The House of Wings [Paperback]

Betsy Byars (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Left with his grandfather until his parents are settled in Detroit, Sammy learns to respect and love the old man as they care for an injured crane together.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (July 29, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140315233
• ISBN-13: 978-0140315233
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,994,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betsy Byars began her writing career rather late in life First, she married and started a family. The writing career didn't emerge until she was 28, a mother of two children, and living in a small place she called the barracks apartment, in Urbana, Illinois. She and her husband, Ed, had moved there in 1956 so he could attend graduate school at the University of Illinois. She was bored, had no friends, and so turned to writing to fill her time. Byars started writing articles for The Saturday Evening Post, Look,and other magazines. As her family grew and her children started to read, she began to write books for young people and, fortunately for her readers, discovered that there was more to being a writer than sitting in front of a typewriter. "Once a wanderer came by my house and showed me how to brush my teeth with a cherry twig; that went in The House of WingsThe Summer of the Swans." Since that time, Byars has written more than 45 books for young readers and has won numerous awards, including The American Book Award, which she received in 1981 for The Night Swimmers. The humor, compassion, and insight Byars brings to each of her books won her a large audience of admirers both in the United States and abroad. Six of her novels were presented on national television, and her books are translated into nine languages. Six of Byars' novels have been named ALA Notable Books, and in 1971, The Summer of the Swans -- a story about a 14-year-old girl and her mentally retarded brother -- won the Newbery Award as the most distinguished contribution to literature for children in the year of its publication. Byars was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 7, 1928. Unlike many of the characters in her books, Byars grew up in a normal, loving family. Her father was an engineer and worked as a bookkeeper in a cotton mill. He was stern and hardworking and had a strong sense of humor. Her mother was a lively woman who loved acting and music. Byars's sister, Nancy, two years older, was sometimes an inspiration and sometimes an evil nemesis. Byars has always been adventurous and never allows a few setbacks to prevent her from doing things she wants to experience, like petting a blacksnake and flying planes. The snake was named Moon and became the subject of her 1991 autobiography, The Moon and I. Betsy Byars and her husband live on an air strip in South Carolina, and have traveled widely throughout the United States in pursuit of their interest in gliding and antique airplanes. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars SHORT, INTENSE TALE, February 17, 1999

By 

Plume45 "kitka12345" (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Wings (Hardcover)

This slender book provides intense reading; it is almost a play for just two characters, as a tough boy discovers his aging grandfather. Angry and rebellious that his parents have temporarily abandoned him with an unknown old man in a decrepit house out in the boonies, the boy tries to run away. But he gradually finds himself drawn to stay--not because of the crusty oldtimer, but to help care for a sick crane. The only tenderness the old man exhibits is for wildlife, which provides a tentative bond. The kid, who is rarely addressed by his name, is not a sympathetic protagonist (boastful, selfish, arrogant), but he finally grows out of himself enough to feel compassion for another species. In so doing, he becomes more human and accepting of his suddenly-acquired grandfather.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars SPREADING THEIR WINGS, April 17, 1998

By 

Plume45 "kitka12345" (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Wings (Paperback)

Very short, intense tale about a 10-year-old boy's discovery of his aging grandfather and bird lore. Resentful of being temporarily abandoned by his parents with an crusty old man he never met before, Sammy spends two days finding out about himself as he starts to grow up. After his unsuccessful attempt to run away, he grudgingly helps the old man care for a wounded crane. The boy is not at all likeable, but he learns to take into consideration both creatures and people besides himself, as he comes to respect the winged kingdom which his grandfather loves. In so doing, he comes to appreciate the old man, who finally addresses the boy by his name.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, November 10, 2001

By 

"sleeklaser" (Anonymous) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Wings (Paperback)

House of Wings is truly a remarkable book. It is about a boy named Sammy and his grandfather who learn how to preserve and conserve the nature. Sammy lives in past day West Virginia and he is 8 years old. His parents, who were in the red for the bank, left him to go to Indiana. He was left with his crazy and strange old grandfather whos only bond is with nature. His grandfather loves birds, but the boy is rebellious and hates them. He wants to run away. I really enjoyed this book and I hope that through reading this, you will too.