Practice Questions for Lily's Crossing

Chapter 1

What was pasted on Lily’s ceiling?  Gold stars

Who is Lily’s teacher at school?  Sister Eileen, a nun

What was Lily called as an infant?  Baby Elizabeth

Into which book does Lily place the gold star?  Evangeline

What does Poppy arrange to transport to the summerhouse?  The piano

What did Lily pack in a nest of pajamas?  An old silver mirror

Who does Lily suspect is a Nazi spy?  Mr. Egan

Who does Lily live with?  Poppy (dad) and Gram (grandmother)

What is for dinner the first night of the book?  Beef, cabbage and potatoes

Chapter 2

What kind of perfume does Lily pack?  Lily-of-the-valley

What was the slogan on the moving truck?  “We’ll treat your furniture like our own”

What does Lily not want Gram to see on the last day of school?  Report card

What is odd about the moving truck workers?  They are elderly (their sons are at war)

Which seat does Lily occupy on the way to Rockaway?  Window seat

Which had does Gram wear to Rockaway?  A blue one with cherries

What defect is there in the piano?  Two keys are missing the ivory

What sound signals the arrival at Rockaway?  The tires on the plank bridge

Chapter 3

How many presents does Lily receive on her birthday?  Three and a half

What are Margaret’s pets?  Two cats

What is unique about Gram’s house at Rockaway?  It is build on stilts over the water

What is in the secret paper bag in Margaret’s attic?  Candy bars for her brother Eddie

Which candy bar does Lily choose?  Necco wafers

Why is Margaret leaving Rockaway?  Her dad has to work at a factory making bombers

Why is Margaret a “perfect friend” for Lily?  She doesn’t know what Lily is really like

How many books does Lily tell Margaret she’s written?  14

How does the key feel when Margaret gives it to Lily?  Warm

Where does Lily say her Aunt Celia lives?  Berlin, Germany

Chapter 4

What colour is the kitchen counter at Rockaway?  Yellow

Where does Lily sleep?  On the screened-in porch

What vehicle does Mr. Orban drive?  Model A Ford

What is the first food Mr. and Mrs. Orban offer to Albert?  Applesauce

Who does Albert say he must find?  Ruth

What is odd about Albert’s legs?  Knees are big and knobby; legs thin as sticks

What colour are Albert’s eyes?  Blue

Why does Lily run from the window of the Orban’s house?  Albert saw her and pointed at her

What kind of blanket is on Lily’s bed?  A red quilt

Chapter 5

What are 3 things does Lily use to disguise herself from Albert?  Sailor hat, sunglasses & lipstick

What song does Lily sing the afternoon her dad is coming?  Mairzy doats

What is Poppy holding when he waves to Lily at the train station?  A newspaper

What is the fishing boat called?  Mary L.

What is Poppy’s first name?  Jerry

What is Poppy’s occupation?  An engineer

Why are letters from overseas missing words?  Censors read them first

Why does Lily row into the piling?  She is angry that her dad has to go overseas and the he told Gram first

Chapter 6

To what is Margaret’s house key attached?  A shoelace

What is Lily’s favourite colour?  Red

How does Poppy leave?  By train

Who is Mrs. Dillon?  Margaret’s mother

Whose picture is on Margaret’s end table?  Eddie’s

Which bird reminds Lily of Albert’s legs?  A gray gull

Which type of candy wrapper was crumpled in a ball in Margaret’s attic?  Milky way

What was holding up Albert’s shorts?  An oversized belt

Chapter 7

What beverage does Albert bring to the beach?  Coke

What is Albert doing at the beach with pencil and paper?  Writing a letter

Hoes does Lily get sand in her mouth, nose and eyes?  A low flying trainer plane at the beach

Why are Lily’s lips sore?  From rubbing off lipstick

To what insect is the sound of the airplane compared?  Mosquito

How does Albert write “uncle”?  Onkl

What is at the top of Lily’s list of problems?  Lies

What is second on the list?  Daydreaming

Chapter 8

What radio show do Lily and Gram listen to?  Portia Faces Life

What is Gram’s wedding ring made of?  Silver

What body of water had Gram swum across when younger?  Jamaica Bay

What kind of cake does Mrs. Orban serve at Gram and Lily’s visit?  Lemon

How do Lily and Gram know it is 6 o’clock?  The church bells

How is Albert related to the Orbans?  A nephew

Why is Ruth not with Albert?  She was ill and had to stay behind in France

Where does Gram hope Poppy is?  At Fort Dix

How many servings of dessert does Albert eat?  Three

What does Mrs. Orban hope Lily will teach Albert?  How to swim

Chapter 9

What does Poppy say is the “sound of summer”?  Cicadas

According to the poster in the bakery, what do “Loose lips” do?  They sink ships

What was the strap of the mailman’s bag made of?  Leather

Besides the smell of the ocean, what odour is there when Lily reads the letter from Margaret?  Boat fuel or kerosene

