Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Crispin, #1)

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Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Crispin #1)

by Avi

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 9,679 ratings · 1,052 reviews

"Asta's Son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of a name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in 14th century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less - no home, no family, or possessions. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If...more

Hardcover, 262 pages

Published June 1st 2004 by Disney-Hyperion (first published April 29th 2002)

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Jun 07, 2010 Greg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-kids

AVI2.0 Review: With warnings, gender changes, and a post script!

I just dawned on me that the stupid plot revealing subtitle is there because Avi means for this book to be the start of a series, and a quick check shows that there is a sequel.

Avi has a unique skill at flattening characters. Everyone pretty much sounds the same as every other character. ShHe also has a knack of making ~~her~~his characters unlikable. Not in the I hate them sort of way, but in the why do I give a (If you are under the...more AVI2.0 Review: With warnings, gender changes, and a post script!

I just dawned on me that the stupid plot revealing subtitle is there because Avi means for this book to be the start of a series, and a quick check shows that there is a sequel.

Avi has a unique skill at flattening characters. Everyone pretty much sounds the same as every other character. ShHe also has a knack of making ~~her~~his characters unlikable. Not in the I hate them sort of way, but in the why do I give a (If you are under the age of 17 please look away for one word) fuck what happens to them way.
If I had read this book as a child it would have bored me to death. I would have hated this book. As an adult I could read it in a couple of hours and pass over the dryness with the greatest of ease. There is nothing exciting really in this book. The action is telegraphed so poorly before it happens that there really aren't any surprises.
I'm starting to think now that Avi meant for Crispin to be ~~her~~ his Harry Potter. Orphan kid, mysterious past, befriended by some big oaf of a man, those kind of silly subtleties. I don't have too many (any?) facts to base this on (just like I had no facts to base the idea that Avi was a woman on, but that doesn't stop me from saying things), but there is the feeling that this is Harry Potter with all of the fun vacuum sucked out of it.

Why Avi is critically acclaimed is beyond me. This is the second of ~~her~~ his countless books I have read, and each of them has been blah. The first one I could see appealing to kids, but it was too moronic for me to stomach; and this one I don't see who the audience is, except maybe Middle School teachers always on the lookout for new instruments to torture their students with. The wealth of little historical day to day facts in the book will be fodder for many a (If you are under the age of 17 please look away for one word) crappy teacher to bore the (If you are under the age of 17 please look away for one word) shit out of students for a long time to come.

Post Script, for Children.

I, the author of the review you just read, am sorry if I have been the first to scar your young minds with foul language. It is wrong to curse, and it shows your ignorance, that is until you are older and then it shows your immaturity, but maybe not your ignorance. This is a distinction you will need to face yourselves when you get older. But if you have read this review, let me offer you some words of encouragement that I wish had been offered to me: if your teacher loves this book and you do not love it, don't think there is anything wrong with you. Also do not think that it means you are just not the type to like books, or that there are no books out there for you. This is not a good book. Your teacher by liking this book, is possibly the type of person who deep down knows very little about books. Also there is possibly some unspeakable trauma in his or her past has driven him or her to be a teacher and is attempting to take all the goodness out of books and turn them into something that they feel deserve to be hated and despised. Sadly, teachers are good at ruining things, doubly sadly (don't ever use that phrase yourself, it will make you look stupid, be smarter than me) there are very few good teachers out there. I hope that if you are reading this you have one of the awesome teachers. If you don't have one of them, realize that your teacher is a very disturbed individual, and something happened that either killed his or her desire to live and/or make everyone else in the world see the world as joylessly as they do. Try not to hate them, but feel pity for them. They need love. Don't try to hug them though, that could end badly. Just feel pity and offer them love at a distance.
(less)

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Mar 05, 2008 Sandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, books-my-son-liked, young-adult

My sixth grade son made me read "Crispin: The Cross of Lead". He's a really advanced reader, but it's hard to get him involved in books. He'd rather play World of Warcraft or play his guitar. He couldn't put this book down and insisted that I read it.

