The Swift Boys & Me

About this book

The lyrical and moving middle-grade debut from YA author Kody Keplinger!

Twelve-year-old Nola Sutton has been best friends and neighbors with the Swift boys for practically her whole life. There's the youngest, Kevin, who never stops talking; the oldest, Brian, who's always kind and calm; and then there's Canaan, the ringleader and Nola's best-best friend. Together, they have a summer of fun adventures planned.

But then everything changes overnight.

When the boys' dad leaves without even saying good-bye, it completely destroys the Swift family, and all Nola can do is watch. She tries to hold on to them, but they are changing. Kevin stops talking, Canaan starts hanging out with mean boys, and Brian is never around. Nola just wants things to go back to the way they were -- the way they've always been.

Is Nola strong enough to save the Swift boys from themselves, or has she lost them forever?

Reviews

Praise for The Swift Boys and Me:

"This is the sort of solid, amiable preteen summer story there used to be a lot of; let's hope this heralds a revival." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Keplinger takes a stab at middle grade and completely nails it! The characters' voices are strong and this awesome tale of strength, struggle, and friendship needs to be heard, by tweens as well as adults. Nola and the Swift boys could be any one's next door neighbors, but luckily they're ours to embrace." -RT Book Reviews

"The small-town Kentucky setting, unfolding events, and emotional interactions between characters young and old all play their parts in establishing the story's solid sense of realism." -Publishers Weekly

"Realistically, there's no easy solution; the conclusion doesn't sugarcoat the pangs of growing up...A fine, honest and heartfelt coming-of-age tale." -Kirkus