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Summer of the Swans
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Not the book you’re looking for?Preview — Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
All summer Sara Godfrey has fretted over herself, her impossible body, her terrible new haircut. One moment she's elated, the next, she's in tears. And she can't figure out why. Maybe her wildly changing moods are tied to the sudden and unaccountable appearance of the swans, which hold the rapt attention of Charlie, Sara's mentally handicapped brother, who she loves far mo...more
Published June 1st 1975 by Live Oak Media (first published March 30th 1970)
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Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)West Virginia. I just re-read this and I understand your confusion, it's mentioned only in passing that they are in WVA and her dad went to NC when he…moreWest Virginia. I just re-read this and I understand your confusion, it's mentioned only in passing that they are in WVA and her dad went to NC when he deserted the family.(less)
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Rating details
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Jan 14, 2019Sheri rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Slow, boring, completely forgettable. I read this because it's a Newbery winner but am struggling to come up with anything positive to say about it. 😕
The biggest takeaway for me is that unfortunately, this is an all too realistic depiction of life, both then and even yet today, for many households with a mentally handicapped child. The stresses and worries for the parent, the additional responsibilities and emotional burden shouldered by siblings, and the confusing and scary world that often ove...more
Aug 23, 2018Manybooks rated it really liked it · review of another editionThe biggest takeaway for me is that unfortunately, this is an all too realistic depiction of life, both then and even yet today, for many households with a mentally handicapped child. The stresses and worries for the parent, the additional responsibilities and emotional burden shouldered by siblings, and the confusing and scary world that often ove...more
Shelves: four-seasons-summer, childrens-literature, siblings, book-reviews, historical-fiction, challenges-special-needs, families
Set in small town West Virginia during the 1960s (and basically a tale of family, friendship and yes, not always being so quick to jump to wrong, to erroneous conclusions), I first encountered Betsy Byars' Newbery Award winning Summer of the Swans in German translation (probably in 1976 when I was ten years old, but it might in fact have been a year earlier, in 1975). And I do well remember that I absolutely loved Summer of the Swans as a child (or Als die Schwäne kamen as the novel is known in...more
Feb 01, 2009Lindsey rated it it was ok · review of another edition
We finished Summer of the Swans the other day (amazing how long it takes for us to read such a teenie little book). I was...underwhelmed. All the teachers who recommended it raved about it, but I didn't see what the big deal was. It centers around the relationship between a sister and her mentally challenged younger brother, who gets lost in West Virginia mine country. The idea itself was good, but the story was slow, and then it ended very abruptly. I would have prefered it better if the story...more
Jun 15, 2019Rebecca McNutt rated it liked it · review of another edition
The Summer of the Swans is your basic, run-of-the-mill teen drama fiction. It's not a bad book at all, and some of the author's writing was absolutely beautiful. The story follows Sara, a girl caught between childhood and adulthood, frustrated with her family and trying to find herself in the world when she feels like she doesn't belong. The book also addresses growing up with a mentally disabled sibling, a topic often not addressed in fiction. However, the book itself is incredibly out-of-date...more
Feb 10, 2012Connie Kuntz rated it it was ok · review of another edition
I read this with the kids. It's a nice enough story about teenage angst that touches on some interesting subjects including deceased mothers, absent fathers, mentally handicapped children. Unfortunately, it only grazes the surface of these issues and reads with about as much intensity of a corporate video about 'Mutual Respect.' Yes, it is well written, has great imagery, and it won a Newberry award, but I think it is too simple a story to take seriously. Even the description of the swans was fl...more
Apr 03, 2015Rena Sherwood rated it did not like it · review of another edition Shelves: the-crap-shelf, supposedly-for-children, animals
Yes, it won a major book award and it must have been a VERY bad year for children s' books for this to win. This was such a disappointment after enjoying Betsy Byars' The Winged Colt of Casa Mia.
Color me nutty, but if a book is titled The SUMMER of the Swans, perhaps swans should somehow be part of a whole summer instead of just two friggin' days.
