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The Night Swimmers
Retta, Johnny and Roy are the night swimmers: three children whose father leaves them alone while he performs as a singer."Byars has the uncanny ability to know the secret lives...the outward postures, and the exact words her characters would surely use."-- "The New York Times Book Review."
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, An American Book Award, Parents' Choice Award, A Child Study Children's Book Committee: Children's Book of the Year, An IRA-CBC Children's Choice, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, An American Book Award, Parents' Choice Award, A Child Study Children's Book Committee: Children's Book of the Year, An IRA-CBC Children's Choice, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
61 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Betsy Byars
138 books158 followersBetsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!
Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.
Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.
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September 9, 2020I love the work of Betsy Byars, but somehow I'd never read this one. Very short and packs a big punch.
April 30, 2013
Let me start by saying that I loved this book. It reminded me why I constantly have my kids read the old Newberry and National Book Award winners. Written in 1980, it brings to life summers when kids disappeared for days at a time, when there were no planned activities, and each day held its own possibilities. After finishing this book, I took a look at some of the other reviews on Goodreads, to gauge the general opinion. I was struck most by the repeated mention of how sad this book was, and about all of the fighting. Maybe because I live with a 9 and 11 year old, I did not find the gentle bickering contained in this book to be a theme. I found it to be hopeful, and at times, moving and funny. None of the characters took themselves too seriously; from Roy in his “chubby” jeans, to Shorty, in his pink velour cowboy suit. Admittedly, this is a group of people who have been through a lot – their mother died, and 12-year-old Retta, the oldest and only daughter has been left in charge of her two younger brothers. But there is a new girlfriend, and she is not an evil, abusive stepmother. And there is a new friend for the boys, who shares their sense of adventure and night meanderings. And, finally, there is a father, who cares more about his children than he once thought possible.
December 23, 2025
Gives box car children(vibes) 👌
December 16, 2018
My mom read this book aloud to me and my brothers when I was little. I didn't remember much of it, and I like Betsy Byars. Nice story to read in a day (125 pages).
Retta is in charge of her two little brothers since her mom died. Her dad sleeps in and writes songs after working nights. School is out and she takes them to swim in a neighbor's fancy pool. She's determined that they experience things.
The dad's songs made me sad for our culture. They're all about a woman's looks, as though it's her only value. Sigh.
I did very much appreciate the sibling dynamic and that way that kids can be sure of things. Byars has a knack for that.
Retta is in charge of her two little brothers since her mom died. Her dad sleeps in and writes songs after working nights. School is out and she takes them to swim in a neighbor's fancy pool. She's determined that they experience things.
The dad's songs made me sad for our culture. They're all about a woman's looks, as though it's her only value. Sigh.
I did very much appreciate the sibling dynamic and that way that kids can be sure of things. Byars has a knack for that.
December 16, 2018
This was better than I expected, and I have high hopes for every Betsy Byars book I read. Her easygoing style appeals to me, and The Night Swimmers offers that in spades. As usual, her kids are independent, able to make most choices on their own (in that way, her characters sometimes evoke shades of E.L. Konigsburg's). A lot of subtle wisdom is in these pages, and I would happily read The Night Swimmers again.
February 6, 2017
The Night Swimmers by Betsy Byars was the 1981 National Book Award winner for children's fiction. Retta's mother is dead, and her father, a country singer, works nights performing his music, so Retta is left home to tend to her two younger brothers, Johnny and Roy. Wanting them to have an exciting taste of the more affluent lifestyle she believes they deserve, she takes the boys swimming each night at a pool in another neighborhood. The kids are not supposed to use the pool, which belongs to the Captain, but Retta still feels somehow entitled to use it, as though it makes up for some miscalculation of the universe that allows her particular family to miss out on a chance at a better life. Retta goes to great lengths to make sure she and her brothers are safe, and that they never get caught, but it is only when one of them encounters real danger in the pool that things really start to improve for her family.
