Sea Swan

Elzibah Swan lives in a tall brick house, which her great-grandfather built, on Beacon Hill in Boston. She has lived there all her life, in a quiet, orderly fashion; each day has its closely adhered-to routines. But when her two grandchildren come to visit, her life is suddenly noisy and busy. They go to the beach, to the ice cream parlor, tothe movies. And when they leave, Elzibah finds her life too quiet. So she decides to learn something newshe learns to swim. She buys a bathing suit and signs up for swimming lessons. After mastering swimming in the pool, she decides to swim in a cove on the ocean. A new world opens up to her, of underwater gardens and solitude. Lasky is a talented and diverse writer ( Sugaring Time , Beyond the Divide ), and this is an exquisite story about old age and new beginnings. The crystal-clear colors of Stock's watercolor illustrations further emphasize the beauty of the tale. Ages 5-8. (September)