Fourteen-year-old Sara Godfrey is having a miserable summer. She`s bored, lonely, and basically unhappy with her life as a teenager. Recently, Sara`s sole source of comfort has been the group of swans on a nearby lake. Watching the regal swans gives Sara and Charlie, her mentally retarded brother, a sense of peace. Then one night Charlie disappears, and Sara must put aside her misery and help find him. Winner of the 1971 Newbery Medal.