I have mentioned before that I think Betsy Byars is a masterful writer, and this book just further proves that point for me. Like many other Byars stories, The Night Swimmers has a very small, contained setting populated by just a few characters. Since Byars is such a minimalist when it comes to the scale of her stories, she is able to spend much more effort (and text) on minor details. As this book unfolds, the reader begins to picture the house where Retta's family lives, the clothes they each wear, and the food they eat. The relationships between the characters come to life as Retta interacts with her dad, her brothers, and her father's girlfriend. Even the kids' relationship with their mother is described in such a way that the reader misses her along with them, even though she never directly appears in the story. Byars creates a small world, but it's a sympathetic one, and one with a strong emotional impact that lasts and lasts well past the end of the story.
Also like many other Byars books, this one does not end with a neat resolution. There is always hope in a Byars story, and there is lots of it here, but the reader is still left to imagine the specifics of how things will turn out for Retta. The lack of a definite ending is very realistic, and it contributes to the feeling of authenticity and honesty that I have come to associate with Byars's writing. She lays out situations in her books, explores their problems and possibilities, hints at probable solutions, and then walks away, leaving the characters better off than when they started, but respecting their stories enough not to simplify or patronize them by providing all the answers. This recipe for storytelling shows that Byars respects children and expects them to be able to understand complex people and situations. I think that is what makes The Night Swimmers a special book, and why it still resonates with me today even though it was published before I was born.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
I have mentioned before that I think Betsy Byars is a masterful writer, and this book just further proves that point for me. Like many other Byars stories, The Night Swimmers has a very small, contained setting populated by just a few characters. Since Byars is such a minimalist when it comes to the scale of her stories, she is able to spend much more effort (and text) on minor details. As this book unfolds, the reader begins to picture the house where Retta's family lives, the clothes they each wear, and the food they eat. The relationships between the characters come to life as Retta interacts with her dad, her brothers, and her father's girlfriend. Even the kids' relationship with their mother is described in such a way that the reader misses her along with them, even though she never directly appears in the story. Byars creates a small world, but it's a sympathetic one, and one with a strong emotional impact that lasts and lasts well past the end of the story.
Also like many other Byars books, this one does not end with a neat resolution. There is always hope in a Byars story, and there is lots of it here, but the reader is still left to imagine the specifics of how things will turn out for Retta. The lack of a definite ending is very realistic, and it contributes to the feeling of authenticity and honesty that I have come to associate with Byars's writing. She lays out situations in her books, explores their problems and possibilities, hints at probable solutions, and then walks away, leaving the characters better off than when they started, but respecting their stories enough not to simplify or patronize them by providing all the answers. This recipe for storytelling shows that Byars respects children and expects them to be able to understand complex people and situations. I think that is what makes The Night Swimmers a special book, and why it still resonates with me today even though it was published before I was born.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
August 26, 2014
This is the story of Rhetta who left childhood behind when her mother died. Caring for her two younger brothers is a full-time job. Trying to learn to cook, to supervise, to judge right from wrong are tasks that should be handled by her country western singing father. But, alas, he leaves the house each night, dressed in his garish costumes as Rhetta holds down the fort.
One summer night while exploring, she found a large swimming pool. Creating an adventure for her brothers, they became the night swimmers.
As the brothers fight with each other and with Rhetta, she longs for stability. When the younger brother decides to go it alone and jump into the deep end of the pool, the owner takes him home to confront their father.
I found this too sad for words. It is never a good situation when a parent is child like, and a child is trying to be adult like!
When her father's girlfriend enters the story, she provides a vehicle of communication for Rhetta.
I didn't like this book, primarily because after all the mess, the girlfriends waltzes in and the author attempts a happy ending. Portraying the girlfriend as someone who wants to be waited on, yet wants to help with the children, didn't ring true for me.
One dull star for this book.
One summer night while exploring, she found a large swimming pool. Creating an adventure for her brothers, they became the night swimmers.
As the brothers fight with each other and with Rhetta, she longs for stability. When the younger brother decides to go it alone and jump into the deep end of the pool, the owner takes him home to confront their father.
I found this too sad for words. It is never a good situation when a parent is child like, and a child is trying to be adult like!
When her father's girlfriend enters the story, she provides a vehicle of communication for Rhetta.
I didn't like this book, primarily because after all the mess, the girlfriends waltzes in and the author attempts a happy ending. Portraying the girlfriend as someone who wants to be waited on, yet wants to help with the children, didn't ring true for me.
One dull star for this book.
