LILY'S CROSSING by Patricia Reilly Giff

Review by Christi De Leon

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Giff, Patricia R. Lily’s Crossing. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1997. ISBN 0440414539

PLOT SUMMARY

This historical fiction novel is about a young girl named Lily whose life changes in Rockaway in the summer of 1944 due to World War II. Lily’s best friend moves away, and Lily’s father goes to war. Lily becomes friends with a boy named Albert, a refugee from Hungary, and they care for a kitten together. They continue to help each other through difficult times, sharing secrets and telling lies.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The adventurous protagonist, Lily Mollahan, struggles often with childhood imperfections, which include lying and daydreaming. Lily’s life gets thrown for a loop one summer when everything seems to change at once. Between her Poppy going to war, a close friend named Margaret moving away, and forming a strong friendship with Albert, Lily must try to overcome these habits before they affect those most important to her. Presented in a way that children can grasp, Lily and Albert share their perceptions of World War II through their individual stories. It seems as if the children in America each had their own connection to the war, although they all commonly expressed a sense of worry in their thoughts and actions. The setting is vividly portrayed with plenty of details to visualize what is occurring. Readers can easily envision the children as they watch the passing ships or splash in the water.

Lily, Margaret, and Albert all deal with their own form of grief in this story, along with feelings of uncertainty. Particularly intriguing was the star that Lily took to Rockaway with her each year, symbolizing a gift from her mother, whom she had lost when she was younger. Friendship is another theme expressed throughout the story. By sharing their fears with each other, Lily and Albert eventually become stronger together leading to a sense of comfort. This well-written novel flows smoothly by combining fact and fiction, in which historical facts are blended right in. At the end of the book, Giff writes to the reader, explaining what she remembers from her childhood as World War II was taking place. This solidifies the reality of this time in history for the reader, and how the author was able to successfully capture this era through writing this historical fiction novel.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

1998 Newbery Medal Honor Book

1998 ALA Notable Children’s Book

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book

From The Horn Book: "Details...are woven with great effect into a realistic story."

From Publishers Weekly: "Exceptional characterizations and a robust story line...this has all the ingredients that best reward readers."

From Booklist: "With wry comedy and intense feeling...Giff gets across a strong sense of what it was like on the home front during World War II...The friendship story is beautifully drawn."

CONNECTIONS

Gather other Patricia Reilly Giff to read such as:

Willow Run. ISBN 0440238013

Storyteller. ISBN 0440421757

Gather other Newbery Award winning books to read such as:

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. ISBN 054577098

Possible activities:

Use a Venn Diagram to compare character traits of Lily and Albert.

Conduct research on some of the specific aspects of World War II as mentioned in the story.