Lily's Crossing

Written by Patricia Reilly Giff

Narrated by Mia Dillon

This "brilliantly told" (New York Times) Newbery Honor Book gives readers a sense of what it was like to be on the American home front while our soldiers were away fighting in World War II.
 
As in past years, Lily will spend the summer in Rockaway, in her family's summer house by the Atlantic Ocean. But this summer of 1944, World War II has 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: They both have told lies, and Lily has told one that may cost Albert his life.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
• Release date: May 27, 2008
• ISBN: 9781400085743

Patricia Reilly Giff

Patricia Reilly Giff is the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. She won the Newbery Honor for Lily's Crossing (a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book) and Pictures of Hollis Woods. She lives in Connecticut.

Reviews for Lily's Crossing

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily goes with her father and grandmother to their annual summer home at the coast, but World War II is raging and Lily quickly sees that this summer will not be like those in the past. Her father, an engineer, heads to Europe to help with the recovery after the Allies reconquer France. Her one friend at the summer home leaves early on. She is left looking forward to a boring summer with her irritating grandmother and no friends.But then Albert shows up. Reluctant at first to befriend this odd boy, who is a refugee from Hungary, they soon become good friends. The only problem is Lily's habit of lying to have something interesting to say. She tells Albert that they can row a boat out to a troop ship, climb aboard, and get to Europe to find her father and his sister. A nice story of a friendship that develops during difficult times under strained circumstances.

[glitteraturegeek · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was one of my childhood favorites. Lilly's Crossing provides a young girl's perspective of WW II--making it a nice leisure read for kids studying or interested in learning more about WW II. The story and character dialogue is entertaining, yet informative and educational.

[pennykaplan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Young Lily, mother less and her father drafted to serve in World War II, spends the summer before sixth grade with her grandmother in Rockaway. An independent spirit she comes to terms with her lying and finds a good friend in a Hungarian refugee boy. Good sense of time and place.

[nancy.castaldo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful, timeless story of friendship!

[oliviagarcia-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice book about friendship.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book Description When Lily meets Albert, a refugee from Hungary, during the summer of 1944, they begin a special friendship. However, Lily and Albert have both told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life.

My Review This was a very good young adult historical fiction book which explains what children and adults were feeling during the summer of 1944 at the end of WWII as France was being liberated. Along with those feeling, Lily learns an important lesson of how her lies can lead to a devastating result. By the end of the summer, Lily promises herself she will live by the truth forever. I would recommend this book to adults and children 9-12 because of the lessons it teaches. 

[ashoemak · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

World War II changes Lily’s life the summer of 1944; her father is sent to Germany, her best friend moves away, and Lily is left to spend her summer without them. While dealing with the loss of her father and friend, Lily finds solace in an unlikely friend, Albert a refugee from Hungary. Together they deal with their losses and fears and in the process form a bond that lasts a lifetime.

[kelseymajor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily, an eleven-year-old girl with a life full of happiness, is living through the tough times of World War II. Her father has to move away to help strengthen America in the war. Every summer Lily goes to the beach with her friends but not the summer that her father leaves. Lily's best friend has to go away with her family because her family has to help out with the war. Just when Lily thinks that her life is ruined, she suddenly meets a boy named Albert.
 This book shows how important friendship can be. Lily is an amazing girl who shares her wonderful world with everyone. Her story can help many people during rough times with because she teaches people to never give up. When Lily realizes that her best friend must move away, she feels miserable. The war helps Lily grow closer to her friends and family during difficult times

[jkennedybalto · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In limited point-of-view third person, but protagonist Lily comes through as clearly as in first person. Giff shows excellent craft that helps young readers: simple sentences, short paragraphs, no lapses into adult complexity. Lily is wonderfully alive, steadily more aware of her flaws, sensitive, and bratty. She slowly discovers adults are sensitive people too, and she is keenly heroic when someone in need appears on the scene. Context is key: It's 1944 and EVERYONE'S life is affected deeply and daily by the war, even in east coast America where bombs aren't dropping. I love the author afterward note. She appears to want to explain why she wrote this "serious" book, since her readership was used to something else.

[juliehrbacek · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily, her widowed father and grandmother have gone to spend the summer at Gram's house at the beach for as long as she can remember. She's had the run of the town and the same good friend for almost as long. In the summer of 1944, WWII has changed everyone's lives, yet Lily has hardly noticed. She feels the first effects when her friend Margaret learns her brother is MIA and her family has moved away. Lily finds herself without a best friend until a skinny little boy from Hungary shows up to live with his distant relatives. He has managed to be smuggled out of his country to the safety of the U.S. after his parents are both killed. Albert and Lily begin a special friendship that lasts all summer. When Lily's own father has to go the war-torn area as an engineer, they both dream of going overseas to find what little family each of them has. Their big plans are bolstered by lies told by each of them, and lost when each has to confess their own truths. As true best friends, Lily and Albert share their deepest secrets and solidify their relationship. As the summer ends, they go their separate ways, missing each other and fearing they will never see each other again. When the war is over, Lily's father brings news of Albert's happy ending with him from Paris. Will she ever be able to share her own happy ending with her very best friend?This book could be read during the study of World War II, tying in the setting and events of the book with the facts from the war. It would be interesting to compare the life that Lily led to the lives children lead today. I would be a great writing assignment to compare seeing WWII through Lily's and Albert's eyes, with the affects that children today feel from war.