September 3, 2013
I often was sad to see adults come to the rescue of kids that had been doing fine on their own. This book didn't give me that feeling. The three children were never okay. They didn't work together and their love for each other never showed. As an adult, I was horrified at their meals and at their father's lack of attention. I did see myself in the older girl's desire to run the show and be in charge. I also related to the younger boy's desire to be in on everything. I was sorry for the lack of cooperation between siblings. I didn't trust the ending. I would like to see how this family fares as time goes by.
Disclaimer : I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Disclaimer : I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 26, 2013
Not really the kind of book that is easily marketable at today's young readers.
Nothing much happens - the kids go swimming, they argue, we learn a bit about their lives, they get caught. It's not funny, it doesn't play with words, there's not adventure or bad guys. It's a quiet little family story.
It's pretty good - a National Book Award winner, with heart and good development. But I don't think it's going to win many converts.
Nothing much happens - the kids go swimming, they argue, we learn a bit about their lives, they get caught. It's not funny, it doesn't play with words, there's not adventure or bad guys. It's a quiet little family story.
It's pretty good - a National Book Award winner, with heart and good development. But I don't think it's going to win many converts.
August 21, 2021
Today I finished ready Betsy Byars' 1980 novel THE NIGHT SWIMMERS, winner of the National Book Award for Children's Fiction.
This is the third book by Byars that I've read. The first was her unflattering Newbery winner THE SUMMER OF THE SWANS, but the second, THE PINBALLS, was actually quite good. This one was somewhere in between. I enjoyed it for the most part.
It's about a group of three young siblings, Retta, who is the eldest, and her two younger brothers Roy and Johnny. Their father is a country singer who had one hit that hit the top 100 country music billboards. He's struggling to make a name for himself in the music industry and works late nights at the country bar, where he sings. This means the children are neglected and need to fend for themselves. Since their mother is dead Retta has assumed the position of mother to her two younger brothers.
At night the three enjoy sneaking over to an old colonel's backyard where there's a swimming pool They're quiet and have never woken up the old gentlemen. This added a great deal of suspense to the story. Three children trespassing and that fear of getting caught giving the reader an exhilarating feeling. This definitely made me want to keep reading.
But things start to unravel when Johnny starts hanging out with a new friend, leaving Roy, the youngest, feeling left out, and Retta feeling like she's losing control of her brothers.
This book dealt a lot with children who come from neglected families. Loss of the mother, a father who's a single parent, but neglects his own children in pursuit of his own ambitions in the country music industry, and a daughter who is trying desperately to fill many shoes, and at such a young age. It's a theme that's probably all too common in this country.
SORT OF SPOILER ALERT! The only thing that really made this book not as strong as it should have been, or could have been, was the fact that the woman who the father is apparently dating, didn't appear till halfway through the book, and even then she didn't seem to be that involved. It was only until the end of the novel she appeared again and took on an important role in the story's conclusion. But even so, she didn't appear early enough for me, the reader to care or to think she was going to be the figure that really brought the family together... END OF SPOILER ALERT!
All in all, this was an okay read. Not bad, not great. There were some really wonderful qualities about it, and then some choppiness to it that made the story unravel a little on its tightness in plot and faultering on characterization. Still, I'm glad I read it. And I'm still feeling good about Betsy Byars. THE NIGHT SWIMMERS, by Betsy Byars. My rating 3/5.
This is the third book by Byars that I've read. The first was her unflattering Newbery winner THE SUMMER OF THE SWANS, but the second, THE PINBALLS, was actually quite good. This one was somewhere in between. I enjoyed it for the most part.
It's about a group of three young siblings, Retta, who is the eldest, and her two younger brothers Roy and Johnny. Their father is a country singer who had one hit that hit the top 100 country music billboards. He's struggling to make a name for himself in the music industry and works late nights at the country bar, where he sings. This means the children are neglected and need to fend for themselves. Since their mother is dead Retta has assumed the position of mother to her two younger brothers.
At night the three enjoy sneaking over to an old colonel's backyard where there's a swimming pool They're quiet and have never woken up the old gentlemen. This added a great deal of suspense to the story. Three children trespassing and that fear of getting caught giving the reader an exhilarating feeling. This definitely made me want to keep reading.
