Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.
Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?
"We, and our children, are lucky to have this book." —John Updike
The Trumpet of the Swan joins E. B. White favorites Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little as classic illustrated novels that continue to speak to today's readers. Whether you curl up with your young reader to share these books or hand them off for independent reading, you are helping to create what are likely to be all-time favorite reading memories.
Course this book is used in:
- Reading and Literature 2:
- Homeschool
Reading and Literature 2 continues to develop strong reading skills while deepening students’ engagement with good literature. Anchored in Catholic National Reader, Book Two and enriched by classic novels, fables, poetry, and saint stories, this course strengthens phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension through a carefully sequenced selection of texts.
The course includes multiple reading tracks, allowing families to select an appropriate level while maintaining a coherent and unified curriculum. Students participate in guided and independent reading, with a strong emphasis on reading aloud, attentive listening, and mutual response.
Alongside the primary reader, students encounter longer literary works and varied genres, developing the ability to follow plots, identify characters, recognize key details, and understand an author’s purpose. Poetry and language-rich texts help students internalize patterns of language, while writing assignments—such as narration and simple book reports—build skills in clear and effective expression.
By uniting skill development with rich literary content and flexible pacing, the course fosters a love of reading and an appreciation for well-crafted language and stories.