CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 2002. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786808284

2. PLOT SUMMARY
“Asta’s Son” has just lost his mother when he is accused of stealing from the manor house in medieval England. He is declared a “wolf’s head,” which means anyone can kill him on sight. Before running away from his home of Stromford, his priest tells him that his name is really Crispin and that he needs to a larger city in order to gain his freedom. While trying to stay hidden from the men trying to kill him, Crispin meets Bear, a juggler, who becomes Crispin’s master. Bear takes Crispin under his wing while they travel from town to town and find out more about why Crispin is being hunted. Bear also has a secret of his own, and everything comes to light in the town of Great Wexley during the Festival of St. John the Baptiste. This is a great story about finding oneself and learning to trust others.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Avi’s writing style in Crispin: The Cross of Lead allows readers to be brought back in time to medieval England. The voice of Crispin echoes that of medieval English using a lot of “thees” and interesting sentence structure. As Crispin and Bear travel across the land, readers get a feel of what the world was like back in the fourteenth century. Readers learn about a different type of slavery while following the action and mystery of the story line. Readers are also able to connect to a character from long ago by realizing that Crispin struggles for the same thing that many people struggle to find today, a sense of self and learning to trust completely. Crispin’s innocence and growth reflect those of modern day readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Award Winner
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Avi has done an excellent job of integrating background and historical information, of pacing the plot so that the book is a page-turner from beginning to end, and of creating characters for whom readers will have great empathy. The result is a meticulously crafted story, full of adventure, mystery, and action.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY : “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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be a great book to read to introduce a lesson on medieval England
Lead discussions with readers to discus the connections between life as a slave in Civil War Era America and life under a master in fourteenth century England
Other books related to Medieval England:
Avi. Book Without Words, The: A Fable of Medieval Magic. ISBN 0786816597
Schlitz, Laura Amy. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. ISBN 0763643327
The Sequel to Crispin: The Cross of Lead:
Avi. Crispin at the Edge of the World. ISBN 078685152X