Lily's Crossing

Lily's blissful summer of 1944 comes to a rude halt when her father is drafted into the military. Left alone with her grandmother in the family's summer home in Rockaway, New York, Lily befriends Albert, a shy Hungarian refugee her own age. Narrator Mia Dillon convincingly conveys the emotional complexity of both children, capturing the urgency and doubt that arise from Lily's internal dialogue and providing a sensitive portrayal of Albert, complete with Hungarian accent. Albert's tentativeness and sorrow are apparent to the listener long before Lily can fully understand his painful experiences in war-torn Europe. Dillon establishes the tension of the story early on, and consistently maintains the character and emotion of the respective players in this winner of the 1999 Audie Award for best children's production. (Running time: 3.5 hours, 3 cassettes) --Bryony Angell