[janarose1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Set during World War II, Lily, her father and grandmother leave New York City for their summer home in the Rockaways. A few days after arriving, Lily’s Dad tells her that he has enlisted in the army and is leaving the next morning. Lily faces the prospect of a lonely summer, until Albert, a Hungarian refugee, moves in next door. The two children rescue a kitten from the sea and Lily teaches Albert how to swim. Ultimately the book is about friendship through good and bad times. A bit-slow paced, I had trouble getting into the story. I thought the children appeared extremely young for their age and the times. Overall, I was a bit disappointed and would only rate this book a three out of five.

[kwrolsen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with enough action to keep my attention. The short chapters and paragraphs would help reluctant readers read this book through to completion. I wasn't the biggest fan of Lily, the protagonist, but I'm sure her feelings of loss were similar to the feelings of many children that lived during WWII.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily loves to lie. The lies flow fast and easy. Each time she vows not to lie, another one slides right on out of her mouth. Lily just cannot help herself.The setting is Rockaway, NJ where Lily, her grandmother and father spend idyllic summers. But the summer of 1944 is different and lives are changed because of WWII. Lily's best friend moves to Detroit where her father can build bombs, the seaside boardwalk is empty and Lily's father is going oversees to fight in the war.Having lost a mother in childhood, Lily knows the fear of abandonment and loneliness. When a young Hungarian refugee arrives, Lily learns the unspeakable things Albert experienced in losing his family during Nazi occupation.Slipping into her habit of pathological lying seems harmless until one places Albert's life in jeopardy.This 1998 Newbery Honor book is highly recommended. The themes of loss, grief, friendship, the impact of war and the repercussions of actions are all packed into a mere 180 pages.

[rvolenti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I "read" this book during my long runs, so it took a while to finish it since I read it off and on. I finally finished, and I loved it. It was sweet, heartwarming, suspenseful, and fun. Giff did a great job of making the characters come alive, especially Lilly, and the historical details give credence to the work. It is a great book for pleasure reading or for use in a classroom.

[melopher_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The strength of Lily's Crossing is in identifying with the thought processes and struggles that kids often have. The author doesn't belittle Lily's feelings that she is unliked by her grandmother, rather she empathizes but makes a point to help Lily grow. In this book, World War II is shown from the perspective of American youth as well as European youth; the characters are extremely well drawn.

[duffiej · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lily's Crossing, by Patricia Reilly Giff was originally published in 1997. It tells the story of a memorable summer at Rockaway beach after her father has gone to Europe as an army engineer during World War II. She meets a Hungarian boy, Albert, who has escaped from Europe and is staying with extended family in America. The two strike up an easy friendship after various fits and starts and bond over their similar situation: missing loved ones because of the war. The story centers on quirky Lily's interactions with the quiet, serious Albert. They rescue a cat, and contemplate swimming out to a boat headed to Europe (an outrageous lie invented by Lily) so that they can reunite with members of their family. The action heats up in the climax when Lily makes a daring attempt to rescue Albert when he does somethign very dangerous based on a lie told to him by Lily.The book has an emotional weight despite the recommended age range: late elementary school/early middle students. There is humor as well as a deep sadness running throughout the book. Grief at missing a loved one and the joy of making new friends mingle in this excellent piece of historical fiction. This book could be used along with a study into the plight of Jews durning WWII as well as general history abotu the war and the time period surrounding it. A fantastic, poignant book!

[rbelknap_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a good example of a historical fiction novel because it takes place in a historic time and place but the characters and their specific stories are fictional. It followed the criteria of a historical fiction but overall I thought the book was a little slow.This novel is about Lily a ten year old girl from New York City who is spending her summer vaction with her grandma because her father is away in France fighting in the war. While she is vactionaing by the ocean with her grandma Lily meets Albert. Albert is from Hungrey where his parents were shot by Hitler's forces.Age Appropriateness: Late Intermediate, MiddleMedia: None

[kathy8997 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about Lilly who lives in NYC, and vacations on the ocean with her grandmother during World War II. Lilly's father is an engineer, and goes to war in France. Lilly's best friend during the summer moves away to Detroit. Lilly befriends a young boy who has escaped from Hungary. His parents are assumed dead--they were revolutionaries and printed newspapers opposing the Nazis. The boy (Albert) doesn't know if his sister survived. He left her in France. Lilly and Albert save a drowning kitten. That's where their friendship begins. Albert wants to get back to France to rescue his sister. Lilly tries to help him.