Lily’s Crossing
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reilly Giff, Patricia. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 978-0385321426
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Lily is an eleven year-old girl who lacks any decorum and seems to enjoy acting in an unsavory manner; she is a lie and a sneak, and cannot be trusted. While her father is sent away to fight in World War II, Lily spends the summer with her grandmother. Lily meets a Hungarian refugee boy named Arthur, with whom she becomes friends. One of Lily’s lies prompts her new friend to partake in something very dangerous because he believes it will save his sister left behind in Hungary.
Lily is an eleven year-old girl who lacks any decorum and seems to enjoy acting in an unsavory manner; she is a lie and a sneak, and cannot be trusted. While her father is sent away to fight in World War II, Lily spends the summer with her grandmother. Lily meets a Hungarian refugee boy named Arthur, with whom she becomes friends. One of Lily’s lies prompts her new friend to partake in something very dangerous because he believes it will save his sister left behind in Hungary.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This Newbery Honor Book focuses on Lily, a strong headed
little girl that some readers may dislike.
Her penchant for lying makes her a character that is believable. Interestingly, this character flaw is
necessary for the book’s plot and story development.
When Lily meets Arthur, a Hungarian refugee, older readers
may notice that he lacks any speech dialect that identifies him as a non-native
English speaker. This may have been an
intended oversight of Reilly Giff to ensure that younger readers could
comprehend the conversations of the friendship between Lily and Arthur.
The story itself is historically accurate, and the
historical components do not completely override the story line of the new
friendship between the two young people.
However, readers will need to have a basic understanding of World War II
and geography to understand how far Arthur would need to travel to save his
sister in Hungary. Due to these limitations, this book would be best for late
elementary school readers.
Overall, the book is a solid piece of historical fiction,
but some readers may be overwhelmed by the historical foundation that is needed
to fully comprehend the storyline. Readers
dislike for Lily may also interfere with the ability to empathize with her
plights.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
- Newbery Honor Book 1998
- ALA Notable Book
- Boston Globe- Horn Book Honor Book 1997
Starred Review
in Publishers Weekly: "has all
the ingredients that best reward readers."
Kirkus Reviews: “Much of the plot, characters, and premise is conventional, but Giff …really
pulls readers' heartstrings with Albert's memories of his family, the loss of
Margaret's well-liked brother in the war, and Lily's joyful reunion with Poppy.
Pull out the hankies for the final scene… It's a strong ending to a deftly told
story.”
Booklist: “With wry comedy and intense feeling, and
without intrusive historical detail, Giff gets across a strong sense of what it
was like on the home front during World War II.”
School Library Journal: “The developing friendship between Lily and Albert… 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.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Other books written by Patricia Reilly Giff:
Pictures of Hollis Woods. ISBN 978-0440415787
Eleven. ISBN 978-0440238027
Nory Ryan’s Song.
ISBN 978-0440418290
*Books that deal
with children during World War II:
Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. ISBN 978-0395510605
Magoon, Kekla. The Rock
and the River. ISBN 978-1416978039
Boyne, John. The Boy in Striped Pajamas. ISBN
978-03857515