Lily’s Crossing
Bibliography:
Giff, P. R. (1997).LILY'S CROSSING. Delacorte.
ISBN: 9780440414537
Plot Summary:
This story is about a little girl named Lily who spent her summer in Rockaway, in her family’s summer house by the Atlantic Ocean. But in the summer of 1944, World War II changed everyone’s life. Lily’s best friend, Margaret, has moved to a wartime factory town, and, much worse, Lily’s father is going overseas to the war. There’s no one Lily’s age in Rockaway until the arrival of Albert, a refugee from Hungary with a secret sewn into his coat. Albert has lost most of his family in the war; he’s been through things Lily can’t imagine. But soon they form a special friendship. Now Lily and Albert have secrets to share ,that they both have told lies, and Lily has told one that may cost Albert his life.
Critical Analysis:
Giff tells this story through the eyes of a young girl named Lily who truly has a great imagination and who is also a great daydreamer. The story also brings into light how much of a liar Lily was and how those lies just came out naturally and flowed easily. Lily meets Albert and forms a friendship where they both share the same experiences, like dealing with losing loved ones. Throughout the story, there are details on how their friendship allowed them to cope with the difficult times. The story takes place during WWII and Giff gives information on what was happening when they were in a movie theater and how they could see ships being blown up. The story allows readers to also experience what people would be going through during these times. At the end of the book, Giff leaves a letter to her readers explaining why she chose to write this story and how WWII was part of her childhood. The author explains that she wants readers to know, “ that love and friendship make a difference.”
Review Excerpt(s):
“Lily Mollahan is looking forward to summer, but the war shatters all her dreams: her beloved father has enlisted; her best friend is moving away; and Albert, a seemingly unfriendly war refugee from Hungary, intrudes on her private space. To complicate matters, Lily is fond of enhancing her importance or escaping retribution with facile lies. Details are woven with great effect into this World War II homefront story.”-Horn Book
“In 1944, Lily's eagerly awaited summer vacation becomes a time of anxiety when her widower father, Poppy, announces that he's off to Europe with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Lily's lonely in Rockaway with both her father and her summer friend, Margaret, gone, until she meets an orphan from Budapest living temporarily with her grandmother's neighbor. At first she responds coldly to Albert, but is soon drawn to him by his awkward dignity and his tragic tale of dead parents and ill sister, Ruth, left behind in France. As they care for an abandoned kitten together and wistfully watch ships passing on the horizon, a solid friendship develops, and by the time they part, Lily and Albert have helped each other through difficult times. Much of the plot, characters, and premise is conventional, but Giff (Shark in School, 1994, etc.) really pulls readers' heartstrings with Albert's memories of his family, the loss of Margaret's well-liked brother in the war, and Lily's joyful reunion with Poppy. Pull out the hankies for the final scene, in which Lily returns to Rockaway the following summer to find Albert—and Ruth—waiting for her. It's a strong ending to a deftly told story. (Fiction. 10-12)"- Kirkus Reviews
Connection:
*Students can create a mini journal where they will write about how the main character is feeling during the events of the book.
*Students can analyze the character traits of Lily and how she changes throughout the novel.
A Newbery Honor book that has great connections:
White, R. (1995). BELLE PRATER’S BOY. Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9781250005601
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