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Sep 22, 2008

C. rated it:

So the swan named Louis, he went around with a slate because he didn't have any voice. And he tried so hard and but he couldn't talk. He got a trumpet and a slate, a gold medal for saving someone's life, and guess what? He got a money bag because his father stole the trumpet. That's it. It's a five star book because I liked it a lot. My favorite part is when he broke in the door and then the owner of the store came after him and he got the trumpet and he went away. I know that is stealing More...

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Oct 06, 2011

Douglas rated it:

So I heard there is a new book about E.B. Whites writing of "Charlotte's Web". I'm not sure I've ever read Charlotte, but I'm so familiar with it based on the popular cartoon they use to play on TV in the 70's that I decided to read one of his others instead. I decided to pick up this one, and I have to say I have mixed feelings about it. E.B. White does a wonderful job of using his literary skills to enhance children's vocabulary, however some of the verbiage & plot points seems da More...

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Jul 14, 2008

Esther rated it:

The Trumpet of the Swan is an absolutely fabulous book. All children, and parents of children should read it. Louis, a swan, was born without a voice. After becoming aware of this his father said: "Do not let an unnatural sadness settle over you, Louis. Swans must be cheerful, not sad; graceful, not awkward; brave, not cowardly. Remember that the world is full of youngsters who have some sort of handicap that they must overcome. You apparently have a speech defect. I am sure you will overco More...

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Dec 04, 2007

Nichole added it

Written by E.B. White, published by Harper Collins, 1970.

Summary: The story of a Trumpeter Swan with no voice of his own who is discovered by a young boy in the wilderness of Canada when he is just a baby. Throughout the story the boy, Sam, and the swan, Louis, continually encounter each other. The story follow the life of Louis as he finds his voice through the use of a small chalkboard around his neck and a trumpet.

Response: I thought this story started More...

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Nov 23, 2007

Jem43 rated it:

I love this classic "childrens book" of all my E.B. White books, Louis is the coolest bird you'll ever get to know. I love watercress sandwiches. This is an inspirational and endearing book. Our hero is brave, compassionate, lyrical. He endure all manner of misfortune and loss in his quest to find a place to belong . For a Trumpeter Swan without a voice, the world can be a cols comfortless lonely place. Not for Louis. He is determined to to ko-hoh and hence carve a niche for his dreams More...

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Oct 09, 2007

Kim rated it:

2 of my favorite books as a child were by E.B. White and this was one of them. This is a beautiful story about having the courage to overcome a handicap. The young swan in the story is born mute. If memory serves, he tries a few different methods of communicating one of which was a chalkboard. This was also my first exposure to a vocal standard called, "Beautiful Dreamer". I highly recommend you introduce your little ones to this book for its promotion of the ideas of courage (you can More...

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Feb 06, 2012

Yumi rated it:

I finished reading "The Trumpet of the Swan" in English today. The book is written by one of my favorite authors, E. B. White. He wrote "Charlotte's Web" and "Stuart Little". All of them are children books, but I really enjoyed reading them.

The book, "The Trumpet of the Swan" was my Texan friend's recommendation. In Japan other two books, "Charlotte's Web" and "Stuart Little" are very popular, but this book isn't well known am More...

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Mar 11, 2011

Nicola rated it:

Acquired: Purchased a used copy at a book/garage sale or thrift shop.

Reason for Reading: I've picked a bookshelf to randomly read my own books from this year and this is my first read from that shelf. This is a perennial favourite of mine.

I've read this several times now. Originally as a child, then as an adult, again as a read aloud to my eldest son, and now once more and the book still has not lost its charm for me. This is going to make a nice bedtime read for dh and ds an More...

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Mar 06, 2011

Melissa rated it:

This book makes you suspend reality a bit, but it is a very nice read and entirely unique. I remember reading it as a child and liking the tale, and some words from the book always stuck in my head ("Montana banana banana!").

Louis is a Trumpeter Swan who cannot trumpet. That's right, he was born without the ability of speech. To overcome this, he enlists the help of a boy who saw his birth, Sam Beaver, and sets out to go to school to learn to read and write. Finding this More...

