Books with title The summer of the swans

This is the true story of a farm family who in 1972 successfully raised a brood of mallard ducks. Each child helped with the work and shared the satisfaction involved in caring for the ducklings. This book is for those who understand the joy of nurturing a helpless wild creature. It is also for those who can only experience this pleasure through reading of what others have done. As well as recounting the day-by-day experiences of caring for the ducklings, this book includes pictures of mallards and information of their characteristics and behaviour. It is recommended not only for nature-lovers but also for those who wish to recapture the magic of seeing life through the eyes of a child.

Terrible things happened this summer. 18-year old Oscar Knight makes a grim discovery when he learns that he was born with an identical twin brother, who has been killed in the North of England. Struggling with unanswered questions about his death, Oscar convinces his parents to let him go visit the family of his brother, Sebastian, and find out what really happened. Once he gets there, he finds grieving friends with their own secrets and the darkest secret of all: that Sebastian isn’t gone, but has become something else entirely...Summer of the Brother is a paranormal vampire mystery. Expect suspense, romance and horror. It is young adult recommended for ages 15 and up. Not suitable for younger readers.

What to do with an injured fledgling crow that literally dropped into our lives? While pondering the responsibility and effort to raise it, son Tim asked the simple yet pointed question "What do you have to do anyway?" (I'm retired) He was right and the answer will be found in this book that really just happened because of the crow, Shadow. As we reared him to adulthood and eventual return to the wild, our neighbor said they will always remember the year as "The Summer of Shadow."A review by Michael Westerfield of crows.net:A very simple story about raising a young crow, written in a very straightforward style, but it manages to capture perfectly the magic that happens when humans and crows get to know each other well. Stories about raising fledgling crows are always bitter sweet. The bond that forms between young crows and their human helpers and companions is often very deep and made more magical by the knowledge that it cannot last forever, that if all goes well the young bird will someday rejoin its wild family. The sadness of parting remains even when we celebrate the youngster's reunion with its family. Everyone who ever has had a crow friend remembers it forever."The Summer of Shadow" has lots of great pictures of Shadow the crow, his dog companion Murphy and a few of his human friends. The book is good reading for adults and would be a particularly good read for youngsters who are in the process of discovering the magic of the natural world.

Adults insist that you never completely remember your childhood. They say that as the years pass by, those little details that once captured your undivided attention become fuzzy around the edges. As time marches on, the sharp memories start crinkling up like a piece of newspaper burning in a campfire; first you can just make out the sentences, and then, the white hot fire laps at the pages, blurring them and obscuring the actual words. Until all that you are left with is a fine white ash and the vague memories of what used to be. As long as I’m breathing, I know I will never forget my sixteenth summer. It’s been years, but that summer is etched finely in my memory. That was the summer I finally kissed a boy, found the body in the basement, and discovered that keeping secrets just might kill you. And believe me, that isn’t something you forget too easily, no matter how hard you try. And I sure as hell have tried. Kennedy Ryan is a normal fifteen year old girl with a best friend who tells her what to do, an agoraphobic mother, a crush on an inappropriate boy...and a body in her basement. Totally normal, right?

A high-speed school musical, an internet scandal, an abusive meat-headed roommate and a pair of shoes that cause more trouble than they’re worth could this be Starrphyre Jones’ perfect summer? All Starrphyre wants is one date with his dream girl, Candace McAllister. Or at least a meaningful conversation. But how can he get her to notice him when she’s the leading lady of every other high-school guys’ fantasies? For sensitive-meets-dorky Starrphyre, starting a band seems like the natural solution, but when your bandmates have the combined musical ability of a gang of armless monkeys, you really need a backup plan. From the outrageously talented author and cartoonist Dave Hackett comes a laugh-aloud, heartfelt and vivacious novel.

Suitable for ages 10 and upShona does not want to move to Winnipeg, Canada, but at 12 years-old she has little choice. Determined never to forget her home community of Moodiesburn near Glasgow, Scotland, she starts visiting all her favouriteplaces—including Ballayn Castle with its hand in the stone.Before she is fully aware of what is happening, she and her cousin Davey are drawn back in time to 1567 when Ballayn is being enlarged, political intrigue is rife, and a terrible murder is about to be committed.Unable to return to 1967, Shona and Davey find themselves caught in the past. Will they make it back to the present in time for Shona to go to Canada? Or will they be trapped forever beneath the hand in the stone?

Four ten-year-old girls are tossed together in the same cabin at summer camp. At first, sparks fly as they struggle with their differences but soon they begin to bond as they overcome food fights, smelly outhouses, bed bugs, and being lost in the woods.Kat, a sarcastic tomboy, rocks at sports. Tiff, an ultra-spoiled rich girl, arrives at camp in a limo. Amy, a shy animal lover, has a secret she will need to share. Hanna, a smart techie and bookworm, prefers to be alone on her computer instead of surrounded by giggling girls in the woods.Are you a Kat, Tiff, Amy, or Hanna? Could you survive Camp Cherokee? Find out how these unlikely friends not only survive camp, but end up being best friends forever.

"Maybe that's one of the reasons people get dogs, to kind of close up the empty places inside them."Eleven-year-old William never needed a friend more than now. After his parents' separation, his father's new engagement, and his grandfather's dying without any warning -- adopting big, beautiful Riley is the first thing in a long time that has made him feel better. That is, until Riley innocently chases a horse.Local law states that any animal that chases livestock must be put to sleep. Suddenly William stands to lose another thing close to him. Together with his "totally unsurpassed" friend Grace, William begins a campaign to reverse the county commissioners' decision. But with a community divided on the issue, and the bully Ellis Porter trying to stop them at every turn, will they be able to save Riley's life?Celebrated author Eve Bunting shows William's determined struggle to fight for what he believes in. The Summer of Riley is an inspiring novel about learning to accept life's changes, the healing power of friendship, and the unending desire to protect those we love.

Anna, Daniel, and Lucas seem to be living a dream. While their parents take care of a castle, they have the run of the grounds and the beautiful surrounding countryside. Their only concern is how best to catch the mysterious pike that lurks in the deep water of the moat. But when Daniel and Lucas’s mother first begins to seem tired all the time, and then loses her hair, Anna wonders what is going on. It is cancer, she is told, but Daniel and Lucas must not know. As the summer days grow shorter and the colors of the fields and flowers change, the boys eventually learn of their mother’s illness. Daniel becomes convinced that catching the pike will bring luck — that it might even cure his mother. But as her condition worsens, these three true friends can only wish that they could stop the destructive march of time. Jutta Richter’s powerful prose makes this sensitive story set during a summer idyll an unforgettable one.