Which author won the Newbery Medal in 1971 for 'Summer of the Swans'?

Betsy Byars won the Newbery Medal in 1971 for “Summer of the Swans.”

The 1970 novel centers on fourteen-year-old Sara Godfrey during a difficult summer in West Virginia. Sara is preoccupied with her appearance and convinced that her fourteenth summer is going badly, but the story deepens when her younger brother Charlie, who has an intellectual disability, goes missing.

Sara's search forces her to confront fears, family tensions and her own immaturity. Her relationship with Charlie is central to the novel's emotional movement, while Aunt Willie provides stability for Sara and her siblings after their mother's death. Byars's realistic treatment of childhood insecurity helped distinguish the book from more fantastical Newbery selections.

The award date can cause confusion: “Summer of the Swans” was published in 1970, but it won the 1971 medal. It was later adapted into the 1974 television special “Sara's Summer of the Swans.”