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Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

Summary

Every summer Lily and her father go to her family's house in Rockaway, near the Atlantic Ocean. But the summer of 1944 is different. World War II has called Lily's father overseas, Lily's best friend Margaret had to move with her family to a wartime factory town, and Lily is forced to live with her grandmother. But then a boy named Albert, a refugee from Hungary, comes to live in Rockaway. He has lost most of his family to the war. Soon he and Lily form a special friendship, and they have secrets to share. But they have both told lies, and Lily's lie may cost Albert his life.

180 pages, 4th grade and up

Summary

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. How does Lily feel about her father serving in the war? What would it be like if one of your parents had to go away to serve in the military? Do you know anyone whose parents have done that?
  2. Do you have a special place that your family goes to like a cabin or campground? What does it feel like to return somewhere special?
  3. Describe Lily. What kind of person is she? What are her strengths and weaknesses?
  4. Describe Lily and Margaret's friendship. How is Lily's friendship with Albert different? Why does Lily say that he is the best friend she ever had?
  5. Throughout the book, Lily makes a list of her problems and solutions to the problems. One of her worst problems is lying. She also has a vivid imagination. Discuss the difference between lying and imagining. Why does Lily continue to lie when she knows she's being dishonest? In what other ways is Lily dishonest? At what point in the novel does she finally overcome her habit of lying?
  6. Both Lily and Albert have lost parents, but they still have the love of a family. Ask students to describe Lily's family. What is her relationship with Poppy? What is Gram's role in the family? How does Lily's relationship with Gram change at the end of the novel? How does Albert gain a sense of family from Mr. and Mrs. Orban?
  7. Lily feels guilty because she didn't tell her father good-bye. Albert feels guilty because he didn't tell Ruth good-bye. How does each of them deal with the guilt?
  8. At the end of the novel, Albert and Ruth are reunited, and Lily gets to meet Ruth. What do you think Albert has told Ruth about Lily?
  9. What do you predict for Lily's future?

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