Who does Albert seem to be chasing near the beach?  A person on a bicycle

What is in the centre of the cookies at Sherman’s bakery?  Dried up jelly

What kind of lotion does Gram tell Lily to buy?  The kind for sunburns

What was floating in Lily’s cereal?  Bits of cream

Chapter 10

Why does Lily not understand what Albert is pointing to in the water?  He says “cot”, not “cat”

Who had tried to drown the cat?” The boy on the bicycle

Where do they keep the kitten?  In Margaret’s house

What had Lily lost in the water when she went for the cat?  Her tan purse and all its money

How fast can they make a bomber in the Detroit factory?  103 minutes

What book does Lily plan to read after leaving Margaret’s house?  Three Musketeers

What does Albert do with the cream on the spoon?  He licks it off

Chapter 11

What is on Lily’s roll (bun) when she has supper at the beach?  SPAM

To what kind of ball does Lily compare Albert’s head in the water?  Tennis

Who feeds the cat?  Albert

What does Lily lie about to impress Albert?  That she will swim to a ship bound for Europe

What happens when Lily goes in the water to save Albert?  She miscalculates and is caught in the wave herself

What time do Lily and Albert agree to meet on the porch?  11 pm

Chapter 12

Why had Mr. Colgan borrowed Gram’s rowboat?  To fish for crabs

What was growing in the alley behind Cross Bay Theatre?  Smelly, itchy weeds

How could they get into the balcony of the theatre without paying?  Climb fire escape

Which cartoon is in the preview?  Bugs Bunny

How does Albert respond to the movie about ships getting blown up?  He cries

Who sends them out of the theatre?  The matron

What drink does Gram pour for Lily when she gets home late?  Iced tea

What form is Poppy’s second letter?  A postcard.

Chapter 13

Why does Albert wear beach slippers?  To avoid getting hurt by barnacles

How had Lily’s mother died?  She had an enlarged heart

What does Lily miss most about her mom?  Not remembering her or her voice

What does Albert call his grandmother?  Nagymamma

Why did the Nazis kill Albert’s parents?  They produced an illegal newspaper

Who drove Ruth and Albert from Hungary to France?  MR. Kovacs

Which illness did Ruth have?  Measles

Who decide Ruth should not travel on the ship?  A nun

Where is Ruth staying now?  A convent (residence for nuns)

Chapter 14

Which constellations does Lily identify at night?  Orion and Cassiopeia

What divides Buda and Pest?  The Danube River

Why does Albert want to swim?  To swim to Europe and see Ruth again

What colour was Albert’s house in Budapest?  Yellow

How were its shutters decorated?  Birds were painted on them.

What does Albert name the cat?  Paprika

What does the first troop ship look like?  A chunk of coal on the water.

Chapter 15

How long had Lily waited for the mailman the day she got two letters?  More than one hour

What does Margaret want Lily to send her in Detroit?  Eddie’s photograph

When did Eddie go missing in action?  On D-Day

What does Poppy remind Lily to do at the end of his first real letter?  Read some books

Why does Lily have to go to church on a weeknight?  It was a special mass to pray for Eddie and people in the war

What do the stars on the banner at church represent?  Men from the parish who were in the army

What thirst quencher is Lily longing for in the hot church?  Orange soda OR a juicy peach

Why does Lily race home when the service is over?  To move the picture of Eddie out of sight.

Chapter 16

What does Lily do with her dirty torn dress?  Rolls it in a ball

Why does Lily want to go swimming?  To find her tan purse under water

Why was it good that Albert was wearing shoes?  Gravel on the path to the wharf

Why was Albert’s collar wet when Nagymamma had mended it?  She’d been crying on it

What three kinds of currency does Albert have?  Hungarian, USA and English

Where is the money hidden?  In Albert’s coat collar

Why is Lily’s swimsuit so faded?  From Clorox (bleach)

Chapter 17

When Gram finds Lily in the faded swimsuit, what does she tell her to do at home?  Play piano

What does Gram say Lily looks like in the faded swimsuit?  A hoyden

Why does Lily put the old alarm clock to her ear?  To make sure it’s working

Which scale does Lily play?  C

Which piece does Lilly play especially for Albert?  The Blue Danube Waltz

Who invites Albert for iced tea?  Gram

Which instrument is Albert able to play?  Violin

Chapter 18

Where had Albert played/performed violin music?  His grandmother’s restaurant

What do they put on pancakes in Hungary?  Jam or chocolate

Why is the $50 bill a problem?  It is more than they need and they need to be discreet

Where will Albert go after the summer?  To Canada

What time does the post office close?  4 pm

What kind of hair do Albert and Ruth both have?  Curly

Chapter 19

Why does Lily wake up crying?  From a bad dream

How do Albert and Lily get money to mail the photo of Eddie?  Albert asked his aunt for pocket money

