The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars; ill. Ted CoConis (Viking, 1970 / Puffin, 1981) A simple, almost innocuous story, lent narrative power by its non-pandering depiction of character. Charlie, who is mentally disabled, appears likely to be the focus, yet it is his 14-year-old sister Sara whose adolescent problems are lent perspective when Charlie goes missing.
