Unit 5 Review - Lily's Crossing

 

Bibliographic Information

Giff, P. R. 1999. LILY’S CROSSING. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0385321426

Plot Summary

This year, as in other years, Lily has planned a spectacular summer in Rockaway, in her family's cozy house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. But by the summer of 1944, World War II had changed almost everyone's life. Lily's best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town, and worse, much worse, Lily's father is on his way overseas to the war.

There's no one else of Lily's age in Rockaway until Albert comes, a refugee from Hungary, a boy 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 when they join together to rescue and care for a kitten, they begin a special friendship. Lily and Albert have their own secrets to share: they both have told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life.

Critical Analysis

Lily is a child living in Rockaway, New York in 1944. The war has destroyed all her summer plans. Her best friend has left with her parents to go to Detroit. Lily's father is sent to the war front. What does Lily have left to make her summer memorable? In Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff, we are introduced to Lily who is a young girl with a unique ability to lie her way through just about anything. She meets Albert, a Hungarian refugee, and together they form a special bond. These two main characters in this historical fiction novel are believable and relatable to real children. Both Lily and Albert are naïve, temperamental, and use language that is appropriate to their developmental level as well as time period. The setting of the story also contributed to the authenticity of the story because it is set in 1944 New York. Being that America was at war in 1944, the fact that Lily’s father had to go overseas to  war and Albert and his family being persecuted in Europe accentuated the authenticity of the story’s historical elements.

The main theme of this novel is friendship and how even through hard times, real bonds can hold steadfast. This theme is relatable to many readers, especially those who may have a relative overseas or one in the military. I believe that Patricia Reilly Giff did an incredible job balancing fact with historical fiction in Lily’s Crossing. The reader can tell that she did her research for this novel, showing the strife that people in this time period were truly under, while also showing that despite the world around them, two friends could change each other's lives for the better. 

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*1998 Newbery Honor Book

*ALA Notable Book

*A Boston Globe—Horn Book Honor Book

*The Horn Book Magazine, starred review - "Details...are woven with great effect into a realistic story."

*Booklist, review - "With wry comedy and intense feeling...Giff gets across a strong sense of what it was like on the homefront during World War II...The friendship story is beautifully drawn."

Connections

*Lily’s Crossing is set in 1944 just after D-Day. In 1994, the United States celebrated the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Send students to the library to find articles in news magazines about this celebration. Ask them to share with the class any unusual facts or moving stories that they uncover.

*Readers enjoyed these books after reading Lily’s Crossing: 

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. THE NIGHT WAR. ISBN 978-0735228566

Paterson, Katherine. THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS. ISBN 978-0690038378

Ryan, Pam Munoz. RIDING FREEDOM. ISBN 978-0439087964