Crispin . The Cross of Lead Newbery Medal Book

Customer Reviews

The misadventures of Crispin

2008-10-05
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 great writing.

A Little Disappointing From What I Expected

2008-09-27
'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 suited to older teens and adults. In the middle/end of the book however, they're are some exciting things...but they don't really last for long. All in all, Avi has created some unique and funny characters, and has created a story that is a medium-paced tale.

Crispin and the Cross of Lead

2008-09-25
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

2008-09-09
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 introduced to a sad and seemingly helpless orphan who meets his circumstances with a mix of terror, courage, cunning, and happenstance. Crispin fights to stay alive and escape from those who would unjustly kill him, and he meets a friend and protector in the process. The two journey to the city of Great Wexley for what turn out to be a showdown. As can be expected, the plot builds to an exciting and "unbelieveable" climax, and keeps the reader entertained and engaged along the way.
I read this one aloud to my pre-teen kids and they loved it. I don't know if they captured the sense of how miserable life at that time was, because the book sugar coats things a bit (although the observant reader's skin will crawl with the sensation of fleas and filth).
This is my first Avi book and I loved it. Highly recommended.

The kids were spellbound...

2008-07-30
I used this for our daily read aloud. When it was time to stop for the day, but I kept reading, no one minded or asked me to stop. Hmmm, now that I think about it, even the neighbor girl kept mysteriously appearing about the time I read every day! The writer hooks you from the very start. He uses detail, but not so much it bogs down the story. A very enjoyable read!

GREAT BUY

2008-07-16
A New York Times Bestseller
A Newbery Medal Winner

In fourteenth-century England a nameless thirteen-year-old peasant boy, who thought he had little to lose, finds himself with even less. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head," meaning that anyone can kill him on sight. To remain alive the boy must flee his tiny village, taking with him only his newly revealed name -- Crispin -- and his mother's cross of lead.

780L
(AR) For ages 10-14

A review by Amanda England. 2008-04-03
I like the book Crispin. The reason why I like it is because its visible, and what I mean by that is you can see it going on in your mind as it's being read. Crispin was accused of stealing and murder. So now he in known as a wolf's head meaning anyone can kill him. He met a guy named Bear, when he ran away from Stromford. When he met Bear they traveled from city to city together. The story is about them trying to gain their freedom.
If I was to recommend this book to any one I'd recommend it to all the kids in different schools. I think that they might enjoy it if they're into adventurous stories.

Crispin The Cross of Lead by Javier 2008-04-02
The title of this book is Crispin The Cross of Lead, by Avi. I think this book is pretty good because its about a 13 year old boy name Crispin whose mother died and a guy named John Aycliffe who claims him a wolf head. So Crispin Asta's son decides to run away and then he meets a man name Bear. What do you think will happen? Would he get killed?

excellent historical fiction for students 2008-03-26
I'm not sure which grades the book is supposed to be geared toward but given the number of college students I've taught who have difficulty reading, I think this book would work from junior high to college level. Obviously in junior or senior high school classes we are probably talking about English classes or a unit on the Medieval world, perhaps in a world history course or western civ course. For college I think this could be a good break of the primary sources and scholarly articles. It would be a fun way to get students to think about changes from the beginning of the middle ages through the 14th century. It's a good book for students for a few reasons. First, Avi's portrayal of the late 14th century, with a focus on the various social, political and economic anxieties that abounded. Second, the level of reading comprehension is just high enough to make it both challenging to younger or less skilled students but not seem too shallow for other students. Third, the characters and events are interesting, I read it in a few hours. Finally, the book offers many opportunities to discuss how society worked without preaching any single correct interpretation thus allowing a teacher to use it in a variety of ways. I might keep it in my for a future survey of medieval history as alternative to some traditional means of assessment and assignment.

Crispin 2008-02-26
The title of this book is Crispin. It was written by AVI. The genre is fiction. The main charcters are a boy who has been called Asta's Son all his life; whose real name is Crispin, a man named Bear, a waitress named Widow Daventry, a priest named Father Quinnel and the steward of Stomford,John Ayclife. Most of the story takes place while Crispin is traveling with Bear in Great Wexley.

Crispin has been unjstly accused of stealing money from the steward's house,and for that reason he is proclamed a "wolf's head" which means that anyone can kill him on sight. He runs away to prevent being killed. He has many amazing adventures as he run for his life and while traveling with Bear.

I would recomend this book to people who like scary and thrilling stories because it is filled with adventures,suspence and spine tingling mystery.