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Sep 25, 2010

Sarah rated it:

None of the books I checked out from the library today felt right for this evening, so I browsed my personal bookshelf and The Trumpet of the Swan jumped out at me right away. As a child, I loved this book, but I haven't read it since the Battle of the Books in fifth grade. Some of the images were so vivid to fifth grade me, that they remained the same despite the 20 years that have passed: the cob flying into the music store and Louis asking Sam to slit his webbed feet were two that particula More...

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Jul 03, 2010

Shanna rated it:

Louis, a trumpeter swan, was hatched without a voice and so is unable to win a mate, even though with the help of his human friend Sam, he has learned to read and write. Out of paternal love, Louis' father breaks into a music store and steals a trumpet for Louis to use in courtship of the beautiful Serena. But Louis is too honorable to simply accept the stolen instrument -- he learns to play it, then hires out his musical ability until he can pay back the store owner. Throughout his adventure More...

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Jul 02, 2009

Ling Juan rated it:

This book is about a swan named Louie who doesn't have a voice when he was born. He can't express his feelings and thoughts. One day, his father went to a music store and stole a trumpet to help Louie express himself. After this, his father started to hve nightmares on how he's being chase after by polices and the boss of the music store. Louie decided to help his father get back his honor through the help of a boy named Sam. Sam helped him by teaching him how to read and write in school. Louie More...

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May 02, 2011

Esther rated it:

Apparently I have lately become a little bit of a pessimist, or a cynic or a realist (depending on your perspective) because as I read this book I kept expecting bad things to happen. Such as (Warning: spoilers are following)the fox would get some of the swan eggs, or Louis's father would die from his wounds, or Applegate would do something harmful to Louis, or Serena's wings would be clipped. You think after the first couple of instances ending happily I would of given up on the doom and gloom More...

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Jun 22, 2010

Pam added it

This story is about a swan named Louis that does not speak but desperately wants to and receives help from a little boy named Sam. This story takes place in Canada and Sam has discovered the Trumpeter Swans and is fascinated with them. He has no idea how intricate his role will be in these swans’ lives in regard to the young one who has no voice, but Sam helps him. This book is categorized as animal fantasy since the swans can talk and it also makes room for Sam being human. The book is belie More...

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Jun 23, 2011

Jenna rated it:

I have read Charlottes Web, and Stuart Little, but this book is my favorite then Stuart, then Charlottes Web. I think very highly of this book and you should to!!!

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Oct 01, 2008

Jackie "the Librarian" rated it:

Louis is a trumpeter swan with no voice. How can he find a mate? He's going to have to improvise. Now, where can a swan get a trumpet? No, Louis, don't turn to crime!
Another classic animal story by E.B. White. I didn't love it like I love Charlotte's Web, but it's hard to beat a terrific pig with a spider sidekick. Hey, that's what Louis needs - a sidekick!

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 20, 2011

Melydely rated it:

The Trumpet of the Swan was a beautiful story that really hit me. It hit me so hard because I got it's message. Every story, to me, must have a message hidden within the chapters, or otherwise, what's the point of reading the book? The message I recieved from The Trumpet of the Swan was that you should perservere, and if you believe in yourself, you can acheive so much more than you imagined.

The Trumpet of the Swan is about a trumpeter swan named Louis. He's different from his fellow t More...

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Sep 11, 2009

Karen rated it:

I read this book to my kids at bedtime over a few months and I found kind of disappointing although my kids seemed to really like it. It's imaginative and has a few good characters (my personal favorite was Louis' dad), but I have several complaints:
1) The "romance" with Serena REALLY irritated me - not only was there nothing redeeming about her other than her looks, it was ridiculous that she "blew off course" while in Montana and just happened to end up at the Philadel More...