I guess this was one of the first books to deal with an autistic child (long before the word 'autism' was coined). The child gets lost in the woods at...more
Nov 26, 2017Shiloah rated it really liked it · review of another editionColor me nutty, but if a book is titled The SUMMER of the Swans, perhaps swans should somehow be part of a whole summer instead of just two friggin' days.
I guess this was one of the first books to deal with an autistic child (long before the word 'autism' was coined). The child gets lost in the woods at...more
Shelves: childrens-storybooks, classic-childrens-storybooks, 2017-read-aloud
This was a very good read aloud. We didn’t want to wait to find out what happened. Such a sweet book.
Aug 08, 2011Nora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I re-read this book that I loved so much as a child. Basically, this book is perfect. The trend in children's books now is that you have to grab the reader by the throat in the opening line and have non-stop action. But this gentle, contemplative book is of its time (the '70s) and is essentially character-driven. I remember as a nine-year old thinking this book was really 'deep'--and I still think so! Also, I was really amazed at Betsy Byears' dead-on portrayal of autism, even though she doesn't...more
May 16, 2017Juli Anna rated it did not like it · review of another edition
I'm sorry, but this was just a dumb book. The protagonist is completely shallow and unlikable and the story and themes were hardly developed. This is a classic tale of 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone' (to quote Joni Mitchell), but it's so straightforward and simple that I really don't see what distinguishes this story. Also, a minor peeve: I would expect a story called The Summer of the Swans to take place over more than two days' time.
Jul 10, 2008Wendy rated it it was ok · review of another edition
This probably would be better if it was longer; as is, it feels like an overlong short story. Underdeveloped all around, and terribly dated. Compared to this, RULES is a masterpiece.
Incidentally, I notice that a disproportionate number of Newberys take place in West Virginia, which is pretty odd.
Incidentally, I notice that a disproportionate number of Newberys take place in West Virginia, which is pretty odd.
Feb 19, 2012Kathy Davie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
A standalone fictional novel for young adults revolving around fourteen-year-old Sara, just hitting puberty with all the angst of it.
In 1971, The Summer of the Swans won the Newbery Medal.
My Take
Puberty is hitting Sara hard, and Byars is absolutely brilliant in her depiction of the angst and drama of a young teen with the frustrations about her father and her impatience with her little brother — this rings so true of sibling relationships! Her intense sense of right and wrong as well as her desi...more
In 1971, The Summer of the Swans won the Newbery Medal.
My Take
Puberty is hitting Sara hard, and Byars is absolutely brilliant in her depiction of the angst and drama of a young teen with the frustrations about her father and her impatience with her little brother — this rings so true of sibling relationships! Her intense sense of right and wrong as well as her desi...more
Aug 08, 2014L Frost rated it liked it · review of another edition
Simple story. Typical teenage girl beginning to face uncertainty about herself although her life has been full of challenges. Not a very fast paced book but it's short so it doesn't take long to read. Not the most uplifting book, but offers a small silver lining at the end. I'm surprised it won the Newbery Award since it seemed fairly simple. The swans play a fairly small role despite the book's title. There is no foul language or use of God's name. No sexual references, not even kissing. There...more
Feb 26, 2010Jen rated it it was ok · review of another edition
I read this one as a child; I am sure I did. I am certain because I was as obsessive as a youngster as I am now. I set out to read every Newbery Award winning book when I was about ten, and this 1970 award winner was on the list in 1979. The problem is that I couldn't remember whether I liked it or not. After reading it today, it became clear why: it is about as memorable as vanilla ice cream. It's not bad, it just isn't great. My fifth grade girls who read it for their literature circle enjoyed...more
The ending was disappointing, & the dialogue seemed very odd. I didn't even like the main character most of the time. I'm not really sure why it was a Newbery winner, unless it was the fact that it dealt with the subject of mental disabilities.
Nov 13, 2017Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition
All the Kool Aid references sure did add some authenticity to the setting!
