Lily's Crossing
Chapter 26 — Teaching Companion
Patricia Reilly Giff · Trailblazers 4th–6th
Coaching, not a script — and not an answer key: every question here has more than one defensible answer.
This chapter's big question
Poppy tells Ruth that saying goodbye “didn’t matter, not a bit.” Is he right?
The tension Lily's goodbye to Albert on the jetty was a real one, a star, a kiss and a laugh, yet the chapter ends with Poppy telling Ruth that saying goodbye “didn’t matter, not a bit.”
Today's focus
A winter morning in St. Albans: Sister Benedicta’s word for Lily, Poppy’s return, and the news he brings of Ruth.
Two core ideas
- Goodbyes weigh on both girls in this chapter: Ruth is sad she “hadn’t said goodbye” to Albert, and Lily keeps her own goodbye on the jetty close all winter. Poppy answers Ruth with what friends remember of their days together.
- The word “promise” gains a second life. Lily first takes Sister Benedicta’s “You have promise” as being about Poppy and the books, but Sister means “promise as a writer,” so the word points ahead to Lily’s own future on the very morning Poppy comes home.
The shape at a glance
It is a long winter in St. Albans, and it seems as if summer will never come and the war will go on forever. Lily is late for school; Gram calls up the stairs about her sweater and boots. Lily has written her way through the winter, to Poppy, Albert and Margaret, but most of all in her journal, ELIZABETH MOLLAHAN, MY THOUGHTS, to Sister Benedicta: about the sea churning in a storm, about being homesick for Gram’s house on stilts, and about the day she said goodbye to Albert. She closes her eyes and remembers it: the high tide, the deep blue ocean, the walk out to the jetty, the star from her mother’s porch wall that she gave him, the quick kiss on the cheek and the laugh. Sister Benedicta told her that some people never have a friend like that, and that they were both lucky, even if only for the summer. Then she said, “You have promise, Lily.” Lily thought of Poppy and the books, but Sister meant promise as a writer. Lily starts down to breakfast saying the word in her head and dreading the hot cereal. Then she hears the key in the front lock and stops halfway down the stairs. She knows who it is. She flies down into Poppy’s arms; Gram comes down the hall, and the three of them rock together until Gram smells the oatmeal burning. In the kitchen Gram makes tea and Poppy leans against the wall with his eyes closed: “I’ve thought about this.” They talk most of the morning, school forgotten. Poppy tells of his ship passing Rockaway, the Ferris wheel rising like a ghost, and the flame at the grave of the unknown soldier in France lighted again. He brings out pictures: Lily’s mother in her wedding dress, Lily in the rowboat, Gram on the dock, and last a girl in a Jeep, holding an umbrella and smiling. It is Ruth. Poppy took Lily and Albert’s letter to the convent in Paris, but Ruth was not there. Because Albert’s mother and father had written a brave newspaper in Hungary, the nuns smuggled her west to a convent in Saint-Laurent, with horses, cows and a river, where she has a dozen mothers. Poppy saw her, told her about Albert and Lily, and showed her Lily’s picture. Ruth misses Albert every day, has waited the whole war to go to Canada, and is sad she never said goodbye to him. Lily, almost afraid to hear, asks what Poppy told her. He told Ruth that saying goodbye did not matter, not a bit; what mattered were all the days together before it, and all the things she remembered. Lily takes a deep breath and squeezes his hand.
A way in
Before reading, tell the student that the summer at Rockaway is over and Lily is back in St. Albans for the winter. Read aloud to “She heard the noise of the key in the front lock, and stopped halfway down the stairs.” Stop and ask who the student thinks is at the door, and how Lily can be so sure. Then read to the end without stopping, and ask which piece of news the student would most want to carry back to Albert.
Lesson plan
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order, from Lily late for school to the squeeze of Poppy’s hand. Look for the long winter and the journal, the remembered goodbye on the jetty, Sister Benedicta’s words, the key in the lock, the kitchen and the pictures, Ruth’s escape, and what Poppy told her. Listen for whether the student keeps the jetty memory in its place, before the key turns.
Imitate the author After copying, the student writes two sentences of their own. The first remembers a moment from last summer and uses “had” for each action, the way “They had stood there balancing themselves on gray rock” does, joining two actions with a comma and “and.” The second is one sentence about a busy room right now that names the room and then two people, each after a comma, each doing something, the way “Gram bustling around to make tea, and Poppy leaning against the wall” does. Look for the commas, the “had” in the first sentence only, and people the reader can see.
