Shelly's Book Blog

The Summer of the Swans is another Newbery Medal winner (1971). I read this book quickly, partly because it is not long, but also because I was anxious to find out what happens to Charlie. The two main characters are Sara and Charlie, who are brother and sister. Charlie is mentally disabled, and Sara has for many years been extremely protective of him, fending off bullies at school and generally looking after his special needs. Then one day Charlie gets up in the middle of the night and goes out looking for some swans that he and Sara had seen on a nearby lake the day before. Unfortunately, he becomes lost, and a frantic search for him begins the next morning. The is a beautifully written and touching story about love and loss, and valuing what is really important in life.