What do you think?
Rate this book
Summer of the Falcon
A sensitive young girl grows into womanhood as she trains a falcon during three summers in the country. ‘The interrelatedness of nature is a thread that binds the book together and gives it depth. This is one of the best portraits of female adolescence in our literature.’ —SLJ.
153 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1979
10 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Jean Craighead George
199 books1,540 followersJean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.
The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 9, 2024
Checked out from my school library, I read this novel as a young girl (9-10 years) and it made an enormous impression on me then, both for the characters and story and for the values it instilled about human relations with wildlife.
Falconry is an ancient lifeskill and sport probably rooted in the Middle East. In her 13th summer, June is given a young falcon to raise. She is expected to train the bird, to anticipate its needs, and to hunt with it. Otherwise it is merely a pet. This is the family ethos. Birds of prey should not be pets—her father is very clear; they are independent and wild and even when flown by human beings their dignity as hunters must be respected.
So. The book was written at a time, 1962, when raptors in general were killed as vermin by farmers who would then fight to control rodents in their fields. The irony was clear to me as a child. I read this book probably sixty years ago, and the morality of the short novel is still vivid in my memory.
To those complaining about the sexism: Yes, there it is and I hated the way it resolved. But every book I read as a child was blatantly sexist (every blessed horse book in the school and public libraries) and I had already learned to ignore it. Feminist speaking here... still posses my inaugural issue of Ms., kept my last name when I married, etc. Still loved the book.
Here and at Amazon, it says the book was "first published" in 1979, that's incorrect. It was new in 1962 with this cover, or one similar.
Falconry is an ancient lifeskill and sport probably rooted in the Middle East. In her 13th summer, June is given a young falcon to raise. She is expected to train the bird, to anticipate its needs, and to hunt with it. Otherwise it is merely a pet. This is the family ethos. Birds of prey should not be pets—her father is very clear; they are independent and wild and even when flown by human beings their dignity as hunters must be respected.
So. The book was written at a time, 1962, when raptors in general were killed as vermin by farmers who would then fight to control rodents in their fields. The irony was clear to me as a child. I read this book probably sixty years ago, and the morality of the short novel is still vivid in my memory.
To those complaining about the sexism: Yes, there it is and I hated the way it resolved. But every book I read as a child was blatantly sexist (every blessed horse book in the school and public libraries) and I had already learned to ignore it. Feminist speaking here... still posses my inaugural issue of Ms., kept my last name when I married, etc. Still loved the book.
Here and at Amazon, it says the book was "first published" in 1979, that's incorrect. It was new in 1962 with this cover, or one similar.
July 4, 2017
My dudes. This book was written in 1962 and set in the 30s. Of course it's going to read distastefully for its depiction of gender roles and expectations. Part of the what's good about changing times and gaining wider perspectives is being able to acknowledge and critique the differences.
Anyway, yes, this book holds nostalgia value for me. For such a short and leisurely read it does a good job of introducing a lot of nature and a little about falconry. As someone who's grown into doing more with plants and birds, I see on re-reading that there's so much that I just couldn't picture when reading this for the first time however long ago. 20 years? I think this would be a neat book to read with a kid who's interested in nature, especially on the East coast — and then discuss.
Anyway, yes, this book holds nostalgia value for me. For such a short and leisurely read it does a good job of introducing a lot of nature and a little about falconry. As someone who's grown into doing more with plants and birds, I see on re-reading that there's so much that I just couldn't picture when reading this for the first time however long ago. 20 years? I think this would be a neat book to read with a kid who's interested in nature, especially on the East coast — and then discuss.
December 16, 2014
You can tell it's from 1963, and not in a good way. The natural world stuff is of course lovely, and it's got autobiographical background on the lovely Jean Craighead George, but oh oh oh... if you wanted to know why we needed "Women's Lib," this would be a good example.
Ugh.
Ugh.
Read
December 30, 2020Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.
This is kind of frustrating because the writing is great, but the subject matter frustrated me so badly. It's so ridiculously sexist, and I don't care that it was written in the sixties and set in the thirties, because you know what, feminism existed in the sixties and the author made a choice to write the most frustratingly sexist characters. Her brothers are like two years older than her, and they can't set the table when she's left alone to run the house and instead she has to clean up behind them and make their beds??? Why?? Let them suffer if they want to be jerks.
I just. I can't even. This message that you must be forced into things you have no interest in because girl is so terrible and might be part of the reason this muscle in my forehead won't stop twitching. I just. I know books age, and I'm not angry at this like I'd be angry at a modern book, but it's still really frustrating. It's also casually racist which I'm sure no one is surprised by, and there's one point where June ogles her cousin a little too much.
