This particular book made me feel for those children who have to undure while their loved ones are away at war. Albert almost drowns and Lily realizes that her lies and leading Albert on could have cost him his life. Both of them find themselves wanting to find their loved ones and Lily convinces Albert to get in a boat and go forth during the war. There is a boy Lily's age, but she doesnt seem to like him until they find a stray kitten and begin to take care of the cat together. While living in with her grandmother on the beach, her grandmother's friend that lives down the street who has a family of Hungarian refugees. CCBC categories: Fiction for Children Historical People, Places and Events.

Throughout, Giff provides plenty of dramatic tension by contrasting Lily's private thoughts with her public actions, until she is ultimately able to merge the two in Lily's powerful crossing into adolescence. Details of time and place are skillfully interwoven into a story that features well-rounded, believable characters. As their friendship grows throughout the summer, so, too, does the lie and Lily simply doesn't know how to stop it before it leads to tragedy. She promises Albert that he can join her. Lily initiates the friendship with a lie by telling Albert she is planning to swim to a ship that will take her to Europe so that she can find her father. Left with just her stern grandmother for company, lonely Lily tries to make friends with the only person close to her own age: Albert, a Hungarian refugee spending the summer in Rockaway.

Eleven by patricia reilly giff summary