But things start to unravel when Johnny starts hanging out with a new friend, leaving Roy, the youngest, feeling left out, and Retta feeling like she's losing control of her brothers.
This book dealt a lot with children who come from neglected families. Loss of the mother, a father who's a single parent, but neglects his own children in pursuit of his own ambitions in the country music industry, and a daughter who is trying desperately to fill many shoes, and at such a young age. It's a theme that's probably all too common in this country.
SORT OF SPOILER ALERT! The only thing that really made this book not as strong as it should have been, or could have been, was the fact that the woman who the father is apparently dating, didn't appear till halfway through the book, and even then she didn't seem to be that involved. It was only until the end of the novel she appeared again and took on an important role in the story's conclusion. But even so, she didn't appear early enough for me, the reader to care or to think she was going to be the figure that really brought the family together... END OF SPOILER ALERT!
All in all, this was an okay read. Not bad, not great. There were some really wonderful qualities about it, and then some choppiness to it that made the story unravel a little on its tightness in plot and faultering on characterization. Still, I'm glad I read it. And I'm still feeling good about Betsy Byars. THE NIGHT SWIMMERS, by Betsy Byars. My rating 3/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2018
Sweet and meandering story about working class siblings in the states with a dead mum and a useless dad. I like stories about hard done by and resilient kids and the main character of this, Retta is such an awesome kid I want to mum her hardout.
It’s sad but it’s hopeful, it’s ugly but beautiful. The food sounds disgusting and the dad is a joke but you know they’re the kinds of kids who are going to be really cool adults.
I don’t know who I’d recommend this to though. People who like E.L Konisberg and M. E Kerr I guess. I don’t know what kids now days would think of books like these. This one was full of fat shaming that would make be hesitant to encourage kids I know to read it.
It’s sad but it’s hopeful, it’s ugly but beautiful. The food sounds disgusting and the dad is a joke but you know they’re the kinds of kids who are going to be really cool adults.
I don’t know who I’d recommend this to though. People who like E.L Konisberg and M. E Kerr I guess. I don’t know what kids now days would think of books like these. This one was full of fat shaming that would make be hesitant to encourage kids I know to read it.
September 7, 2019
Reading 2019
Book 74: The Night Swimmers by Betsy Byars
When I was a kid The Pinballs by Betsy Byars was a favorite book. In my trolling of the National Book Award winners, I found this little gem and had to read it. It helps that it is short and so fit right in to my #30booksin30days (book 4) challenge.
The story is of three siblings and how they spend their summer after their mother dies and their father works nights. They have to make all their own rules, and adventures. they certainly do makeup adventures. This book is probably for middle grade readers.
I would have this on my classroom bookshelf for sure.
Book 74: The Night Swimmers by Betsy Byars
When I was a kid The Pinballs by Betsy Byars was a favorite book. In my trolling of the National Book Award winners, I found this little gem and had to read it. It helps that it is short and so fit right in to my #30booksin30days (book 4) challenge.
The story is of three siblings and how they spend their summer after their mother dies and their father works nights. They have to make all their own rules, and adventures. they certainly do makeup adventures. This book is probably for middle grade readers.
I would have this on my classroom bookshelf for sure.
January 26, 2023
I believe this was on one of my 'must read' juvenile fiction lists, though I can't recall which one.
It's a bit uncomfortable, dad wants to be a country singer, doesn't parent his kids, let's his early teen daughter handle all the meals, cleaning and parenting of her not much younger brothers.
All the brothers do is blame her instead of their dad when things go wrong.
Awkward for sure. Dad is cringe, doesn't seem to care much when his wife dies and makes fat jokes.
I think this didn't age well.
It's a bit uncomfortable, dad wants to be a country singer, doesn't parent his kids, let's his early teen daughter handle all the meals, cleaning and parenting of her not much younger brothers.
All the brothers do is blame her instead of their dad when things go wrong.
Awkward for sure. Dad is cringe, doesn't seem to care much when his wife dies and makes fat jokes.
I think this didn't age well.
January 18, 2018
It has been years since I read this book as a children's librarian. It is the story of three children living with their widowed father. He works at night leaving them alone to their own devices. My written notes indicate that I thought this Byars book was not up to her usual standards but its was a good story. It shows the father in a somewhat unfavorable light. It might be good for a children's book discussion.
