In the novel, Summer of the Swans, Betsy Byars tells the story of 14 year old Sara
Godfrey, who thinks that her life is uneventful until her brother Charlie wanders away
from home. Sara wishes that she was pretty and popular, and she is tired of always having
to watch her mentally challenged brother, Charlie. However, after he wanders away in the
night and the whole town is involved in the search, Sara realizes that her life is just
perfect. She also learns a valuable lesson about judging someone without knowing all the
facts when she becomes friends with Joe, whom she had accused of stealing Charlie's
watch.
You will find the novel study guide for Summer of the Swans a valuable resource in
helping you to plan your unit and daily lesson plans. This novel study guide has
everything you need to set up learning centers in your classroom and provide for
individualized learning among the students. Use the teaching suggestions to help you pair
weaker students with stronger students or to allow students to work at their own pace.
Betsy Byars based the book "Summer of the Swans" on a real Charlie, whom she tutored
when she was a teacher in West Virginia. She says that had she not met Charlie, she
doubts that she would have ever written this fabulous book for teenagers.
Sample pages from the Novel Study Guide for Summer of the Swans
Vocabulary:
Chapter 12
grudgingly, agitation, interrupted, vanished, trace, ravines, tragedies, elongated, testify,
grudge, revenge
Chapter 13
remoteness, sober, operator, emphatically, impatiently, sustain, sensible, reasonable,
disrespectful, appreciate, wilt
Chapter 14
progress, accusation, incident, stilts, exaggerated
Chapter 15
sympathy, hustled, mentioned, transistor, identification, mentally, handicapped
Comprehension Questions:
Chapter 3
1. What were Wanda and Aunt Willie arguing about?
2. What did Sara dislike about her aunt?
3. Why was Frank picking Wanda up on his scooter?
4. What did Wanda tell Sara about Aunt Willie?
5. What was the term Sara used for the first time while talking about Charlie?
6. Where did Wanda say Charlie might go next summer?
Chapter 4
1. What did Frank ask Aunt Willie to do? Why?
2. Why did Aunt Willie suddenly get mad with Sara?
3. What did Frank say the scooter was like?
4. What did Aunt Willie say about Wanda and Sara?
5. What did Aunt Willie say about having a conversation with Sara?
Creative Writing:
Activity 1
What do you think Sara will say to her father
when he comes home on the weekend?
Write the conversation they might have.
Work with a classmate and perform it for
your class.
Word Study:
Activity 5
Unscramble the following words:
1. iehrkefc 6. rbaseimel
2. nttgniua 7. oiozmtder
3. aamlr 8. denietylbo
4. merindof 9. chtrnimy
5. muirthp 10. lewonkegd
Integrated Studies
Activity 1
Draw and label a map of the area where Sara and
Charlie lived and where Charlie was lost.
Include streets and houses as well as other landmarks
mentioned in the novel.
Grammar
Activity 4
Write the following paragraph using correct
spelling and punctuation.
Sofia never forgot the conversasion she had with
her Grandfather after her grajuation. He said, Youve
earned my admirration. Now your oblagation is to
yourself. Choose a direction for your life, not just
an ocuppation. Always live your life with convicsion.
Research
Activity 2
Research brain damage.
Make a list of different kinds of brain damage that
children can be born with or develop because
of diseases.
Present this list to your class.
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