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Oct 10, 2011

Kirei rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Aug 05, 2009

Abbey rated it:

This was a very cute story that I was just dazed by. Nothing has ever touched my imagination like that and it felt so good to read something I had never expierienced before.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 22, 2011

Victor rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Dec 10, 2009

Jeana rated it:

Bianca says it's a tie between Trumpet of the Swan and Charlotte's Web for her favorite book. She "recommended" it to me after her third reading. And it was so worth it. This is a charming, remarkable little book about a mute swan who overcomes his difficulties and perseveres. I love how White takes real-life challenges and makes them fun and accessible with animals. I wish I had read this one as a child. I think it should be mandatory reading for all kids, along with Charlotte's More...

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May 15, 2011

Chana rated it:

I completely enjoyed this story of Louis the Trumpeter Swan who was born unable to 'speak' (make the trumpet sound or any other sound). I agree with this review statement from The Chicago Tribune, "The Trumpet of the Swan will enchant at any age; it should be read aloud for all to enjoy." In fact I did read quite a bit of it out loud to my husband. The only thing I found jarring in this story, in which wilderness and animals in the wild are important, is the agreement that Louis mak More...

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Jun 03, 2010

Fence rated it:

Sam Beaver is eleven years old when out exploring a Canadian swamp he comes across a bird’s nest, a Trumpeter Swan’s nest to be specific, and in it are 5 eggs. Sam is delighted; he loves nature and keeps a careful watch being careful not to upset the swans. He even saves the nest from a fox attack. And when the eggs hatch he is even more entranced by the cygnets. But one of them has a problem, Louis has been born without a voice, and so Sam decides to help him out. He takes him to school and hel More...

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Feb 17, 2010

Ccaffinit rated it:

I abously loved the book. It was full of great descirptsions. I felt as if sitting on a chair listening characters or in a car just passing them on my way. I read this book when I was younger but it is a classic. I find book good for all ages and anyone who is anyone should read it. If you type of reader you likes books full of nature,friendship, and love for one another then this is the book for you. So go on reader go to your locall libary or bookstore and make sure you grab this book because More...

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Jul 30, 2010

Eric rated it:

A charming and goofily funny book about a trumpeter swan named Louis who earns the money to pay for a trumpet stolen for Louis by his father when his father realized that Louis has a "speech defect": Louis is unable to trumpet by himself.

One remarkable thing about this book from a writer's point of view is how clearly White just went with whatever occurred to him as he was writing and made that the course of the fiction. To me, it looks like an example of a writer who has t More...

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May 28, 2010

Svea rated it:

The trumpet of the swan is a funny book about a trumpeter swan named Louis. His life would have been complete if it was not for one thing, he had no voice! He could never go KO-HO with his brothers and sisters, he would not be able to have a mate when he fell in love in the spring. If it was not for his brave father, Louises life would have been vary hard so when his father gave him a gift that would help him through his life Louis finds that he has a debt to pay for his father. This is an excit More...

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Apr 24, 2011

Allison rated it:

I remember my second grade teacher reading me this book. I loved it then and haven't read it since, so I was excited to revisit it. There are things about it that I still love, but there was also some of it that irked me a little. Some of that could just be that it is a book from it's time (1970), but there are some aspects that don't hold well over time, especially the author's characterization of the female characters in the book. And also the way it talked about Louis "donating" his More...

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Aug 18, 2009

Michael rated it:

This book is the story of Louis the Trumpeter Swan who is born with no voice. But with the help of his human friend Sam Beaver, he learns to read, play the trumpet, and win the female swan of his desire.

I enjoyed White's characterization, especially giving the cob (Louis' father) refined diction to emphasize his pride and giving Louis' mother a very down-to-earth diction and demeanor. Nice touch. The other part I really liked was the audio CD's use of a trumpet for the parts where More...

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Aug 26, 2011

Kelsey rated it:

This book is an amazing book! At the beginning, I was uncertain as to if I would enjoy it - but, no, it caught me. I loved how "whimsical" this story was. It is about: a swan that can not "sing" like the other one's can and learns the trumpet and becomes a musician and then falls in love with a gorgeous swan. But, there's such a good message in this book. It is about: none of us have everything and we work with what we have. It is beautiful. I love this part:

" More...

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