Giff, Patricia Reilly. Lily's Crossing. New York, NY: Yearling, 1997. ISBN: 0440414539
Summary: With her promise to not tell lies, and make new friends, Lily embarks on a summer vacation away from school to the family's getaway by the beach in Rockaway, New York. World World II has impacted the lives of everyone around them. Lily worries about her father while avoiding her grandmother when she meets Albert, an Hungarian war refugee and struggles to come to terms with things.
Analysis: This is a sweet little story of a young girl living during World War II coming to terms with the hardships life hands out... loss, loneliness, separation, love, forgiveness, friendship, and honesty with one's own self. Like the title implies, the reader witnesses young Lily transform from a little girl to a young lady during one summer by the Atlantic Ocean in Rockaway.
Dealing with the anger of "people going away" this is a story of Lily's transformation from a scared little girl that lies and embellishes to hide her anger and uncertainty to being completely honest for the first time to a newfound friend who is dealing with similar loses. The reader sees a friendship form, the two find a commonality within a stranger, one who has lost so much as well. A story of facing the hard truth and reality. Lily learns that lies can only get you so far.
Authentic to the ages of Lily and Albert, this story could truly be during anytime or at any place seeing as there is constantly war going on somewhere and people deal with lose and separation. An excellent read for elementary through intermediate grades. A little young for secondary, but would be great for ESL students. It is historically accurate but not very informative as to why there was a war going on or who was fighting who, but the effects of the war being felt by young children. Not a lot learned here as far as the historical information goes except for the loss and uncertainty that comes along with it.
Accolades/Scholarly Reviews: Newbery Honor (1998); Audie Award Children's Titles (1999); Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2000); Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (1999) and much more.
From Publisher's Weekly 01/21/1997: "Exceptional characterizations and a robust story line turn this WWII homefront novel into far more than a period piece."
From School Library Journal 02/01/1997: "The developing friendship between Lily and Albert, and Albert's plan to swim to Europe to find Ruth, will grab readers' attention and sustain it to book's end. Despite convenient plot twists to reach a happy ending, Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice."
Connections: Another story of friendship with an unlikely person and coming to terms with what is truly happening around you would be The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. As an extension, students could research and read the books Lily reads and has checks out at the library, such as, Madeline a book written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans.
Summary: With her promise to not tell lies, and make new friends, Lily embarks on a summer vacation away from school to the family's getaway by the beach in Rockaway, New York. World World II has impacted the lives of everyone around them. Lily worries about her father while avoiding her grandmother when she meets Albert, an Hungarian war refugee and struggles to come to terms with things.
Analysis: This is a sweet little story of a young girl living during World War II coming to terms with the hardships life hands out... loss, loneliness, separation, love, forgiveness, friendship, and honesty with one's own self. Like the title implies, the reader witnesses young Lily transform from a little girl to a young lady during one summer by the Atlantic Ocean in Rockaway.
Dealing with the anger of "people going away" this is a story of Lily's transformation from a scared little girl that lies and embellishes to hide her anger and uncertainty to being completely honest for the first time to a newfound friend who is dealing with similar loses. The reader sees a friendship form, the two find a commonality within a stranger, one who has lost so much as well. A story of facing the hard truth and reality. Lily learns that lies can only get you so far.
Authentic to the ages of Lily and Albert, this story could truly be during anytime or at any place seeing as there is constantly war going on somewhere and people deal with lose and separation. An excellent read for elementary through intermediate grades. A little young for secondary, but would be great for ESL students. It is historically accurate but not very informative as to why there was a war going on or who was fighting who, but the effects of the war being felt by young children. Not a lot learned here as far as the historical information goes except for the loss and uncertainty that comes along with it.
Accolades/Scholarly Reviews: Newbery Honor (1998); Audie Award Children's Titles (1999); Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2000); Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (1999) and much more.
From Publisher's Weekly 01/21/1997: "Exceptional characterizations and a robust story line turn this WWII homefront novel into far more than a period piece."
From School Library Journal 02/01/1997: "The developing friendship between Lily and Albert, and Albert's plan to swim to Europe to find Ruth, will grab readers' attention and sustain it to book's end. Despite convenient plot twists to reach a happy ending, Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice."
Connections: Another story of friendship with an unlikely person and coming to terms with what is truly happening around you would be The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. As an extension, students could research and read the books Lily reads and has checks out at the library, such as, Madeline a book written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans.
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