September 9, 2025
This was a really cute book!! I loved Rhetta and really sympathized with her. When your siblings start to do things on their own and it feels like they don’t need you anymore,It’s a ruff feeling.loved how we get to see everyone grow in their own ways.It was a really short book though, and I would have loved to learn more about the characters and see them grow a little more. All in all it was a very cute book!!
Read
June 17, 2025A blast from the past. The only thing I remembered was that the kids snuck out of their house at night to go to their neighbors pool and swim. We had a neighbor with a pool so this was our dream. But we not brave enough. 😂 I had forgotten the part abt the country music star dad & the sibling drama dynamics.
March 1, 2024
A fine little sorry about family that seems to end too quickly. It didn't leave the impression in me that The Cartoonist did. Though there are similar coming of age themes, I felt The Night Swimmers was just a weaker premise.
April 8, 2021
Humdrum prose style.
August 4, 2021
I really liked this book, it was great!
sony-or-android
November 23, 2022hoopla
June 5, 2024
Pretty good book. Towards the middle I got a little bored though. Other than that, pretty good book.👍
August 15, 2024
I felt like I was being carried away by a wave with this one.
April 23, 2025
i so strongly remember the egg sandwich put in the fridge at the end.
will-not-finish
May 18, 2025It’s not YA fiction. Tween fiction is a better category. I think tweens would lap it up.
Read
December 2, 2025DNF @ 15%
February 23, 2013
The Night Swimmers by Betsy Byars tells the story of three children who have essentially lost both their parents the night their mother died. These children struggle to experience life and friendship because they have no one at home to support them or push them to do better than they are. One night Retta takes the boys to swim in a neighbor's pool. It is something they've never experienced before and it seems like this might be the one taste of a happy life -- a free life -- they'll ever get. But this freedom they've discovered by their father's lack of parental oversight just might be the demise of their very family.
Retta is who I consider to be the voice of reason in this story. Ever since her mother passed away, she had to step into the role of mother and she struggles with the desire to be a normal kid too. It's hard for her to watch other people live their lives, make friends, have good memories, and act like they don't have a care in the world. Rarely does she appear selfish in the story, mostly because she devotes so much of her time and effort to her brothers that I think she forgets about herself along the way. She faces the greatest challenges and the greatest losses as she fights to be her own person and controlling her brothers like only a parent can.
Johnny and Roy are typically boys, growing up in a world where they want to have adventure but on their own terms. They both struggle with the idea of Retta being the boss of them and that she basically has become the mother of the two of them. I think along the way the boys lose sight of all the things she has given up for them which makes them come off as selfish but it's hard not to acknowledge that children are like that. It seems like during the story, the two of them lose their innocence towards the outside world. They realize that not everything is good out there. They learn that there are consequences for their choices and these consequences just might not be the ones they want.
I always figured that when I found that one person I wanted to spend my life with, it would be even harder when the situation arose that I would lose them. It's something that I think a lot of people struggle with once a loved one passes away. How do they move on? What's the point in living when the one person who made it all better is no longer there? The children's father, Shorty, deals a lot with these sort of issues over the course of the book. I don't believe that he is selfish because he ignores his children and wants to live in the glory days of his music career. No, I think that he is just struggling to grasp at the few things he can control and the ruin left behind when his wife died. I think that if his wife were alive and the story was different, Shorty would've been a great father but things happened. He lost sight of his family and himself.
Overall it was a decent read. I had some troubles sticking with the characters at times but it is an interesting and very real idea that makes up the plot.
Retta is who I consider to be the voice of reason in this story. Ever since her mother passed away, she had to step into the role of mother and she struggles with the desire to be a normal kid too. It's hard for her to watch other people live their lives, make friends, have good memories, and act like they don't have a care in the world. Rarely does she appear selfish in the story, mostly because she devotes so much of her time and effort to her brothers that I think she forgets about herself along the way. She faces the greatest challenges and the greatest losses as she fights to be her own person and controlling her brothers like only a parent can.
