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Book Summary and Reviews of Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

by Avi

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  • Published:
  • Apr 2002, 272 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The 2003 Newbery Award Winner and New York Times Best-seller. "Avi's latest novel is superb combination of mystery, historical fiction, and a coming-of-age tale... Breathlessly paced, beautifully written, and filled with details of life in the Middle Ages, this compelling novel is one of Avi's finest."-Book Report

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Book Awards

  • award image John Newbery Medal, 2003

Reviews

Media Reviews

"A page turner to delight Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel." - PW

"The story is set in the years just prior to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and one of the secondary characters, the revolutionary priest John Ball, was a key historical figure. Most children will not know this, however, as there is no historical note to contextualize the story. This is a shame, as despite its flaws, this offering is nevertheless a solid adventure and could serve as the jumping-off point for an exploration into a time of great political upheaval." - Kirkus

"[A] meticulously crafted story, full of adventure, mystery, and action." - School Library Journal

"Exciting and true to the past, this novel is historical fiction at its finest." - VOYA

This information about Crispin: The Cross of Lead was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Ximenna

Amazing
Crispin by Avi is an amazing book that you should really consider reading. It has a lot of plot twists and shows you what the middle ages were like back then. Avi really shows detail and emotion on how Crispin is feeling. It's like as if you were there with him. Though, there's a lot of bloody violence. There's a lot of jaw-dropping deaths in there too. Some parts were funny. Crispin will probably be one of the best books you would ever read. You should really consider reading it.

Elyssa Eversole

Crispin: the Cross of Lead by: Avi; Review
The book Crispin: Cross of
Lead by Avi, is a very intriguing book. One reason is because it keeps readers on edge, with its timely fashion and with the different decisions made by characters. Crispin is a young boy who just lost his mother and doesn't know what to do without her while some unfortunate events keep occurring. Some of the decisions that Crispin must make seem like too much for a boy his age to handle, but seem like the right ones. All in all, Crispin: Cross of Lead is a very excellent, well read book that is highly recommended.

Andy Y

Crispin Review
Crispin by Avi is a great novel because it has lots of cliff hangers and makes you want to read more. This novel involves a lot of mystery and drama. It should also be recommended to people who enjoy the Middle Ages. The plot of the story and characters are excellent. Each character holds an important role. Some of these characters can leave suspicion and some can be trusted. The characters make decisions that can affect their lives forever. In conclusion, this is a great novel and should be recommended because it is a dramatizing story that can make you shocked and maybe even cry.

Kiara Gonzalez

Crispin: Cross of Lead Review
The novel Crispin by Avi is a brilliantly written book, because it captures yet informs you about the life of a peasant during the Middle Ages while telling a story about a boy seeking the truth. The book takes place in 15th century England, and is told through the eyes of a young peasant boy who is called Asta’s Son. He is looked down upon by everyone around him, and is considered nothing more than an outcast. Everything was manageable, until the fateful day when his whole world was turned upside down. Now the young boy must turn his back on everything he has ever known, to seek the truth of his parents and past. This novel will inform you about the way of life during the Middle Ages. Crispin is a fascinating story about a boy’s adventure through England.

Tiny Altuve

Great Book!...
But not the best, I recommend reading the other books to fully be satisfied!

HiblerStudent

Crispin Review
The novel, Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi, is an adventurous story because it is full of thrill and unexpected turns. The setting of the Middle Ages and descriptions are described well which makes the story even better. Although the story’s plot is a little boring in the beginning, the author certainly makes up for it later on in the book. In the novel, the characters are well described and the author makes their personalities fit the plot. The novel includes a great theme that fits the story well and develops throughout it. Besides that, the novel’s ending isn’t that great compared to the rest of it. In conclusion, Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi, is a great book with a great plot, and is fit to a reader with an interest of the Middle Ages.

...18 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Avi Author Biography

Avi acquired his name from his twin sister, Emily, who chose not to call him Edward or Irvin but, for reasons unknown, to call him Avi. As the author says, it doesn't stand for anything, or mean anything, it just is who he is.

Avi is the author of more than sixty books, including Crispin: The Cross of Lead, a Newbery Medal winner, and Crispin: At the Edge of the World. His other acclaimed titles include The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing But the Truth, both Newbery Honor Books, and most recently The Seer of Shadows. He lives with his family in Colorado.

Link to Avi's Website

Name Pronunciation
Avi: ah-vee

Other books by Avi at BookBrowse

8 more...

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More Recommendations

Readers Also Browsed . . .

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