I was surprised at the content of the book. Crispin is the bastard son of an outcast peasant woman who never shows him any affection. He doesn't even know his name until after his mother dies. The revelation of his name leads to the murder of the vi...more

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Dec 03, 2007 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-historical

“Asta’s Son,” as he is called, is left to his own devices when his mother dies in 1377 in the tiny, poor English village of Stromford. He doesn’t have a family and knows nothing of his father. All his mother leaves him is a cross of lead that he carries with him as he flees his village when declared a “wolf’s head”—a person who can be killed on sight—for allegedly committing a crime. His priest, the one person he trusts, is murdered after trying to help and telling Asta’s Son his real name (whic...more

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Nov 26, 2007 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, historical-fiction

Set in 14th century England not long after the Black Death cut the European population nearly in half, this book follows the story of an orphaned peasant boy known only as Asta’s Son. After his mother dies, Asta’s Son learns from the village priest that he has a name, Crispin, and a heritage that has the manor steward wanting to kill him. After barely escaping, Crispin meets a man called Bear (a traveling actor) and sets off for places unknown with him. Along the way he begins to claim an identi...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Joanna VanVleet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this! I was intrigued because it was one more book from the author Angela introduced me to when she told me to read Avi's True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. And this particular book received the Newbery Award in 2003. I have this strong fascination with any books from Medieval time period (like the Pillars of the Earth series) and this book did not disappoint! It is a fairly quick read and one that was hard to put down.

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Apr 30, 2008 Sarah Sammis rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

Avi's books seem to be span all genres, the only thing that unites them is the intended audience, tweens. Crispin is somewhere in the range of fantasy and historical fiction, taking place in medieval Europe around the time of the plague. The story cover's Crispin's quest to learn the truth behind his birth after his mother's death.

While the book had it's moments, it didn't capture my imagination like Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? The book borrows heavily on the fantasy genre conventions and relies...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-chapter, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 13, 2013 Michele rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-historical

This book was getting four stars as I was reading it, until the very end.

I have wanted to read this book for several years, as I have booktalked it in my school library and just think the idea sounds intriguing.

And, it is intriguing. I like the realistic medieval setting, the mysterious plot (why is a poor peasant who doesn't even have a name being hunted by soldiers), and the developing relationship between Bear and Crispin. Avi does a great job of painting the time period's people as next to...more This book was getting four stars as I was reading it, until the very end.

I have wanted to read this book for several years, as I have booktalked it in my school library and just think the idea sounds intriguing.

And, it is intriguing. I like the realistic medieval setting, the mysterious plot (why is a poor peasant who doesn't even have a name being hunted by soldiers), and the developing relationship between Bear and Crispin. Avi does a great job of painting the time period's people as next to slaves with little or no time to even dream of anything other than God's approval. When Crispin runs away from his village, he is challenged to think freely. This is a neat concept as the medieval time period is when the ideas of individual freedom and social mobility begins to spark. What I really like about this book is its unusual twist on the tradition storyline. Before I read the book, I knew that Crispin discovers something important in his past. Combine that with his lack of a name and his being hunted by the local lord, and I was already guessing correctly the secret of Crispin. However, how Crispin handles the secret is quite different than what is traditional in many stories of nobility or heroes. I really enjoyed reading about Crispin learning about freedom from his mentor, Bear.

I liked this book a lot all the way through to right before the ending. Throughout the book, Crispin is extremely naive and is almost afraid to even look at the jester who takes him in, Bear. He certainly is often unwilling to voice an opinion! An abrupt change in character occurs when his mentor is kidnapped and Crispin is now brave and daring and willing to stand up to even the most powerful in his world. While I can certainly see this trend growing in Crispin, the shift sill seems too quick to me. Additionally, this confrontation includes a physical conflict that I cannot quite believe Crispin is winning. It strains the credibility a bit.

Nonetheless, I liked this book and am now about to start the second book in this triogy, eager to find out what adventures Crispin experiences next!(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Jordan Brovelli added it

Shelves: histortical-fiction

The book “Crispin: The Cross of Lead”, written by Avi, is set in England in 1377. It is about this 13-year-old boy named Asta’s Son. Asta’s Son lived with his mother in a little village that has been under the control of the steward, John Avcliffe. Then all of a sudden his mother passed away and Asta’s Son was left all alone. To make things even worse, John Avcliffe accuses Asta’s Son of being a thief and said that Asta’s Son should be killed on sight. Since Asta’s Son had no family to turn to,...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, unfinished, simply-fiction, historical-fiction

The reason this is on my "unfinished" shelf is because, a few years ago when I was in my Newbery Medal phase, I tried reading this and failed to get into it. Maybe it had something to do with the cover, but I simply wasn't interested.