May 11, 2016Katie Fitzgerald rated it really liked it · review of another edition Shelves: genre-realistic-fiction, newbery-medal, level-middle-grade, blogged
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Fourteen-year-old Sara Godfrey lives with her Aunt Willie, older sister, Wanda, and younger brother, Charlie, who has some disabilities resulting from an early childhood illness and does not speak. This summer, Sara is feeling very unsure of herself. She is certain that Wanda is much more beautiful than she is, and therefore much more desirable to boys, and she is concerned that her life may have peaked in third grade. Sara's superficial conc...more
Fourteen-year-old Sara Godfrey lives with her Aunt Willie, older sister, Wanda, and younger brother, Charlie, who has some disabilities resulting from an early childhood illness and does not speak. This summer, Sara is feeling very unsure of herself. She is certain that Wanda is much more beautiful than she is, and therefore much more desirable to boys, and she is concerned that her life may have peaked in third grade. Sara's superficial conc...more
Jul 13, 2018Eva rated it did not like it · review of another edition
I had high hopes for this little novel for young people, but came away really disappointed. I couldn't get into the story and found the pacing of the plot sorely lacking. It was slow and plodding, making me wish there was some sort of action other than arguing with the aunt and going to see some swans on the lake. If you don't grab my attention in the first three chapters, I don't hang around for much more of the book. The father of the children in the story seems to be absent except in name, an...more
May 05, 2016Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I really did like this book, but it felt entirely to short. I feel like the ideas were there, but the surface of the various topics (death, absentee parents, coping with mentally challenged persons) were barely realized. It definitely could have been longer, but I still did enjoy it!
Sep 03, 2018Jennifer Mangler rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Read this one because it was a Newbery winner. It only grazed the surface of the things I found most interesting about the book, which I found frustrating. It read almost like an extended short story rather than a novel.
Jun 26, 2013Ellinor rated it really liked it · review of another edition Shelves: newbery-medal-honor, 1001-childrens-books, 1001-children-s-books-12, young-adult
Overall I enjoyed the story, I just would have wished for a deeper character development.
Jan 30, 2019Els rated it liked it · review of another edition Shelves: america, whyd-you-have-to-put-that-in-there
I honestly have no idea how I felt about this book. Should I keep it? My edition’s cover is gorgeous.
However! I would like to take a moment to bash a certain mindset in many books .. the “OH MY LANDS I’M TALLER THAN ALL THE BOYS AND MY FEET ARE BIG AND THEREFORE UGLY.” Honey, you have size ten feet and are definitely well under six foot. I wear size twelves and am scraping it. Guess what? I’m still pretty. And if it really matters to you that much, the boys are still growing. You’re fourteen.
St...more
Jul 29, 2019Monique rated it really liked it · review of another editionHowever! I would like to take a moment to bash a certain mindset in many books .. the “OH MY LANDS I’M TALLER THAN ALL THE BOYS AND MY FEET ARE BIG AND THEREFORE UGLY.” Honey, you have size ten feet and are definitely well under six foot. I wear size twelves and am scraping it. Guess what? I’m still pretty. And if it really matters to you that much, the boys are still growing. You’re fourteen.
St...more
Shelves: read-with-kids, american-culture, newbery, childrens-books, 2019, print-book
I loved this book - a tender depiction of Charlie, a 10-year old boy in WV, before they had a label for autism. I know other reviewers say 'not much happened'. Often my children ask me, 'tell us a story from your childhood', a setting very similar to that of Sara and Charlie's - simple, rural, imperfect, gentle - and compared to present day overstimulated, oversized American culture, well, not much happened.
It was like looking back into a time capsule, reading this book, a time (1970) when peop...more
Dec 09, 2017Kati rated it it was ok · review of another editionIt was like looking back into a time capsule, reading this book, a time (1970) when peop...more
Shelves: newbery-award, newbery-challenge, youth, 2017
2.5
This was more of a reading assignment than a novel. I thought the relationship between Sara and her handicapped brother was sweet, but nothing else about this story was earth shattering. Really just a bit boring. I wonder how influenced I am as a reader by the cover? Look at it! Blah. I blame the cover. But I can't say that because that would make me THAT person. So, no. Not the cover. But, look at it!
