Willie because their mother died six years ago and their father worked a long way from them.

Sara thought Wanda was prettier and better formed than she. Sara was a girl who thought she wasn’t attractive. She was jealous of her sister because she got all the boys. On the other hand, Sara’s brother, Charlie, was mentally handicapped. When he was three, he had very high fevers that almost took his life away and damaged his brain. Since then he hasn't spoken a word.

Sara wanted to go see the swans and Aunt Willie told her to take Charlie and some bread to feed the swans with her. Sara and Charlie fed the swans and then watched them for a while. When Charlie knew it was time to go, he refused. Sara had to drag him home.

That night, Charlie wanted to see the swans again, so he ran out of the house, across the yard and headed down the road. He lost his way and started to head up the hill into the woods. The dark shadows and scary noises frightened Charlie. He started running again. When Charlie was running, he lost one of his bedroom slippers. Charlie ran into everything until he arrived at a ravine and somehow got stuck.

In the morning, Wanda, Sara and Aunt Willie found Charlie was missing. Aunt Willie called the cops. During the time to find her brother, Sara grew up. She learned to take life around her more seriously. She realized that life was not always easy to figure out. The cops set up a search to find Charlie. Sara and her best friend, Mary, went up behind the lake and walked behind the houses toward the woods. Joe came along to help. Sara found Charlie's lost bedroom slipper. That was a sign that Charlie passed by. Sara could hear Charlie crying in the distance and ran toward the ravine. She found Charlie at last.

Sara realized that she did love her brother. She used to think that he was a pain in the neck. But when he was lost, she couldn't give up looking for him. After this incident, she wouldn’t think that Charlie was a pain any more because Charlie was actually a big part of her life and heart.

OpinionsWhen I first borrowed this book from the library, I thought it was going to be as exciting as

Silverwing, the Harry Potter series and A Series of Unfortunate Events. After reading it, I had mixed feelings about this book.

On one hand, it taught me a valuable lesson for later on in life. That is to open our eyes to the lives of others and realize that everyone has problems, some of which are worse than others, and that things usually work out. Nevertheless, even when they do not work out, we have to pick ourselves up and move on because we only get one go around in this ride we call life. The book also let me feel some things that are not happening to me, but to Sara. For example, having a mentally handicapped brother.

On the other hand, it was one of the most boring books I have ever read. I don’t even think it deserved a Newberry Medal because there were hardly any descriptions of the characters and the whole novel seemed to be hanging. There was no beginning and ending to me, just a middle. In fact, I couldn’t even see where the problems came from. I would have liked the book to start when the mother was alive and then move into how the book started now.

I would give this book three stars because it wasn’t a very good book, but taught me a valuable lesson. I would recommend this book for readers from age 8-12 because this book’s reading level is 4.6.

MiscellaneousThe other books written by Betsy Byars:1. After the Goat Man2. The 18th Emergency3. The Glory Girl4. The House of Wings5. The Midnight Fox6. Tornado7. Trouble River8. The Moon and I9. Herculeah Jones Mystery books10. A Blossom Promise11. The Pinballs

The titles of other books similar to Summer of the Swans:1. James and the Giant Peach – By Roald Dahl2. A Series of Unfortunate Events – By Lemony Snicket3. Harry Potter – By J.K. Rowling4. Maniac Magee – By Jerry Spinelli5. Tuck Everlasting – By Natalie Babbit6. Island of the Blue Dolphins – By Scott O’Dell7. Dear Mr. Henshaw – Beverly Cleary8. Charlotte’s Web – By E.B. White

About the Author

Betsy Byars was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and lived there until

hergraduation from Queens College. The mother of four, Mrs. Byarsbegan writing books for children as

herown family was growing up. Mrs. Byars now lives in SouthCarolina, where her husband isassociated with Clemson University.She and her husband have travelledwidely throughout the United States

inpursuit of their interest in gliding andantique airplanes.

Scenes From The Book

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