Now that I have actually finished it, I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. It is really interesting to see Crispin's problems unfold and to understand his world. He is a serf whose mother has recently died, yet he is being pursued by his ov...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Ezekiel Carsella rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 04, 2013 Peter rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm going to echo many of the reviews listed here in that this book was interesting and well written but not necessarily outstanding. I enjoyed the historical fiction setting and Avi's committment to acuracy. I did learn some things that I did not previously know about the era. The story was slow at times and predictable in most others. From the outset, the mystery surounding his parents and the revelation of his true name indicated that he was likely born of noble birth. The reader will figure...more I'm going to echo many of the reviews listed here in that this book was interesting and well written but not necessarily outstanding. I enjoyed the historical fiction setting and Avi's committment to acuracy. I did learn some things that I did not previously know about the era. The story was slow at times and predictable in most others. From the outset, the mystery surounding his parents and the revelation of his true name indicated that he was likely born of noble birth. The reader will figure it out well before Crispin does and Avi finally decides to reveal it. I was alsmost mad that it was written on the cross the entire time and we didn't know what it said.

The characters were a little shallow, Bear being the exception. Crispin was maddeningly defiant after they arrived at Great Wexley. After they arrived at the tavern, it was pretty much a guarantee that he would do the opposite of whatever Bear (or anyone else) told him to do. I understand this defiance was necessary to drive the plot but it made me less sympathetic to him as a character. Ultimately, Crispin comes across as too naive and too virtuous, even when he begins to assert himself. Never once does he entertain a single thought of claiming the Furnival fortune as his own even after he learns that he is the rightful heir. His single motivation is the well-being of his new friend Bear, and goes so far as to risk own life in the most preposterously careless way possible. The "negotiation" between he and the steward were laugable since Crispin was at his complete mercy the entire time they were inside the castle. Aycliffe could have killed him with a single command and still acheived everything he wanted. There was no reason for him to compromise, yet he suddenly bends to the will of the 13 year-old "wolf's head" he so despises.

The ending was unsatisfying. The climax was anti-climatic and poorly written. I was curious to know what happens next but unmotivated to rush out and buy the next book ala: Harry Potter or Hunger Games. Again, this book is worthwhile for its historical setting and the complex plot partially redeems the lack of compelling characters. The average eigth grader should be able to endure this book, but probably won't be putting their name on the waiting list to check out the sequel at their local library. (less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Cecilia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 6-8, adventure, award-winning, historical-fiction, print

Summary

Avi tells a story of a thirteenth-year-old boy known as Asta’s son who is running from his past. At the beginning of the story, his mother passed away leaving him only with secrets. Another member of the small village Asta’s son lived in, John Aycliffe, falsely accused him of theft and tells the village Asta’s son should be killed on sight. Asta’s son fled and turned to his only ally, the priest, who gave him a cross of lead that belonged to his mother. Asta’s son learned that his true na...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Marianthi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: print-format, historical-fiction, bravery, gr-6-8, newbery-medal

Summary:
Crispin is a book about a young orphan boy that is on a mission to escape his past and make a new life for himself. Never meeting his father, and his mother passing away leaves him with no one else but himself to depend on. On his journey he finds a friend that he can give his trust to. The two of them come across many obstacles while trying to keep Crispin safe from his past.
This book focuses on Crispin's adventurous journey with his new friend. He has been declared a "wolves head" by h...more Summary:
Crispin is a book about a young orphan boy that is on a mission to escape his past and make a new life for himself. Never meeting his father, and his mother passing away leaves him with no one else but himself to depend on. On his journey he finds a friend that he can give his trust to. The two of them come across many obstacles while trying to keep Crispin safe from his past.
This book focuses on Crispin's adventurous journey with his new friend. He has been declared a "wolves head" by his village which means anyone who finds him can kill him. While trying to find himself he is struggling to stay away from all of the people who are trying to bring him harm. This is a great thriller book because you can follow along with the main character as he trys to escape throughout the entire book.

Response:
I am choosing a quote from the book that I thought really turned the book around for me...

"An orphan then. And not pursued?" - Widow Daventry p. 153

This is the spot in the book where I realized that Crispin must have been sent to Bear, his new friend, by God's will. It was then when I knew that Crispin and Bear were meant to stay together and that Bear was totally on Crispin's side.

This book reminds me of Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan. The two main characters, Crispin and Naomi are in a search to find themselves. Both not know who their father's were and mothers that were no longer around, they managed to discover who they are as individuals. They were both also on a chase throughout the entire book.

Classroom Connection:
A classroom connection that could link to this book would be using it while teaching about England in the time when people were poor and had very strong faith in God. The book does a good job with setting and describing what is going on around the main character. The wording also helps give you a feel for how people spoke during this time period.

Lexile:780L
Guided Reading Level:W
This book has an interest level of about 6th to 8th grade. (less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Nobody rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adventure Seekers

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi is about a thirteen year old boy named Crispin. He flees his poverty stricken village to avoid death. Being proclaimed a wolf's head, he runs north with the advice of his Priest. He meets a man named Bear, and the two of them set out on a journey. They learn to trust each other and come close to death many times.

The first thing I noticed with this books was that the chapters were very short. I felt like Avi cut off in the middle of paragraphs, and started them...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Meredith Trotter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Publication: 2002

Grade/Age: Grades 4-8

Annotation: Crispin is a peasant boy in 14th century England. He only recently found out his name from his mother, who recently died. He is falsely accused of theft and is declared a "wolf's head," meaning that he can be killed on sight. This story follows Crispin's adventures and his search for his true identity.

Themes: Identity, family and friendship, courage and determination

Ways to use the book:

Make a map of Crispin's village. Compare Crispin's village...more

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May 29, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books, historical-fiction, newbery-winners

Avi has written a massive collection of work, in fact Crispin: The Cross of Lead is his fiftieth book! I'd never before read any of his works, always of the impression that I would 'get around to it'. Now that I've read this work I can't wait to read more. This novel would be excellent for reading aloud to fifth graders and perhaps as part of a reading group. Earlier I mentioned that The Whipping Boy functioned as commentary concerning the injustices of midieval monarchy; let me just say that th...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Debbie Gillespie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Citation: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Scholastic, 2002)

1. Genre: Junior Chapter Book/ Historical Fiction

2. Summary: Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a story set in the 14th century about a boy, who after suffering the loss of his pauper mother, is accused of stealing and forced to run for his life away from the only village he knows. On his journey he crosses paths with an unscrupulous character and eventually learns that his father was a wealthy landowner, making him the rightful heir to th...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Ashton Livsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: Asta’s son, or Crispin as he later learns is his name, finds himself on the run when his mother dies and rumors have made him in to the wolf’s head. When he runs away he meets Bear, a performer, who helps him learn to juggle, sing, play music, and find out who he really is.
Critique: a) This book benefits from the details of history that intertwine with the story, and make the story come alive.
This story would not be what it is without the details from the time...more Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: Asta’s son, or Crispin as he later learns is his name, finds himself on the run when his mother dies and rumors have made him in to the wolf’s head. When he runs away he meets Bear, a performer, who helps him learn to juggle, sing, play music, and find out who he really is.
Critique: a) This book benefits from the details of history that intertwine with the story, and make the story come alive.
This story would not be what it is without the details from the time period. The descriptions of the characters, such as having lots of facial hair, long hair, and unclean, because of not bathing, show how the time period people would have looked. The details of the towns they see also help to show the time period. The small towns are simple, dirty, and run down. The large town, or city, are full of people, dirty, and bustling with activity. The story is about a boy who is on the run for something he did not do. He is being framed because he is really the bastard son of a great landowner. If he was to claim this, then he would take over all the land that others want. Making him a murderer, guaruntees that he will not be able to prove he is of a higher position than others. All of this is explained in terms of the past. Headrights, landownership, and birthrights are all talked about in this novel.
Crispin begins the story wearing “a gray wool tunic” and leather shoes (p. 4). This descriptions adds to the details of his position in life. When they reach Great Wexly, Crispin is in awe of the amounts of people, stalls selling “apples, lavender, or ribbons”, and the “foulness lay[ing] on the wide road” (p. 146-147).
Curriculum Connection: This novel has some many adult aspects which may make it hard for children to relate to, or even understand. A teacher would have to be sure a child is at a good age for them to read this. The book touches on religion, murder, and is intense. However, it is a wonderful book to use to teach about the time period. It gives many details on looks, setting, politics, and how different people of different statures would act. (less)

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Oct 25, 2011 Amin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Crispin was one of the few book for me that had a slow start (I like having a fast start) which gave me a bad impression of the book. But as the story goes on, things start to go interesting. The only problem would be the start because the only thing you know is that he is forever alone... But then he finds out secrets.