Johnny and Roy are typically boys, growing up in a world where they want to have adventure but on their own terms. They both struggle with the idea of Retta being the boss of them and that she basically has become the mother of the two of them. I think along the way the boys lose sight of all the things she has given up for them which makes them come off as selfish but it's hard not to acknowledge that children are like that. It seems like during the story, the two of them lose their innocence towards the outside world. They realize that not everything is good out there. They learn that there are consequences for their choices and these consequences just might not be the ones they want.
I always figured that when I found that one person I wanted to spend my life with, it would be even harder when the situation arose that I would lose them. It's something that I think a lot of people struggle with once a loved one passes away. How do they move on? What's the point in living when the one person who made it all better is no longer there? The children's father, Shorty, deals a lot with these sort of issues over the course of the book. I don't believe that he is selfish because he ignores his children and wants to live in the glory days of his music career. No, I think that he is just struggling to grasp at the few things he can control and the ruin left behind when his wife died. I think that if his wife were alive and the story was different, Shorty would've been a great father but things happened. He lost sight of his family and himself.
Overall it was a decent read. I had some troubles sticking with the characters at times but it is an interesting and very real idea that makes up the plot.
November 29, 2013
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
This story follows three kids Retta, Johnny and Roy and they are basically like orphans. They lost both of their parents. Their mum died and their father is to busy to support them. They go out swimming in a neighbour's pool. The kids can't really make friends and I feel like Retta feels like she has to be like her brother's mum because of her dad isn't rarely there. Since Retta is trying to hard Johnny rebels a bit. Retta also is to busy looking after the boys so she can't make friends so once Arthur a boy who befriends Johnny Retta is jealous. Roy on the other hand is like a back ground character like he rarely does anything he only is apart of the story at the end when he almost drowns because Retta chases after Johnny cause he snuck out and so Roy is scared so he thinks they went swimming without him so he does a dolphin dive in the pool in the deep end and almost drowns. I didn't really like Roy that much really because he doesn't do anything. The neighbour is a coronal and he almost caught Retta, Johnny and Roy, because Retta called Johnny a chicken so Johnny dolphin dived in and that made a lot of noise so they sprinted away. Roy thought also that Retta, Johnny and Arthur went swimming that is when he almost drowned (thought I should of shed more light on it). The dad on the other hand has a girlfriend who wants him to marry her and she mothers the children time to time. She gave Retta advice about holding on to tight and Retta had an epiphany realising that is what she was doing wrong. What Johnny and Arthur were doing was lighting rockets into the sky and Retta spied on them and scolded Johnny and Arthur accusing them of almost burning the whole town on fire. I like the story a lot because it teaches a lot of things about grief. Retta thought when her mum died and her dad made a hit song out of it she thought that was all her mum was worth to him just song material. Retta also realised that she couldn't pretend to be someone she's not because she tried to act like her mum but in the end she was like her mum when she stopped trying. It also has a good message about life and family. I give it four stars!!!
This story follows three kids Retta, Johnny and Roy and they are basically like orphans. They lost both of their parents. Their mum died and their father is to busy to support them. They go out swimming in a neighbour's pool. The kids can't really make friends and I feel like Retta feels like she has to be like her brother's mum because of her dad isn't rarely there. Since Retta is trying to hard Johnny rebels a bit. Retta also is to busy looking after the boys so she can't make friends so once Arthur a boy who befriends Johnny Retta is jealous. Roy on the other hand is like a back ground character like he rarely does anything he only is apart of the story at the end when he almost drowns because Retta chases after Johnny cause he snuck out and so Roy is scared so he thinks they went swimming without him so he does a dolphin dive in the pool in the deep end and almost drowns. I didn't really like Roy that much really because he doesn't do anything. The neighbour is a coronal and he almost caught Retta, Johnny and Roy, because Retta called Johnny a chicken so Johnny dolphin dived in and that made a lot of noise so they sprinted away. Roy thought also that Retta, Johnny and Arthur went swimming that is when he almost drowned (thought I should of shed more light on it). The dad on the other hand has a girlfriend who wants him to marry her and she mothers the children time to time. She gave Retta advice about holding on to tight and Retta had an epiphany realising that is what she was doing wrong. What Johnny and Arthur were doing was lighting rockets into the sky and Retta spied on them and scolded Johnny and Arthur accusing them of almost burning the whole town on fire. I like the story a lot because it teaches a lot of things about grief. Retta thought when her mum died and her dad made a hit song out of it she thought that was all her mum was worth to him just song material. Retta also realised that she couldn't pretend to be someone she's not because she tried to act like her mum but in the end she was like her mum when she stopped trying. It also has a good message about life and family. I give it four stars!!!
