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story identification - Children's book about child on failing generation starship saved by Cygnus The Swan?


In the late 1970s I bought a book at a school book fair (likely published by Scholastic) about a young boy who lived on a generational starship. The ship was failing. I remember some bit about an icey cold airlock.


One of the constellations (Cygnus) somehow took on actual fleshy form and manifested as a talking swan, which somehow helped the starships reach their destination.


Pointers?



Answer



Possibly The Watchers of Space?



The description:



The starship Genesis carries the last survivors of Earth on a desperate flight to a new home. But the ship is slowly disintegrating and the oxygen supply is running out -- it's a race against time and space. Out of the far reaches of the universe the Watchers of Space gather: Orion, the giant golden man; Starnight, the sword of power and magic; and Cygnus, the beautiful swan. Together they will help save the doomed ship. But no one on the Genesis will believe twelve-year-old William when he tells them of the Watchers' plan. For they no longer believe in anything -- not till they see William go spinning off into space...



The description seems to fit, but I think it was published in '85, so a bit later than you specified :(


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