The Summer of the Swans (Betsy Byars)

In this State Standards-aligned Literature Kit™, we divide the novel by chapters or sections and feature reading comprehension and vocabulary questions. In every chapter, we include Before You Read and After You Read questions. The Before You Read activities prepare students for reading by setting a purpose for reading. They stimulate background knowledge and experience, and guide students to make connections between what they know and what they will learn. The After You Read activities check students’ comprehension and extend their learning. Students are asked to give thoughtful consideration of the text through creative and evaluative short-answer questions and journal prompts. Also included are writing tasks, graphic organizers, comprehension quiz, test prep, word search, and crossword to further develop students’ critical thinking and writing skills, and analysis of the text. About the Novel: A classic coming of age story of fourteen year old, Sara, who lives in a small town in West Virginia. This Newbery Medal winner story centers on Sara and her troubled relationship with her remote father, her perfect older sister, and Joe Melby, a boy from school. All of these problems are quickly placed on the backburner when Charlie, her mentally disabled brother, wanders out of the house in the middle of the night and goes missing. While resolving this serious crisis, Sara discovers a great deal of herself, and when she and Joe find Charlie safe and sound, she comes to grips with the knowledge that she is comfortable with who she is and who she is becoming. All of our content is aligned to your State Standards and are written to Bloom’s Taxonomy.