When Lilly moves to NYC with her parents, it’s going to be a scary experience. Used to living in a small town where everyone looks out for each other, Lilly is nervous about all the huge changes that it’s going to make to her life. But her dad is an engineer, and it means that they must move around the country often. They must go where the work is. It means that Lilly has everything she needs, but are material things alone ever enough? Sometimes, she thinks that she would rather have her dad home more than all the presents with which he showers her. She could never be described as spoiled, but she’s lived a sheltered life and has never known what havoc poverty can wreak on people’s lives. 

When she comes across a homeless woman in Central Park on her third day in New York, she soon learns about the contrast in their lives and how fortunate she’s been in her life. Her parents love her and only want the best for her. Will they allow her to help the homeless population of New York? Or will they insist on keep Lilly safe, away from harm’s way, and shielded from the realities of life?

The Longest Winter in NYC is a book primarily aimed at nine- to 12-year-olds, but it’s about anyone who might need a reminder to count their blessings and remember that there are people a lot worse off than we might be. It teaches that inequalities are wrong, and we should always strive to lessen the burden of the underdog.