This was more of a reading assignment than a novel. I thought the relationship between Sara and her handicapped brother was sweet, but nothing else about this story was earth shattering. Really just a bit boring. I wonder how influenced I am as a reader by the cover? Look at it! Blah. I blame the cover. But I can't say that because that would make me THAT person. So, no. Not the cover. But, look at it!
Jul 06, 2019Anne V. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Set in a close-knit West Virginia community, this is the fast-paced tale of young Sara and her love for Charlie, her little brother. There is pathos, adolescent awkwardness, TV and humor in this 1971 Newbery Medal winner. I loved it!
May 26, 2017Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition
A sweet story about a girl and her special needs brother. A quiet voice and an honest narrative...a nice story. Audio version is well-done.
Oct 26, 2015Benji Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Review Originally posted at Newbery Pie https://newberypie.wordpress.com/2015...
I jokingly said that I hoped that I would hate this one, so I could say, “The best part about this book was that I found a copy at the thrift store for 79 cents (true story)” in my review. Alas, I didn’t hate it at all. It would have made a great line.
I don’t know if I found Sara’s character totally unlikable. She was a pretty normal teenage girl, over-worried about looks and unimportant things like that. That’s just...more
I jokingly said that I hoped that I would hate this one, so I could say, “The best part about this book was that I found a copy at the thrift store for 79 cents (true story)” in my review. Alas, I didn’t hate it at all. It would have made a great line.
I don’t know if I found Sara’s character totally unlikable. She was a pretty normal teenage girl, over-worried about looks and unimportant things like that. That’s just...more
Oct 15, 201203MckenzieO rated it liked it · review of another edition
Summary This book was about a girl named Sara and her brother named Charlie. Charlie is a boy who had brain problems and health problems when he was really little. Charlie has never spoken before he can understand what people say to him but he will not respond in words but will nod his head in response to what you had said to him. Charlie and Sara one day decide that they were going to look at the swans at the lake before they were to move to a different lake. Well they had a great time while th...more
Jan 29, 2010Shania rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This book is about a sister and a brother and there having fun during the summer but I think she should have said that but not yet.It frist stared when sara had to go to a new school and she didn'know anybody ay that school and then these girls came up to me and said what is wrong with you look at your face and your whole body then theysaid that and she ran as fast as she could to get home.But do you know what I whould have said to those girls i love the way I look and that 9is the way god made...more
Jan 28, 2010Joshua added it · review of another edition
The summer of the swans is a girl that is on a summer vacation.she never had the perfect summer and shes had 14 summers thats gone bad for her.This summer its about to be different for her.theres a girl named Sara with a brother named Charlie and a pet named Boysie.Sara did not want to go on the vacation the summer.Her aunt are coming with her.her aunt names are aunt willie they went to a place in a house.when they get there she went in and she helped to bring the rest of the stuff.one mornig Sa...more
Apr 10, 2014Alyssa rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Sara Godfrey is 14 and facing a host of emotional turmoil about her looks, her shoe size, her hair but is unsure why this and, what seems to be, everything else in her life, bother her. Her older sister, Wanda’s independence infuriates Sara & having to be ever responsible for her younger, developmentally delayed, brother Charlie is a nuisance. That is until Charlie goes missing and Sara is forced to rely on the help of a boy she thought was her enemy to find her brother.
This story encompass...more
This story encompass...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity |
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| What's the Name o...:SOLVED. YA/children's novel about a girl who is entering puberty, is self-conscious about her big feet, and dyes her sneakers orange. [s] | 5 | 37 | Sep 20, 2017 09:58PM |
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Betsy Byars has written over sixty books for young people. Her first published in 1962 and since then she has published regularly. Her books have been translated into nineteen languages and she gets thousands of letters from readers in the United States and from all over the world.
