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Loading... Crispin: The Cross of Lead (2002)by Avi
 DominicPerry | Jun 3, 2013 |  I loved this book, good 3-5th. Brifost | May 21, 2013 | Very good historical fiction. From everything I know it was very accurate on every level. It may be a bit short of four stars. Also the ending, I think, makes it not such a great standalone read, but it is an ongoing story and I am looking forward to the continuation. I think one may have to have an interest in the history and life in that time, or not be too far beyond the age the book seems to have been written for, to thoroughly enjoy it. We'll see what I think as the story continues. (  ) Yona | May 2, 2013 | medieval adventure (  ) TheMadHatters | Apr 16, 2013 | For some reason this is the first of Avi's many books I have read, but I'm already into [b:Crispin: The Edge of Time|7720445|Crispin The End of Time|Avi|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279145141s/7720445.jpg|10468091] because I just had to know what happened next. The book is set in 1377 in England, and the protagonist, Crispin, does not even know his name when the book opens. He has lived all his life (13 years or so) in a small village with his mother, who just calls him "Son." No one else calls him anything but "Asta's son" when they speak to him at all, for he and his mother are virtually outcasts in the village society. Life is not too good, but when his mother dies it mysteriously becomes even worse and he ends up fleeing for his life. On the road he meets Bear, an itinerant juggler and follower of John Ball (look him up!) More adventures ensue. One could call this a coming-of-age novel, and I usually hate coming-of-age novels, but not this one. The tale is told in the first person and one of the things I liked was that Crispin's voice and thoughts seem truly realistic for a fourteenth-century child. (Technically we would say a teenager, but at that time and place there was no such thing -- you were a child or a man/woman and Crispin sees his life that way.) He is deeply religious; thoughts of Jesus, Mary and the saints are always with him and he seeks their aid in a way I'm not sure even most Roman Catholics do today. For that reason, although the book is aimed at an audience a little old for reading aloud, I think it would make a good book for parents and children to read together or simultaneously and then discuss. The only thing that surprised me about this book's winning the Newbery Medal was that it's the first of a trilogy and the ending might well have "to be continued" after it. But then again, a book whose ending propels the reader breathlessly on to the next -- what more could a librarian ask for? I'm reading the Honor Books for each year along with the Medalist. So far I've finished one Honor Book and am listening to another -- [b:Surviving the Applewhites|548609|Surviving the Applewhites|Stephanie S. Tolan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1200866837s/548609.jpg|1341211] and [b:Pictures of Hollis Woods|828084|Pictures of Hollis Woods|Patricia Reilly Giff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178734285s/828084.jpg|1685656], both of which are about modern-day foster children. [b:Crispin: Cross of Lead|353342|Crispin The Cross of Lead (Crispin, #1)|Avi|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174014123s/353342.jpg|1374812] is also about a foster child, in a way. One of the complaints about the Newberys has been that they often focus on "problem books." Yet, problems do exist, and children encounter them both in their own lives and those of their classmates; I was impressed with the way all three of these books handled the issues and still were entertaining. (  ) auntieknickers | Apr 3, 2013 |
 Rebecca Barnhouse (VOYA, June 2002 (Vol. 25, No. 2)) In 1377 England, mysteries surround thirteen-year-old Crispin, a serf from a rural village who never knows his own name until his mother dies. Nor does he know just who his mother really was--why she was an outcast or how she learned to read and write. Shortly after her burial, Crispin finds himself pursued by men who mean to kill him for reasons he does not understand. He escapes, only to be captured by a huge juggler named Bear. Bear teaches Crispin to sing and play the recorder, and slowly they begin to get to know one another. When they perform in villages and towns, however, they discover that the hunt for Crispin is still in full swing. For Crispin, this situation makes the question of Bear's trustworthiness vital, for Bear has secrets of his own. The suspense stays taut until the very end of the book, when Crispin uncovers his identity and then must decide how to act on that information. His journey to selfhood recalls Alice's in Karen Cushman's The Midwife's Apprentice (Clarion, 1995/VOYA August 1995). Like Alice, Crispin casts off his timidity to make a place for himself within a society that would discard him. As does Cushman, Avi renders the sights, sounds, and smells of medieval England accurately and compellingly. He shows the pervasiveness of the church in medieval society and, in a subplot, weaves in details about John Ball and the Peasant's Rebellion. Exciting and true to the past, this novel is historical fiction at its finest. PLB $16.49. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9).
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Wikipedia in English (2)
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"Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by AVI is set in England in 1377 and follows the adventures of an orphaned boy who is being hunted for crimes he didnt commit. I gave this book a 4 in quality because the plot, setting and characters all work very well in keeping with the time this book is set in. Also the large role religion plays in this book doesnt make it religious, just more authentic. I gave this book a 4 in popularity because it might be difficult for some readers to divorce themselves from our current societal norms and get into the 14th century. Although this book is marketed at younger readers I found it enjoyable and think it would be appropriate for any age.