Come to think of it - the next book I'm reading for this post mentions the Great Depression like a lot - how come this book never brings it up? They're set at the same time.
Again, I think the author's descriptions and prose are wonderful when I don't want to murder the characters, lol. I actually did enjoy a lot of it. But I'm going to get rid of it. And if you have a lot of nostalgia for this one, maybe don't reread it. I actually do think this could be adapted into an interesting modern movie, though, if you went a little less in the "your role in life is inevitable" route.
This is kind of frustrating because the writing is great, but the subject matter frustrated me so badly. It's so ridiculously sexist, and I don't care that it was written in the sixties and set in the thirties, because you know what, feminism existed in the sixties and the author made a choice to write the most frustratingly sexist characters. Her brothers are like two years older than her, and they can't set the table when she's left alone to run the house and instead she has to clean up behind them and make their beds??? Why?? Let them suffer if they want to be jerks.
I just. I can't even. This message that you must be forced into things you have no interest in because girl is so terrible and might be part of the reason this muscle in my forehead won't stop twitching. I just. I know books age, and I'm not angry at this like I'd be angry at a modern book, but it's still really frustrating. It's also casually racist which I'm sure no one is surprised by, and there's one point where June ogles her cousin a little too much.
Come to think of it - the next book I'm reading for this post mentions the Great Depression like a lot - how come this book never brings it up? They're set at the same time.
Again, I think the author's descriptions and prose are wonderful when I don't want to murder the characters, lol. I actually did enjoy a lot of it. But I'm going to get rid of it. And if you have a lot of nostalgia for this one, maybe don't reread it. I actually do think this could be adapted into an interesting modern movie, though, if you went a little less in the "your role in life is inevitable" route.
November 20, 2017
My grandmother was born in 1925, and would have been 5 at the time of this book. It is, thus far, abysmally old-fashioned. We follow a 13 year old girl who is surrounded by brothers and male cousins, and resistant to "learning the rules", "acting like a lady" and just wants to follow her male relatives on "high adventures". Unfortunately the only adult woman in the story is her mother, who assures her that she will eventually grow up and be happy to serve her own future husband and children, because that is a woman's fate. The protagonist is displeased that her male cousins can grow up and do 'whatever they want', but good old mother is there to tell her that it doesn't matter whether she's a boy or girl, she should just stop fussing, learn the rules and be a good person (without demanding anything from life other than to be a servant to her relatives). And so on.
I am a connoisseur of 1890s adventure novels and none of this is as shocking to me as it seemed to be to some other reviewers on this site, but of course reading it from a female perspective (and from a female author) makes it twice as bad. However it's still a good look into the atmosphere my grandparents were raised in, and really gives insight into why they raised the Baby Boomers the way they did. My generation is the first to have any degree of freedom for females and reading this sort of story is like reading something from the Middle Ages.
I am a connoisseur of 1890s adventure novels and none of this is as shocking to me as it seemed to be to some other reviewers on this site, but of course reading it from a female perspective (and from a female author) makes it twice as bad. However it's still a good look into the atmosphere my grandparents were raised in, and really gives insight into why they raised the Baby Boomers the way they did. My generation is the first to have any degree of freedom for females and reading this sort of story is like reading something from the Middle Ages.
October 23, 2018
Having read previous reviews, I get the complaints about Jean Craighead George's portrayal of women. But stop and think, women's roles were just as the author portrayed them at the time. Considering this story takes place nearly 100 years ago now, this book has unintentionally become historical fiction. Parents, not just moms, (We still have gender bias.) should read this book along with their children. It certainly can lead to very interesting discussions on gender roles of that time, as well as raising falcons...and that's a good thing!
October 1, 2021
I bought this book, first published in 1962, at a bluegrass concert held at the Craighead House near Boiling Springs, PA. A small number of book was republished as part of a fundraiser. I enjoyed reading it and can see why the author’s books were so popular.
I don’t understand the negative reviews based on the depiction of how June was raised. The book was written in 1962 when gender roles were more clearly defined. I’m glad girls have more choices now than they used to but don’t begrudge the past.
I don’t understand the negative reviews based on the depiction of how June was raised. The book was written in 1962 when gender roles were more clearly defined. I’m glad girls have more choices now than they used to but don’t begrudge the past.
December 21, 2019
Interested in birds of prey, the training of falcons, the natural world or the history of Craighead House near Boiling Springs, PA? Want to read about an idyllic childhood in the 1930's? You will find this book entertaining and educational.
August 31, 2024
Wonderful short story that makes me daydream about my childhood.
May 11, 2016
The Summer of the Falcon was written by Jean Craighead George, Newbery award-winning author of more than one hundred books for children and young adults. This novel was first published in 1962 by Thomas Y. Crowell and a copy in any form is fairly difficult to find.
