Title - The Summer of the Swans Author: Byars, Betsy Publisher: Puffin Unicorn Print Synopsis Authors Purpose Genre A fourteen-year-old girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally handicapped brother gets lost. Entertain Realistic Fiction RDQ (Reading Difficulty Quotient) Accelerated Reader Lexile Find at 1998 4.9 900 RDQ based on a maximum of 3000 words Levels are suggested levels based on RDQ, not official levels Sentences Total Words Different Words Max Word/Sent 41 Total # of Words 2975 # of Different Words 745 Ave Word/.Sent 12 Hi Freq occurs 2275 76.5% # of Hi freq words 337 45.2% % of Long Sentences 20.8 Low Freq occurs 117 3.9% # of Low freq words 89 11.9% Subjective Criteria Illustrations: No support Dialog: Multiple speakers Dialog: Broken dialogue Dialog: Unlabeled Speaker Vocabulary: Some difficult words Language: Many descriptive words Sentences: Some Long/Complex Text structure: Story/Poem Inferences: Several Implications Complexity: Several unrelated ideas Concepts: Abstract/Complex Social Chapters Sequence of Events: Mostly chronological Mature concepts: With common experiences or clear fantasy Features Character traits Complex plot Topics Lost Caring/Hugs Family Brothers *Human Body & Health *Family & Friends Relationships Low Frequency Words abruptly absolutely amusement angrily announced concerned curled daaaa disliked durham edges emphatically fascinating fasten fastening finky freckles grimaced grocery grooves gross hammered hampton hampton's heavily hindu hodges honestly ignore illusion inscrutable jeans jewel kaleidoscope kennedy kerchief knit lanky listing littler loudness magnesia material mechanical miserable motor motorcycles movement mysterious noisily nuzzle oval particularly pathetic patiently pediatrician perfume permission phys positively practically presented psychology railing realize recognized refolded retarded rhododendron scarf seesaw shaken shuffle silhouette similar sincerely straightened stubby swans tiniest tying uneasily uneventful unsteadiness unwilling warmth wearily whine