Debate Take sides on the last written question. First list from the chapter what makes Poppy right: “What mattered were all the days you were together”; Sister Benedicta’s “You were both lucky, Lily, even if it was only for the summer”; Lily writing about Albert all winter; Ruth smiling in her picture. Then list what makes him not quite right: Ruth “felt sad because she hadn’t said goodbye”; Lily’s own goodbye, the star, “a quick kiss on the cheek, and they had both laughed,” is one of the things she remembers. The student argues one side and you argue the other; then switch. Keep to the chapter: no claim that Ruth has reached Canada, that the war is over, or that Lily will see Albert again.
Purpose Close where the second discussion question began, with the word “promise.” Sister Benedicta means “promise as a writer,” though Lily first thought of Poppy and the books. Lily starts down the stairs saying the word in her head, and halfway down she hears the key in the lock. Ask the student what the word means to her at that moment, and whether it means something new by the end of the morning. Leave it open; the chapter does not say.
Easier Read aloud together from “Then at last, he reached into his pocket” to the end. Retell who is in each picture and what Poppy learned about Ruth. Talk through the third discussion question, then answer the last written question aloud.
On level Talk through all three discussion questions in order, then have the student write answers to the two written questions in complete sentences, each with a reason and a line from the chapter. For the last one, have the student set Poppy’s words to Ruth beside Lily’s memory of the jetty.
Harder Have the student find the two grown-ups who talk to Lily about her friendship with Albert: Sister Benedicta, who says “Some people never have a friend like that,” and Poppy, who tells Ruth what “mattered were all the days you were together.” Ask how the two say nearly the same thing in different ways, and which one Lily needs more on this morning. Then have the student write a paragraph on it. Claim nothing about whether Lily will see Albert again or Ruth will reach Canada.
Discussion
- Lily kisses Albert goodbye on the jetty, and they both laugh. Why would a goodbye end in a laugh?Character
What it asks It asks about the last beat of the goodbye Lily remembers. On the last afternoon of the summer she walks Albert out to the jetty, gives him a star, “one of her mother’s from the porch wall,” and then, “Almost without thinking, she had stood on tiptoes to give a quick kiss on the cheek, and they had both laughed.” The student decides why a goodbye ends that way. It takes up the half of the hinge that Poppy’s last words leave out: Lily’s own goodbye was a real one. If a student says the kiss embarrassed them, ask what “Almost without thinking” adds. If a student says they were simply happy, ask what was about to happen to the two of them. Keep the talk on the jetty; whether a goodbye matters is the last written question. The chapter does not say whether Lily will see Albert again.
One reading
Surprise. The kiss came before Lily could think about it, so neither of them was ready. The laugh is two friends caught off guard, a little shy, on a hard day.
Almost without thinking, she had stood on tiptoes to give a quick kiss on the cheek
and they had both laughed.
Another reading
Gladness. The summer was a good one, and the last afternoon is bright, with the tide high and the water blue. The laugh lets them part the way they spent the summer, glad to be together, and keeps the goodbye from being only sad.
The tide had been high and the ocean a deep blue.
She had walked with him out to the jetty.
Listen for
- Places the moment: the jetty, the star, the kiss, the laugh.
- Says why the goodbye ends in a laugh, and gives a reason.
- Uses “Almost without thinking,” the star from the porch wall, the high tide and blue water, or the walk out to the jetty.
- Does not say whether Lily and Albert will meet again.
If stuck
- Where were Lily and Albert standing when they said goodbye?
- What did Lily give Albert, and what did she do next?
- What can a laugh do at a goodbye that tears cannot?
A strong answer A strong response might say the laugh is surprise: the kiss came “Almost without thinking,” and two friends caught off guard laugh at themselves. Another might say it is gladness: on a bright last afternoon, with “the ocean a deep blue,” they part the way they spent the summer, together and happy. A thoughtful student may notice that Lily keeps this goodbye, laugh and all, and closes her eyes to see it again in the middle of winter. Look for a reason tied to the kiss or to the day itself.
- Sister Benedicta taps Lily’s journal and says, “You have promise, Lily.” What has she seen in Lily’s writing?Inference
What it asks It asks about Sister Benedicta’s word for Lily. Lily has written her way through a long winter, “most of all in the journal, to Sister Benedicta”: about the way the sea “rolled and churned when it stormed,” about being homesick “for Gram’s house on stilts,” and about Albert “and the day they had said goodbye.” Sister answers, “Some people never have a friend like that,” and then taps one finger on the journal: “You have promise, Lily.” Lily first thinks of Poppy and the books, but Sister means “promise as a writer.” The student decides what Sister has seen in the writing, and points to it. It ties to the hinge from Lily’s side: the journal that earns that word is where she keeps her goodbye to Albert. If a student says only that Lily writes well, ask which line Sister might have read twice. If a student says Sister saw how much Lily cares, ask what Sister says just before she taps the journal. Do not say Sister knows about Poppy and the books: “Sister hadn’t meant that at all.”
