This book is set in 1944 just after D-Day. The story follows Lily and her family who always spend the summer in Rockaway in a house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. Her friend, Margaret, has moved away to a factory town. Her father is going overseas to fight in the war. Lily has no friends until Albert arrives. He is a refugee from Hungary. They form a special friendship and have secrets to share and lies to hide. Lily learns to see the war and her life in a different way.

http://eduscapes.com/newbery/98c.html...

This book is a good example of a historical fiction novel because it takes place in a historic time and place but the characters and their specific stories are fictional. It followed the criteria of a historical fiction but overall I thought the book was a little slow.
This novel is about Lily a ten year old girl from New York City who is spending her summer vaction with her grandma because her father is away in France fighting in the war. While she is vactionaing by the ocean with her grandma Lily meets Albert. Albert is from Hungrey where his parents were shot by Hitler's forces.
Age Appropriateness: Late Intermediate, Middle
Media: None ( )

During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.

Full review at: http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/20... ( )

10 year old Lily is living during World War II. She doesn't like to think about it until her own father leaves. He goes to make machines and B-24's for the war while Lily & her grandmother are on summer vaction. Lily's friend Margret moves to Virgima till the war is over. Meanwhile Lily is lonely with her annoying "Gram".playing the piano and cleaning around the house until there neignors the Orbans invite them to dinner to introduce Lily a surprise. & thats when she meets albert a boy that came all the way from Hungry were his parents got shot for owning a newspaper business. Saying hateful things about Hitler and his crew. Albert and his sister went to stay with there grandmother who sent them to France were Ruth Alberts sister got sick and stayed there while Albert left her. Lily soon became friends with him and went throu adventures from learing to swim,saving a kitten they nemed Paprika and sneaking into movies and a whole bucnch more . this is a very cool book i cant wait to read... AGAIN!!!