Elizabeth Mollahan--the Lily of Lily's Crossing--lost her mom when she was little. Her father and a grandmother are her only family. Every summer the three of them flee sweaty New York City for a beach house in New York's Rockaways.
This year though, Lily's father announces that he's enlisted in the Army; days later, he is gone. Alone with her grandmother, Lily sees a long lonely summer ahead. And then, Albert appears. A refugee from the Nazis, his family thrown to the winds, young Albert bears a grief and sadness of his own.
It's a pleasure to read along as Lily and Albert negotiate the pain they feel and the secrets and adventures they share. With subtlety and compassion, this gift of a book reminds us that wars happen to children,
This year though, Lily's father announces that he's enlisted in the Army; days later, he is gone. Alone with her grandmother, Lily sees a long lonely summer ahead. And then, Albert appears. A refugee from the Nazis, his family thrown to the winds, young Albert bears a grief and sadness of his own.
It's a pleasure to read along as Lily and Albert negotiate the pain they feel and the secrets and adventures they share. With subtlety and compassion, this gift of a book reminds us that wars happen to children,
Stephanie M. (stephanie932) reviewed Lily's Crossing (Newbery Honor Book) on + 219 more book reviews
Lily's blissful summer of 1944 comes to a rude halt when her father is drafted into the military. Left alone with her grandmother in the family's summer home in Rockaway, New York, Lily befriends Albert, a shy Hungarian refugee her own age. Narrator Mia Dillon convincingly conveys the emotional complexity of both children, capturing the urgency and doubt that arise from Lily's internal dialogue and providing a sensitive portrayal of Albert, complete with Hungarian accent. Albert's tentativeness and sorrow are apparent to the listener long before Lily can fully understand his painful experiences in war-torn Europe.
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.
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.
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 has 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 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. For 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.
There's no one else 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. For 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.