In the 1930's, the extended Prichard family spent their summers in a rambling old Victorian house to enjoy the natural surroundings. The summer that she turned thirteen, June Prichard was given a gift by her older twin brothers: a Sparrowhawk. A lady's falcon, for a lady, they said. That summer she joined her brothers for the seemingly endless hours of training, exercise and eventually hunting with her precious Zander. She did this to show her father that even she was capable of disciplining herself, that she could follow a task through to the end.
All the while, though, both girl and bird were fighting the same battle, in their own ways. They wanted to be free, Zander of his ties and June of the rules and responsibilities that accompanied her own growing up. As she trained her bird, though, she began to realise that freedom without boundaries was not only dangerous, it was not true freedom at all. At the same time, June witnessed the young creatures of the woodland leaving their holes and nests, learning to fend for themselves and she saw that what she was experiencing was part of the universal pattern of life and learned that the less she fought, the easier it was.
In my opinion, this book is not Jean Craighead George's best work. Her descriptions of the natural world are, as always, beautiful. The sections devoted to falconry are interesting and well researched. You find yourself soaring with the birds of prey, but then you come back to earth with a bump. The sections that are devoted to June's 'growing up' feel almost as if they had been forced into a place where they do not fit. The transitions are unnatural and break the flow of the story.
The story also portrays, perhaps even promotes a view of parenting that is centred around the parents' feelings. Criticisms and correction are frequently given, but there was no recognition of a child's successes. Parents would not admit their own mistakes or misjudgements. All that seemed to matter to the parents in the story was that they were not embarrassed by their children's behaviour.
This book also promotes a view that a woman's role in society is to be a housewife and to serve others. She is forced into a mould that is forced upon her and the message of this particular book seems to be 'don't fight it, just accept it and your life will be easier', shown by the way in which the main character, June, was taught about the transition between child and woman.
The extreme form of this way of thinking leads people to believe that each woman is not a unique person with inherent worth; her worth is measured by her housekeeping skills. This way of thinking shows itself in the way that Mrs. Prichard speaks to her daughter and the way in which the men of the Prichard family did not think it necessary to assist with the daily tasks associated with running a home. The entire load fell on the woman and when, for example, the cooking was not up to their standards, they would be critical and even harsh, but would not offer to help.
All in all, I think this book was very disappointing. Besides learning the terminology and art of falconry, there is very little to gain from this book. It is not one to have on your shelf, but may be interesting to read once. It is probably most suitable for primary school children.
In the 1930's, the extended Prichard family spent their summers in a rambling old Victorian house to enjoy the natural surroundings. The summer that she turned thirteen, June Prichard was given a gift by her older twin brothers: a Sparrowhawk. A lady's falcon, for a lady, they said. That summer she joined her brothers for the seemingly endless hours of training, exercise and eventually hunting with her precious Zander. She did this to show her father that even she was capable of disciplining herself, that she could follow a task through to the end.
All the while, though, both girl and bird were fighting the same battle, in their own ways. They wanted to be free, Zander of his ties and June of the rules and responsibilities that accompanied her own growing up. As she trained her bird, though, she began to realise that freedom without boundaries was not only dangerous, it was not true freedom at all. At the same time, June witnessed the young creatures of the woodland leaving their holes and nests, learning to fend for themselves and she saw that what she was experiencing was part of the universal pattern of life and learned that the less she fought, the easier it was.
In my opinion, this book is not Jean Craighead George's best work. Her descriptions of the natural world are, as always, beautiful. The sections devoted to falconry are interesting and well researched. You find yourself soaring with the birds of prey, but then you come back to earth with a bump. The sections that are devoted to June's 'growing up' feel almost as if they had been forced into a place where they do not fit. The transitions are unnatural and break the flow of the story.
The story also portrays, perhaps even promotes a view of parenting that is centred around the parents' feelings. Criticisms and correction are frequently given, but there was no recognition of a child's successes. Parents would not admit their own mistakes or misjudgements. All that seemed to matter to the parents in the story was that they were not embarrassed by their children's behaviour.
This book also promotes a view that a woman's role in society is to be a housewife and to serve others. She is forced into a mould that is forced upon her and the message of this particular book seems to be 'don't fight it, just accept it and your life will be easier', shown by the way in which the main character, June, was taught about the transition between child and woman.
The extreme form of this way of thinking leads people to believe that each woman is not a unique person with inherent worth; her worth is measured by her housekeeping skills. This way of thinking shows itself in the way that Mrs. Prichard speaks to her daughter and the way in which the men of the Prichard family did not think it necessary to assist with the daily tasks associated with running a home. The entire load fell on the woman and when, for example, the cooking was not up to their standards, they would be critical and even harsh, but would not offer to help.