She has won many awards. Among them are the Newbery Medal in 1971 for her novel The Summer of the Swans, the American...more
She has won many awards. Among them are the Newbery Medal in 1971 for her novel The Summer of the Swans, the American...more
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“It was as if her life was a huge kaleidoscope, and the kaleidoscope had been turned and now everything was changed. The same stones shaken, no longer made the same design.” — 13 likes
“I have cried over myself a hundred times this summer, she thought, I have wept over my big feet and my skinny legs and my nose, I have even cried over my stupid shoes, and now when I have true sadness there are no tears left.” — 11 likes
More quotes…| Author | Juston Kay |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ted CoConis |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
Publication date | 1970 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-14-031420-2 |
| OCLC | 7176007 |
| Fic 19 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.B98396 Su 1981 |
Summer of the Swans is a children's novel by Betsy Byars about fourteen-year-old Sara Godfrey's search for her missing, mentally challenged brother Charlie. It won the Newbery Medal in 1971.
Summer of the Swans was adapted for television as Sara's Summer of the Swans in 1974.
- 2Television adaptation
Characters[edit]
Sara Godfrey: the protagonist, who is convinced that her fourteenth summer is 'the worst summer of her life'. She and her two siblings have been living with their Aunt Willie ever since their mother died six years before (their father works in Ohio and only visits on occasional weekends.) Sara is portrayed as a very superficial girl, obsessed with the way things (especially her body) look, and constantly frets about her feet, which she believes are too large. She seems to hold grudges easily; for example, her grudge against Joe Melby, a boy whom she once conflicted with at school. Sara is the closest in her family to her younger brother, Charlie (She is very protective of him and sometimes has to defend him against bullies.), and resents her sister Wanda's beauty.
Charlie Godfrey: Sara's ten-year-old brother (five years old in the TV special version), mentally handicapped since his brain was ravaged by a high fever at the age of three. He cannot speak (he is able to speak in the TV special version), although he can understand all that is said to him and can nod or shake his head in response. Although ten, he cannot draw and writes certain letters backward. He enjoys listening to the ticking of the watch he always wears, although he cannot tell time. He loves watching the swans in the lake near their house; this eventually leads to his disappearance. Of all the members of his family, he appears closest to Sara. He also can make noises.
Wanda Godfrey: Sara's nineteen-year-old sister. Sara is very jealous of her, as she believes Wanda is beautiful (though it is Aunt Willie's opinion that they look exactly alike). Wanda works at the local hospital and had a boyfriend called Frank. She is generally exasperated by Sara's constant self-criticism.
Willamina 'Aunt Willie' Godfrey: Sara's aunt, her father's sister, who has been looking after her nieces and nephew since the death of their mother six years previously. Aunt Willie seldom listens to what the children have to say and is extremely stubborn when it comes to changing her mind. It is implied that her age is somewhere above forty.
Summer Of The Swans Betsy Byars
Joe Melby: a boy around Sara's age who attends the same school she does. Sara has hated him ever since an incident where Charlie's watch went missing, and she believed Joe had taken it. Eventually, she discovers she was wrong and forgives him. Joe helps Sara find Charlie, and at the end of the book invites her to a party.
Mary Weicek: Sara's best friend who helps her out with everything possible.
Sam Godfrey: Sara's father, who works in Ohio and only visits on occasional weekends. Sara views her father as she would a stranger. He is not the same loving person he was.
Television adaptation[edit]
Summer of the Swans was filmed as Sara's Summer of the Swans for an ABC Afterschool Special broadcast October 2, 1974. It was directed by James B. Clark, with a teleplay by Bob Rodgers.[1]
Cast[edit]
- Sara Godfrey: Heather Totten
- Charlie Godfrey: Reed Diamond
- Wanda Godfrey: Betty Ann Carr
- Willamina 'Aunt Willie' Godfrey: Priscilla Morrill
- Joe Melby: Chris Knight
- Mary Weicek: Doney Oatman
(Brady Bunch costar Eve Plumb also appears in the TV special as Gretchen Wyant, a popular, pretty girl whom Sara also hates. Gretchen has no role in the book except for a story related by Sara in which Sara sprayed her with a garden hose for calling Charlie a 'retard.')
References[edit]
- ^Sara's Summer of the Swans at the Internet Movie Database
| Preceded by Sounder | Newbery Medal recipient 1971 | Succeeded by Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH |
Summer Of The Swans Vocabulary
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