The Lily Pond

The Lily Pond is an age-appropriate book to introduce middle-grade students to the conditions faced by Austrian families during World War II. Before the novel begins, because of the deprivation and danger that Jews faced in Austria, Stephanie's parents have sent their children away from their home in Vienna to live with foster parents on a rugged island off the coast of Sweden. Letters from Stephie's parents inform her, and readers, of the deteriorating food supply and unjust restrictions on employment, transportation, and health care. However, as the news takes the form of a letter from a parent to a child, the author tempers everything for her young readers the way a parent would. Stephanie's interactions with acquaintances in Sweden also provide a window into different political opinions and attitudes of the time.

Adults in The Lily Pond are not all warmhearted; some of Stephanie's teachers are unkind, and the couple she rents a room from in Goteborg make her feel second rate. However, one teacher, Hedvig Bjork, is very encouraging and takes Stephie's side when she is treated unfairly. Stephie's parents have also set an excellent example by doing the most loving thing they could do for their girls -- sending them to a safe haven with foster parents who treat Stephie like their own daughter.

Teenagers kiss and talk about their feelings.

There's some talk about the quality of people's homes and their clothing, but material wealth definitely doesn't equal happiness in Stephie's world.