All in all, I think this book was very disappointing. Besides learning the terminology and art of falconry, there is very little to gain from this book. It is not one to have on your shelf, but may be interesting to read once. It is probably most suitable for primary school children.
January 22, 2020
I would never give this book to a middle grader or teenager now. It has such old gender norms that are very much a part of the coming-of-age thread to this story. Given what books can mean in the impressionable time frame, I wouldn't want this to be one of the few read.
It is unfortunate because I think the falconry and environmentalism conversations are really good. I would want that part to be handed down to teens.
However... go below for the final thought:
(spoiler below)
It is heartbreaking to me that after the main character learns all about falconry and environmentalism she gives up her falcon to wear a pretty dress and go to a dance. With the intention of finding a boy.
It is unfortunate because I think the falconry and environmentalism conversations are really good. I would want that part to be handed down to teens.
However... go below for the final thought:
(spoiler below)
It is heartbreaking to me that after the main character learns all about falconry and environmentalism she gives up her falcon to wear a pretty dress and go to a dance. With the intention of finding a boy.
May 18, 2013
FREEDOM--WITH RESPONSIBLILITY!
Although published in 1962 this YA book is set in the country in the 1930's, when it was legal to capture birds of prey to train and keep as pets. The story of June's coming of age takes readers across three summers, with only brief paragraphs to summarize her school years in the city. The extended Pritchard family spends every summer in the inherited Victorian house owned by common grandparents. Besides her older twin brothers and cousin Rod, the premises are shared by a menagerie of mainly wild creatures who have been tamed by budding naturalists.
Every kid in the story has a wild animal for a pet, which teaches them to respect the laws of nature and the importance of personal responsibility. The summer she turns 13 June is presented with a young
sparrow hawk. Naming him Zander she tackles the serious business of training him to come to her call and gradually to hunt on his own.
(Curiously enough these wild pets spend the winter in the city, even going off to college with the boys.) As time passes both June and Zander crave increasing freedom--the right to make their own decisions about their lives. Even parents must recognize when it is time to encourage their offspring to leave the nest--even if they aren't sure they want to.
Jean Craighead George depicts life in simpler times by 21st century standards, but some basic life issues are as true today as they were then. As a society we have recognized the need to preserve the balance of Nature--for the good of both mankind and wild animals. As a maturing girl will June reach the point of spreading her own wings--willingly and eagerly? As a young woman how will she treat Zander who has his own agenda? When does a "parent" realize that it's time to let go--and let fly? A serious read featuring a teenage protagonist--with ecological undertones for adults of all ages.
(June 7, 2009. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
Although published in 1962 this YA book is set in the country in the 1930's, when it was legal to capture birds of prey to train and keep as pets. The story of June's coming of age takes readers across three summers, with only brief paragraphs to summarize her school years in the city. The extended Pritchard family spends every summer in the inherited Victorian house owned by common grandparents. Besides her older twin brothers and cousin Rod, the premises are shared by a menagerie of mainly wild creatures who have been tamed by budding naturalists.
Every kid in the story has a wild animal for a pet, which teaches them to respect the laws of nature and the importance of personal responsibility. The summer she turns 13 June is presented with a young
sparrow hawk. Naming him Zander she tackles the serious business of training him to come to her call and gradually to hunt on his own.
(Curiously enough these wild pets spend the winter in the city, even going off to college with the boys.) As time passes both June and Zander crave increasing freedom--the right to make their own decisions about their lives. Even parents must recognize when it is time to encourage their offspring to leave the nest--even if they aren't sure they want to.
Jean Craighead George depicts life in simpler times by 21st century standards, but some basic life issues are as true today as they were then. As a society we have recognized the need to preserve the balance of Nature--for the good of both mankind and wild animals. As a maturing girl will June reach the point of spreading her own wings--willingly and eagerly? As a young woman how will she treat Zander who has his own agenda? When does a "parent" realize that it's time to let go--and let fly? A serious read featuring a teenage protagonist--with ecological undertones for adults of all ages.
(June 7, 2009. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
February 19, 2017
such a depressing book. this right here is why we need feminism.
April 13, 2013
I really liked this one. Charming, engaging--this story of a girl and a hawk reads TRUE from begining to end. Far more rewarding than any foolish fantasy about things that could never happen to anyone.
February 8, 2016
Maybe I'd have enjoyed it if I'd read it at a younger age. It felt very sexist to me. I don't like books where a girl has to grow up and become more "feminine." Especially when I think I'm reading a book about animals.
September 10, 2013
On an old reading list...estimated read sometime in 2006.
I remember LOVING this one...
I remember LOVING this one...
January 17, 2022
A book of the times, with a girl who wants to be a falconer. Perfect for a child who loves nature.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews