The prizewinning title set during the Peasants' Revolt.
Genre-jumping author Avi clocks in here with his 50th book, Crispin: The Cross of Lead, an action-packed historical narrative that follows the frantic flight of a 13-year-old peasant boy across 14th-century England.
After being declared a "wolf's head" by his manor's corrupt steward for a crime he didn't commit (meaning that anyone can kill him like a common animal--and collect a reward), this timid boy has to flee a tiny village that's the only world he's ever known. But before our protagonist escapes, Avi makes sure that we're thoroughly briefed on the injustices of feudalism--the countless taxes cottars must pay, the constant violence, the inability of a flawed church to protect its parishioners, etc. Avi then folds in the book's central mystery just as the boy is leaving: "Asta's son," as he's always been known, learns from the village priest that his Christian name is Crispin, and that his parents' origins--and fates--might be more perplexing than he ever imagined.
Providing plenty of period detail (appropriately gratuitous for the age group) and plenty of chase-scene suspense, Avi tells a good story, develops a couple of fairly compelling characters, and even manages to teach a little history lesson. (Fortunately, kids won't realize that they're learning about England's peasant revolt of 1381 until it's far too late.) (Ages 10 to 14) --Paul Hughes
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
The misadventures of Crispin:
To be perfectly honest, I've never been a huge fan of the whole medieval thing (beyond blatant fantasy). But I love Avi and I feel this is well-deserving of its Newberry. It keeps this low-key, almost grave, aura all the way through. Crispin's adventures are a lot of fun, and it fits into his world of serfdom. The characters are great, as well. Avi has always done marvelous characters. They're realistic, not always wild, but fun and loveable and most of all believable. Plenty of adventure and... more info
A Little Disappointing From What I Expected:
'Crispin, The Cross of Lead" is a story about a young orphan boy set in 1300th century England who runs away from his small village because he is falsely accused of stealing from the ruler. 'Crispin' soon finds a unique guardian who adopts him and helps him run away from the people who are hunting him down, and also helps him to figure out all the secrets he has about his life.
This book was very slow for me in the beginning, and with some big words and complicated things in it, this book is probably... more info
Crispin and the Cross of Lead:
I've read Crispin more than once and I've loved it! This book shows friendship and adventure as well as teaching you a bit about History. Don't just quit on the book because the begining might not seem the greatest as soon as the intro to the story is over it's all about excitment.
A Great Read-Aloud Book:
Let's see, what else can be said here that isn't already said? Crispin is easily (and consistently) summarized as it is a simple story, clearly told, that hangs an intriguing and imaginative tale on a skeleton of a few basic facts. The scene and scenary are actually quite foreign to the modern child, but Avi's delivery renders 14th century England in the times of Edward (sounds knowledgeable, doesn't it?), feudal rule, and the Black Death accessible. Those days sucked. Against this backdrop we are... more info
