A YEARLING BOOK

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, too.

Patricia Reilly Giff has recieved the Newbery Honor for?Pictures of Hollis Woods?and?Lily’s Crossing, which is also a?Boston Globe–Horn Book?Honor Book.?Nory Ryan’s Song?was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA Notable Book.