One reading
A writer’s eye. Lily does not just say there was a storm; she tells how the sea “rolled and churned.” She makes a reader see a place and miss it with her.
Once she had told about the way the sea rolled and churned when it stormed
how homesick she was for Gram’s house on stilts
Another reading
A writer’s heart. Lily writes down what she cannot bear to lose: a friend, and the day they said goodbye. Sister answers that part first, and only then taps the journal.
Another time she had written about Albert, and the day they had said goodbye.
Some people never have a friend like that
Listen for
- Places the moment: Sister’s words over the journal, after Lily’s winter of writing.
- Names what Sister has seen, and points to something Lily wrote.
- Uses the sea that “rolled and churned,” being homesick for the house on stilts, the day Lily said goodbye to Albert, “Some people never have a friend like that,” or the tap on the journal.
- Does not say Sister knows about Poppy and the books.
If stuck
- Who reads Lily’s journal?
- What has Lily written about this winter?
- What does Sister say just before she taps the journal?
A strong answer A strong response might say Sister has seen how Lily tells things: not just a storm, but a sea that “rolled and churned,” and a girl homesick for a house on stilts. Another might say Sister has seen how much Lily holds on to: she wrote down “the day they had said goodbye,” and Sister’s first answer is about the friendship, “Some people never have a friend like that.” A thoughtful student may say the two go together: a writer keeps what matters by finding the words for it. Look for an answer tied to something Lily wrote.
- Poppy says, “I took your letter . . .” and Lily adds, “Mine and Albert’s.” Why does she need him to know that?Character
What it asks It asks about one short line in the kitchen. Poppy has brought out his last picture, the girl in the Jeep, and begins, “I took your letter . . .” Lily puts in, “Mine and Albert’s.” A moment later she asks in a rush, “Did you tell her about Albert? Tell her about me?” The student decides why Lily needs Poppy to know the letter was both of theirs. It ties to the hinge from a new side: the goodbye on the jetty was months ago, yet Lily still speaks of what she and Albert share. If a student says it is only fair to Albert, ask why Albert is on Lily’s mind at this moment. If a student says it is about Lily, ask what else she wants Poppy to have told Ruth. Ruth’s news is not a tidy ending, since she has “waited through this whole war” and is waiting still. Claim nothing about whether Lily will see Albert again or Ruth will reach Canada.
One reading
For Albert. The letter is about his sister, and he is far away and cannot speak for himself. Lily makes sure he gets his share, so Ruth will know her brother wrote to her too.
Mine and Albert’s
Did you tell her about Albert?
Another reading
For Lily. “Mine and Albert’s” puts her right beside him. The summer is over, but the letter is something the two of them still have together, and she wants a place in Ruth’s story too.
Tell her about me?
I showed her your picture.
Listen for
- Places the line: Poppy’s “I took your letter . . .” and Lily’s answer.
- Says why Lily needs Poppy to know, and gives a reason.
- Uses “Mine and Albert’s,” Lily asking about Albert, “Tell her about me?”, Poppy showing Ruth her picture, or Lily tracing Ruth’s face.
- Does not say whether Lily will see Albert again.
If stuck
- Whose sister is Ruth?
- Who wrote the letter Poppy took?
- What else does Lily want Poppy to have told Ruth?
A strong answer A strong response might say the line is for Albert: he cannot be in the kitchen, so Lily speaks up for him, and right away she asks, “Did you tell her about Albert?” Another might say it is for Lily herself: “Mine and Albert’s” keeps the two of them together after the summer, and she wants Ruth to know her too: “Tell her about me?” A thoughtful student may notice that in the middle of winter she still says “Mine and Albert’s,” so the friendship did not stop at the jetty. Look for a reason tied to Lily’s words in the kitchen.
Critical thinking
- Lily wants to ask what Poppy told Ruth, but she is “almost afraid to hear.” What answer is she afraid of?
What it asks It asks about the pause just before Poppy’s last words. Ruth “felt sad because she hadn’t said goodbye” to Albert. Then “Lily sat there looking at Poppy, wanting to ask what he had told Ruth, almost afraid to hear.” She gets only as far as “What . . . ?” The student decides what answer Lily dreads, and writes reasons. It keeps the homecoming from being all joy, and it stands one step before the hinge. If a student says she fears Poppy had nothing to help Ruth, ask why Ruth’s sadness matters so much to Lily. If a student says she fears it for herself, ask what Lily remembered about her own goodbye that morning. Keep the written answer on Lily’s fear; whether Poppy was right is the next question.
