Chapter 11

Lily's Crossing

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

He pulled himself to his feet, then threw himself down to take a couple of strokes before disappearing under the water.

The wave curled up high, and she was in the wrong position, just where it arched. It smashed into her, dragging her down, scraping her along the sand. She couldn’t get her breath.

Albert and Lily both go under the water in these passages. Which words make you feel how strong the water is?

For the educator Two passages, four sentences, in story order. The first is Albert alone in the surf. It is one sentence built on two actions, “pulled” and “threw,” joined by a comma and the word “then”. The phrase “to take a couple of strokes” tells why he throws himself down, and “before disappearing under the water” ends the sentence on what the water does to him. The second passage is the wave that flattens Lily. Its first sentence joins two statements with a comma and “and,” and after another comma “just where it arched” pins down the exact spot. The second sentence has one main verb, “smashed,” and then two phrases that each begin with an -ing word, “dragging her down” and “scraping her along the sand,” each set off by a comma, so the wave’s force keeps piling up. Then the short sentence “She couldn’t get her breath.” stops the reader the way the water stops Lily; watch the apostrophe in “couldn’t.” Side by side, the passages set the boy fighting the water beside the girl who thinks of the ocean as hers, both of them beaten by it.

Discussion

Narration Tell back the chapter in order. Start with the church bells at six o’clock, and stop when Albert walks off across the sand.

1. The last time Lily lay coughing on the sand, she was six. Poppy carried her back to the blanket. This time she looks up and sees Albert’s skinny feet. What is different for her now?Character

2. Albert says, “I thought you were such a good swimmer.” Lily is furious. Who is she angriest at?Character

3. Albert points past the jetty and starts a sentence. Lily finishes it: “Europe.” Read that word aloud as Lily would. What made you read it that way?Tone

4. Just before Lily tells the lie, the book jumps ahead. Later, she looks back and can’t believe she said it. How does knowing that first change the way you hear the lie?Author's choice

Make a Connection Think of a time, in a book or in your own life, when someone’s story grew bigger the longer they talked. Why might it be hard to stop?

Vocabulary

Crossword

1	2

	3




4

Across

Across 1. Move around an area to guard it and watch for trouble, which is what Lily says the small ship is doing.
Across 3. A group of ships traveling together for safety, like the ones Lily says gather far out at sea.
Across 4. Single pulls of the arms through the water when swimming. Albert takes only a couple before he goes under.

Down

Down 2. Curved up and over like a bridge, the way the big wave bends before it crashes down on Lily.

The words in the chapter

patrol Coast Guard, patrolling.
arched The wave curled up high, and she was in the wrong position, just where it arched.

strokes He pulled himself to his feet, then threw himself down to take a couple of strokes before disappearing under the water.
convoy “They form a convoy way out,” she said, and pointed.

Critical thinking

1. Lily tells Albert the smoke is a Coast Guard cutter. It feels good to know more than he does. So why does she go on to tell him she will row out to a ship?

2. Lily has told many lies before. Why does this one feel like the worst she has ever told?