Description

When her father leaves to fight in World War II, Elizabeth goes with her mother and sister to her grandfather's house, where she learns to face up to the always puzzling and often cruel realities of the adult world.


A year on Autumn Street will teach her about love, loss, and the lines drawn by a world at war.


  • Interracial Friendship: Elizabeth and Charles, the cook’s grandson, share a bond that defies the unspoken rules of their 1940s town.
  • Family Secrets: In the quiet rooms of her grandfather’s house, Elizabeth uncovers the hushed stories and long-held sorrows of the adults around her.
  • Loss of Innocence: A stunning and heartbreaking turn of events forces Elizabeth to confront a cruelty that will forever change her understanding of the world.
  • Lyrical Historical Fiction: Perfect for young readers of classic, character-driven stories that tackle tough topics with honesty and grace.

About the author(s)

Lois Lowry is the author of more than fifty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver.

Reviews

"Readers . . . will find this emotionally charged reverie understandable and unforgettable." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review

More Historical

More Juvenile Fiction

More Social Themes

More Multigenerational

More Family

More Parents

More Emotions & Feelings

More Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance

More 20th Century

More United States

More Death, Grief, Bereavement

More New Experience