The Summer of the Swans is a wonderful children’s novel by Betsy Byars based off a fourteen year old girl Sara Godfrey searching for her missing, mentally challenged brother Charlie. This novel contains the theme of struggling into the transition from childhood to adulthood while balancing the responsibility of taking care of her younger brother Charlie. From it, Betsy Byars quickly received the Newberry Award in 1971. The Summer of the Swans was truly an outstanding book to read that I personally think will continue to keep people on their feet to read more from this amazing author Betsy Byars.