How do they wrap the picture?  In paper, cardboard and string

What is the last place Lily puts the Dillon’s key?  Inside the parcel

Albert’s hurry to learn to swim is like what in Lily’s life?  Impatience with learning piano

What did Gram put on Lily’s Rice Krispies?  A smiling mouth of banana and strawberry

Chapter 20

Why do they have to eat canned tuna?  Gram hadn’t caught any fish

What surprise does Margaret’s letter contain?  Gram had also sent Margaret a photo of Eddie

Who is Mrs. Hailey?  The librarian

Why does Gram cry?  She misses her son (Lily’s dad)

What breakthrough does Albert make?  Able to swim with lifejacket on

Why is Albert’s ability to swim not really a triumph for Lily?  She will have to admit her lie about swimming to Europe

Chapter 21

Why had the librarian been upset with Lily?  Overdue books and/or bringing sand into the library

Which phrase from an American song will Albert teach Ruth?  “Accentuate the positive”

What does Albert admit when Lily admits her lie?  That he lies too

What does Albert plan to bring to Europe without knowing how to carry them?  Juice and fruit

What does Lily think is biting Albert’s line?  A sea robin

What does Albert plan to do with the fish he catches?  Set it free

Chapter 22

What new item is being displayed in the “As Good as New Shoppe”?  A moose head

What does the librarian tell Lily about The Promise?  There is no such children’s book

Where does Lily find The Three Musketeers?  Under the boardwalk

What had Albert’s lie been?  Pretending to be asleep when they took Ruth

Who is in the rowboat at the edge of the bay?  Albert

What is the weather on the night Albert goes alone in the rowboat?  A thunderstorm

Chapter 23

What was hidden inside the anchor of Lily’s rowboat?  Paprika, the kitten

What did Lily’s wet shorts cause?  Blue dye to run on her legs

What type of container was on board to bail water?  An old coffee can

What happened to Albert’s empty boat?  It went spinning on the waves

What happens to Lily’s fingers as she grabs Albert’s life jacket?  Her fingernails rip

What does Paprika do when Albert and Lily dock the boat?  She runs away

Who does Lily blame for Albert’s near drowning?  Herself

Chapter 24

How did Gram make the afghans that are used to warm up the children when they return home drenched?  She knit them

What is in the blue case?  A violin

How did Gram pay for the violin?  She will trade fish for it for the next two summers

What is Nagymamma’s favourite style of music?  Waltz

What does Albert do before playing the violin?  He tightens the strings

What does Lily realize about her dad’s mentioning of the books Madeleine, Roland, Three Musketeers?  Her dad is telling her he is in France.

Whose cheek does Albert kiss?  Gram’s

Chapter 25

Who will be Lily’s 6^th grade teacher?  Sister Benedicta

What had Lily and Albert sent in the letter to Poppy?  Ruth’s address

What is Albert’s last name?  Orban

Where did they get the huge map of France?  Mrs. Hailey lend it to them

What type of fish does Lily catch for the first time?  Flounder

Whose idea is it to pay for the movie tickets?  Albert’s

What is the big news on the radio?  Paris is free

What is the movie The Eyes and Ears of the World about?  The latest footage of the war: Paris liberated

How many times do the children watch The Eyes and Ears of the World?  Four times

What does Lily plan to paste onto Ruth’s address paper?  One of her star-stickers

Chapter 26

What compliment does Sister B give Lily about her journal?  “You have promise”

Where are Lily’s winter boots?  Living room rug

What kind of cereal is for breakfast on the day Poppy returns?  Hot cereal/oatmeal

Where is Ruth in Poppy’s photo?  In a jeep

What is Ruth holding in the photo?  An umbrella

Where had Ruth been smuggled?  St. Laurent convent (outside of Paris)

Why had Ruth said she was sad?  She hadn’t said goodbye to Albert

What does Lily do to Poppy’s hand after hearing all about Ruth?  Squeezes it

Chapter 27

How do they travel to Rockaway in 1945?  A Ford

Who is living in Margaret’s house the second summer?  Nobody

What is Lily wearing?  A skirt

Why is Lily not as pleased as Gram and Poppy when arriving at Rockaway?  She misses Albert

What does Lily see when looking for her sock?  Paprika

Chapter 28

Where does Lily bring the cat?  Into the porch/her bedroom

Why is Lily eager to go to the Orbans for dinner at the end of the book?  She wants to hear all about Ruth and Albert

How is Lily doing with her problems list at the end of the book?  She wants to hear all about Ruth and Albert.

What is Lily planning to help Mr. Orban do tomorrow?  Scrape black paint off his headlights

What does “Szeretlek” mean?  “I love you” in Hungarian

How does Albert introduce Lily to Ruth?  As his “best friend”