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Sep 06, 2011 Katlyn Campbell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Genre: History
Summary:
Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a story about a poor boy in who lives in a small English town in 1377. This boy, Crispin, knows virtually nothing about his life, parents, past, and the world when he becomes an orphan and outlaw at the age of thirteen. During his escape he will learn much about the world, his true identity, and the value of friendship.
Critique:
a.This title has great descriptive word use. The people, places, and things are described in great depth and with nume...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Kelly Toshach rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

I've been pushing this book on my son for years because of his interest in the Middle Ages. Also, it's an award winner, so I figured it has something to recommend it. I eventually purchased it over his protests when we traveled to Europe this summer with plans to visit several medieval castles. I had to compel him and his younger sister to read it through bribe and threat. Neither of them enjoyed the book very much, but I liked it for the perspective it gave. As a work of fiction, the book helps...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Edit Ostrom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-historical-fiction

What a great children's book! Although a fair warning: since it takes place in the Middle Ages, it has some historically appropriate, gruesome violence. The author does not dwell on it, but it's there. In spite of this, I would recommend the book for boys in middle grades, if they like adventure and history. Added to Catherine Called Birdie and Midwife's Apprentice, this book is a valuable addition to the Middle Ages historical fiction segment.

I really liked how the author created a language th...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Zemkat rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery

I read this book as part of my quest to read all of the Newbery books. This was not one of the betters ones.

I can't believe how little happened in this book. It was so slow. There was (at least) one chapter about standing helplessly in the forest for a day, waiting until nighttime so that the plot could move forward. Another chapter about eating lunch. Another about packing up lunch to continue hiking.

I didn't like any of the characters. The protagonist goes from frustratingly obedient to frustr...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Jasmine Giacomo rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Yes, Avi, one word. Like Cher, but with books. And possibly fewer drag impersonators.

Not quite sure where my age-target-group compass is pointing (suffering from Jack Sparrow's undecided compass, perhaps?), I checked out a few YA books from the library a couple days ago. The first one that I read was Avi's Crispin: The Cross of Lead. The third book was on the new fiction shelf, but the library did not deign to carry the 2nd book of the series on its shelves (though it had about twenty of Avi's o...more Yes, Avi, one word. Like Cher, but with books. And possibly fewer drag impersonators.

Not quite sure where my age-target-group compass is pointing (suffering from Jack Sparrow's undecided compass, perhaps?), I checked out a few YA books from the library a couple days ago. The first one that I read was Avi's Crispin: The Cross of Lead. The third book was on the new fiction shelf, but the library did not deign to carry the 2nd book of the series on its shelves (though it had about twenty of Avi's other books) at that time, so I just got book one. I can't abide reading the first and third books of a trilogy and not know what happens in the second. Drives me batty. I'm still wondering what happened in this one trilogy I read back in college, whose name I've completely forgotten now...

Ahem. The Cross of Lead follows the adventures of a young orphan named Asta's Boy, who soon learns that his real name is Crispin. He lives in a tiny English village in the 1300's, and has never been beyond its borders. Until his mother passes away, and suddenly the authority in the village, the lord's steward John Aycliffe, accuses him of a crime he didn't commit and puts a penalty on his head so severe that any may kill him on sight. What's a boy to do? He must flee everything he's ever known in order to try and save himself, carrying with him only a cross of lead that his mother used to wear.

Out in the wide world, Crispin stumbles across a plague-dead village from years past, and in it he finds a boisterous red-bearded man in a jester's cap. The man is loud and rough and pushy, and it's clear from Crispin's first hours of reaction to the man that he fears him to be mad, violent, or both. This part sort of took me aback, as from Crispin's POV, the man was horribly rude and possibly dangerous. He binds Crispin into his service, then berates him for being bound by his word.

But this was a clever trick by Avi, who had to let the world open up to Crispin by small degrees. Crispin, who had never seen the dress of the rich or official personages. Crispin, who had never seen a mummer's show. Crispin, who had never traveled, could not sew, could not make snares, could not read or write. Soon enough, I realized that Crispin only knew 150 people in all the world, and none of them dared to reach for such large and dangerous ideas as his new master, Bear the juggler did. Once we see that Bear is a visionary on the cusp of greatness, our fear for Crispin becoming either bait or breakfast are set aside.

Bear teaches him skills both practical (sewing, juggling, playing the recorder for coins) and social (where to look when you speak to people). As they travel cross-country, hoping to avoid Crispin's pursuers, they come to a city in time for a midsummer fair, only to find that their pursuers have come here as well. Much is learned and revealed through secret conversations and through chance encounters inside the city walls, and at the end, Crispin must step into his own and claim his place to save both his own life and Bear's.

