Serene memories of books past

Day 7

Serenity Now!

Photo from Stock Exchange

Take a minute to remember your favorite story from your childhood.  Remember what it felt like to fall into that story completely.  Or the perfectly pitched sound of a loved one's voice as he reads to you quietly from a book you both love.  Remember the relief of stepping out of your own skin and into something else and seeing the world in an entirely different perspective.

Feels good.

Now, give that feeling to a loved one.  This takes a little research, a little knowing, a little insight.  What special book can bring back for someone you love all those serene feelings of being a child and enjoying a good story?  Once you know the title, find the book.  

In the spirit of the 12 Days of Christmas, I'm going to give you seven swans today.  Seven classic children's stories that include swans.  Perhaps hearing some of these old titles, will help you.  Perhaps not.  But, you have to admit, it is pretty impressive I managed to find seven swans to give you today.  Right?  Right?

Because these are all classics, they can be found at Better World Books.  Or browse the shelves of used book stores and independent booksellers in your area.  

1.  The Wild Swans (also known as The Swan Princess - but not the corny movie, please not the cartoon movie!  Or Barbie, no Barbie versions either!) by Hans Christen Andersen.  In this story, a girl has eleven brothers cursed by a witch so that they become huge white swans.  She dreams of a way to break the spell and puts herself in peril and pain in order to free her beloved brothers.

2.  The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christen Andersen (who really had a thing for swans because they show up in many of his stories).  We all remember the story of the little duck who looked so different.  All the other ducks teased him until he grew up to be a majestic swan.  Then all those pathetic little ducks felt pretty stupid.  In your face, stupid ducks!

3.  The Trumpet of the Swans by E.B. White.  In this story, Louis the swan is born mute.  He befriends a nice boy named Sam who helps him learn to read and write.  Since the other swans aren't can't read and write, he still can't communicate with them.  His father steals a trumpet for him, giving Louis a beautiful voice.  Louis feels bad about his father's shameful act.  He sets out on an adventure to earn money to pay back the man at the music shop.  In the end, he repays his father's debt and is able to woo the swan of his dreams, Serena.  Oh, happy days!

4.  Newberry Award winning young adult novel, The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars.  Fourteen-year-old Sarah hates most everything in her life, including the responsibility of helping her mentally challenged younger brother, Charlie.  When Charlie disappears one night, Sarah sets out to find him and learns about compassion, friendship and understanding.  Grab some tissues.  It always gets touchy when fourteen-year-old girls go on journeys of self-discovery.

5.  Swan Lake Ballet Theater by Jean Mahoney and illustrated by Ann Seddon.  This unique pop-up book folds out into an intricate ballet stage complete with interchangeable scenery, dancers and props.  It includes a book with the story from Swan Lake and an audio CD with the music.  This one is not yet a classic, but I still found it on Better World Books.

6.  Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.  This classic Caldecott Award winning picture book tells the story of a family of ducks, and Mama duck's determination to see their family all together again.  It has inspired a statue in the Boston Public Gardens where the famous Swan Boats reside.  And you thought there weren't swans in the story.  Gotcha!

7.  Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.  Okay, so a crane is not a swan, but this book is too good to leave off the list because of a technicality. This is the true story of a little girl who developed Leukemia from radiation resulting from the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  Sadako was terminally ill.  According to Japanese legend, if a person folded a thousand origami paper cranes, a wish would be granted.  She spent all her time in the hospital folding cranes, desperate to wish herself well again.  When she died, she only had 644 completed.  Her classmates folded the remaining cranes, and Sadako was buried with one thousand paper cranes.  Her story became an inspiration around the world and helped heal the hearts of many.

Seven swans on the seventh day.  Enjoy!

To keep reading the 12 Days of Christmas use these links.
Day 1 — 12 Days of Christmas
Day 2 — Two Turtle Doves in the Bag
Day 3 — Ooh La La Hens
Day 4 — Do Birds Get Cold Feet?
Day 5 — Finally, Jewelry
Day 6 — Geese Are Scary
Day 8 — Do Cows Make Wine?
Day 9 — Let the Words Dance across the Pages
Day 10 — Gifts from Scratch
Day 11 — Pipe Dreams and Deadlines
Day 12 — Drumroll Please…