March 9, 2013
This review refers to the 2013 release of The Night Swimmers by Open Road for Young Readers. I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy of this title.
Betsy Byars originally released this story in 1980 and it won the National Book Award in 1981. It is a story of three siblings trying to deal with the death of their mother and the absence of their father. He is a country music singer looking to hit the big time. He is gone every night and is oblivious to what his kids are doing while he's gone.
Night Swimmers is primarily a story about the siblings facing reality - no one is concerned about them, they have no one watching over them, and they feel no one loves them. At times, they don't even care for each other.
I can see how this book won an award. There are many themes and deep elements that will get students talking. I unfortunately found it to be one of those middle grade books that lack any positive or happy moments. Beginning to end - bickering, fights, sadness, dead parent, mean teachers, new school, etc. I just can't give a book more the three stars when this happens.
Themes of this title are: siblings, growing up, responsibility, doing the right thing, belonging, dreams of a better life, what makes a family, kids acting as parents, dealing with loss, and letting go.
If you are interested in knowing the reading level - Night Swimmers has a Lexile Measurement of 860L. It also has a glossary at the end of the story.
Betsy Byars originally released this story in 1980 and it won the National Book Award in 1981. It is a story of three siblings trying to deal with the death of their mother and the absence of their father. He is a country music singer looking to hit the big time. He is gone every night and is oblivious to what his kids are doing while he's gone.
Night Swimmers is primarily a story about the siblings facing reality - no one is concerned about them, they have no one watching over them, and they feel no one loves them. At times, they don't even care for each other.
I can see how this book won an award. There are many themes and deep elements that will get students talking. I unfortunately found it to be one of those middle grade books that lack any positive or happy moments. Beginning to end - bickering, fights, sadness, dead parent, mean teachers, new school, etc. I just can't give a book more the three stars when this happens.
Themes of this title are: siblings, growing up, responsibility, doing the right thing, belonging, dreams of a better life, what makes a family, kids acting as parents, dealing with loss, and letting go.
If you are interested in knowing the reading level - Night Swimmers has a Lexile Measurement of 860L. It also has a glossary at the end of the story.
January 1, 2016
This was a difficult read, mainly because Betsy Byars' characters are so lifelike they pop off the pages. Who hasn't had some form of sibling rivalry in their childhoods? Here the relationships between the 3 Anderson kids is claustrophobic - as Johnny attempts to break the ranks by seeking a new friend, controlling Retta is threatened and bratty Rory lives in fear of being left out. Through Byars' vivid realistic writing, you understand the underlying motivations for why these miserable kids act the way they do: death of a Mother and and absent Father leaving Retta to become a surrogate mother figure for her brothers.
Things come to a head during a crisis towards the end, much the same way as in one of Byars' other books "The Animal, the Vegetable, and John D. Jones" , yet the resolution is a bit clumsy. Both Retta and her father are depicted as seeing their family through new, illuminated eyes, yet Retta's attempted reconciliation with her brothers, or Dad's reconciliation with Retta, doesn't feel enough to assuage all the animosity and hostility of the chapters gone before.
I was tickled by the song titles the Dad comes up with though: "You're Fifty Pounds Too Much Woman For Me" , "You Used To Be Too Much Woman, but Now You Ain't Enough".
Things come to a head during a crisis towards the end, much the same way as in one of Byars' other books "The Animal, the Vegetable, and John D. Jones" , yet the resolution is a bit clumsy. Both Retta and her father are depicted as seeing their family through new, illuminated eyes, yet Retta's attempted reconciliation with her brothers, or Dad's reconciliation with Retta, doesn't feel enough to assuage all the animosity and hostility of the chapters gone before.
I was tickled by the song titles the Dad comes up with though: "You're Fifty Pounds Too Much Woman For Me" , "You Used To Be Too Much Woman, but Now You Ain't Enough".
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