You can't have a story like this without a bad guy, but they were pretty shadowy throughout the whole book. Much more was spent on Crispin and his unfolding new personality and skills under Bear's tutelage. It was made clear at the end that the bad guy was the bad guy because he broke his vow (for no good reason other than he was angry enough to), and the good guy was the good guy who (accidentally) dispatched him. Apparently, fighting is the answer in medieval England. I saw a couple more socially acceptable solutions to this one, including dealing directly with a couple of the other "bad" characters in a nonviolent way, but the author chose the fight and flight. It's possible that book two will deal with repercussions of not resolving the inheritance issue completely (at least in the bad guys' eyes). But the heroes did escape from a very claustrophobic scenario and made their getaway, so all's well that ends well.

No fantasy in this one, just straight historical fiction. A good, serious read with fun historical facts and details that really fleshed out the reading experience. I'll be happy to give this one a 4 of 5 stars. (less)

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Nov 03, 2010 Kelsey Carroll rated it 3 of 5 stars

Crispin: The Cross of Lead was an okay book. I do not particularly like books that are Historical Fiction, but I could definitely see how young boys could really find this book interesting. It was about a 13-year-old peasant boy named Crispin. The story took place in the 1300’s in England. Because he had been a peasant his whole life, Crispin had never really seen much of anything except his own village. The story starts off with his mother passing away, and Crispin is left all by himself. He is...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Becca Noelle rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 02, 2010 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Nov 02, 2010 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was good, very interesting to me because it is not usually what I am interested in. This is a story about a young boy, Crispin; he encounters a difficult situation when the book begins. He is left all alone; since he is all alone he is forced to leave the village that he has grown up in. After leaving his home he is soon sent into the role of a peasant and he must live as one. As he was living his life he comes across a new friend named, Bear. Bear is peasant as well and must live a li...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Sarai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-chapter-books, young-adult-fiction, historical, mystery

From Publishers Weekly
Set in 14th-century England, Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as "Asta's son." Mired in grief for his mother, the boy learns his given name, Crispin, from the village priest, although his presumably dead father's identity remains obscure. The words etched on his mother's treasured lead cross may provide some clue, but the priest...more From Publishers Weekly
Set in 14th-century England, Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as "Asta's son." Mired in grief for his mother, the boy learns his given name, Crispin, from the village priest, although his presumably dead father's identity remains obscure. The words etched on his mother's treasured lead cross may provide some clue, but the priest is murdered before he can tell the illiterate lad what they say. Worse, Crispin is fingered for the murder by the manor steward, who declares him a "wolf's head" wanted dead or alive, preferably dead. Crispin flees, and falls in with a traveling juggler. "I have no name," Crispin tells Bear, whose rough manners and appearance mask a tender heart. "No home, no kin, no place in this world." How the boy learns his true identity (he's the bastard son of the lord of the manor) and finds his place in the world makes for a rattling fine yarn. Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story. A page turner to delight Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel.

I listened to this on CD in my car, a habit which I am quickly becoming addicted to! The reader's voice sounded vaguely familiar, though I did not recognize his name. Overall, the reading was good, though there were lines I would have emphasized differently.

The book itself, I enjoyed far more than the other Avi novel I have read (Midnight Magic). Crispin is an endearing young man, scared and knowing no other way than to be honest and God-fearing. Bear becomes a father-figure and friend to him, teaching him juggling and music and laughter. Their relationship is one of the best parts of the story and you see the progression and the beginnings of trust and reliance. Highly recommended.

Amazon recommended for ages 10-14; Publisher's Weekly recommended for ages 8-12.
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Historical Fiction

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Young Adult

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Childrens

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Adventure

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Childrens > Juvenile

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Childrens > Middle Grade

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Historical Fiction > Medieval

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Fantasy

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European Literature > British Literature

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About Avi

Avi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use."
Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing but the Truth, and The Crispin series. His work is very much desired by readers young and old.

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Trivia About Crispin the Cross...

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Quotes from Crispin: The Cross of ...

“I kept asking myself if I felt different, if I was different. The answer was always yes. I was no longer nothing…
How odd, I thought; it had taken my mother’s death, Father Quinel’s murder, and the desire of others to kill me to claim a life of my own.” — 10 people liked it

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title link	preview: Crispin: The Cross of Lead
avg rating	preview: Crispin: The Cross of Lead Goodreads rating: 3.57 (9679 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353342.Crispin?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348556683l/353342.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353342.Crispin?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi[/url]

Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Crispin #1)

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