One reading
She is afraid he had no answer. Ruth’s sadness is real, and Poppy has just put his hand over Lily’s. If even Poppy could not help it, then a missed goodbye is something no one can fix, for Ruth or for Albert.
Poppy put his hand over hers.
She said she missed Albert every day.
Another reading
She is afraid because the answer is about her too. Lily has kept her own goodbye with Albert all winter, writing about it and closing her eyes to see it. If Poppy told Ruth the goodbye is what counts, Ruth is left with nothing. If he said it counts for nothing, what is the jetty worth?
Lily closed her eyes now, thinking about that last afternoon of the summer.
And Albert . . .
Listen for
- Places the moment: Ruth’s sadness, then Lily’s unfinished “What . . . ?”
- Names the answer Lily is afraid of, and gives at least one reason from the chapter.
- Uses Ruth feeling sad about the goodbye, Poppy’s hand over Lily’s, “almost afraid to hear,” or Lily’s own goodbye on the jetty.
- Writes in complete sentences, and does not yet judge whether Poppy was right.
If stuck
- What did Ruth tell Poppy about Albert?
- What does Poppy do just before he tells Lily about Ruth’s sadness?
- What goodbye was Lily thinking about that very morning?
A strong answer A strong response might say Lily is afraid Poppy had nothing to give Ruth: Ruth “felt sad because she hadn’t said goodbye,” and if Poppy could not ease that, no one could. Another might say Lily is afraid because the answer is about her own goodbye too, the one she “had written about” and closed her eyes to see that morning. A thoughtful student may notice that Lily asks anyway, so whatever she fears, she would rather know. Look for a named fear and a reason tied to Ruth’s sadness or to Lily’s own goodbye.
- Poppy tells Ruth that saying goodbye “didn’t matter, not a bit.” Is he right?
What it asks It asks the whole question of the chapter. Ruth “felt sad because she hadn’t said goodbye” to Albert. Poppy told her, “saying goodbye didn’t matter, not a bit. What mattered were all the days you were together before that, all the things you remembered.” Earlier the same morning Lily remembered her own goodbye on the jetty: the star, “a quick kiss on the cheek, and they had both laughed.” Sister Benedicta had told her they were lucky, “even if it was only for the summer.” The student decides whether Poppy is right, gives reasons, and answers the other side. If a student says yes, ask why Lily still remembers the jetty so clearly. If a student says no, ask what Sister Benedicta says some people never have. Lily answers only with a deep breath and a squeeze of Poppy’s hand, so the chapter leaves the judgment open. Claim nothing about whether Ruth reaches Canada or Lily sees Albert again.
One reading
Yes. The days are what last. Sister Benedicta said it first: the friendship was lucky however short it was. What Lily carries through the winter is the summer itself, and Ruth still misses Albert every day, so the days they had are still with her.
What mattered were all the days you were together before that, all the things you remembered.
You were both lucky, Lily, even if it was only for the summer.
Another reading
Not quite. Ruth’s sadness is real, and kind words do not erase it. Lily’s own goodbye, with the star, the kiss and the laugh, is one of the things she remembers most. A goodbye can be one of the days that matter.
She said she felt sad because she hadn’t said goodbye to him.
she had taken the star out of her pocket for him then
Listen for
- Takes a position on whether Poppy is right, and gives at least two reasons from the chapter.
- Answers the other side.
- Uses Ruth’s sadness, “all the things you remembered,” the jetty goodbye, Sister Benedicta’s “lucky,” or Lily’s deep breath and squeeze of Poppy’s hand.
- Writes in complete sentences, and claims nothing about Ruth reaching Canada or Lily seeing Albert again.
If stuck
- Why was Ruth sad?
- What did Poppy say mattered more than the goodbye?
- What does Lily remember about her own goodbye with Albert?
A strong answer A strong response takes a position and answers the other side. A student might argue Poppy is right: what lasts is “all the days you were together,” Sister Benedicta said the same about a friendship “only for the summer,” and Lily carries the summer through the whole winter. Another might argue he is not quite right: Ruth’s sadness is real, and Lily’s own goodbye on the jetty, “a quick kiss on the cheek, and they had both laughed,” is one of the things she remembers most. A thoughtful student may say the goodbye mattered to Lily because it became one of the days, and that Poppy may be choosing words to comfort a sad girl. Look for reasons from the chapter on both sides.