I hated that a new vocabulary word that my son had to learn was B******. And it was so central to the theme of the book that it could not be ignored. The boy does not know who his father is during most of the book--and people are trying to kill him and he does not know why. Finally, it comes out that he is the illegitimate son of the lord of the land--now deceased. It may provide an interesting social commentary of what it was like to live during that time (not a history buff so I can't comment on its accuracy) but some of its themes are too mature for an 11 year old. I can see why some people think it is a good read--it is fast paced and the characters are colorful but I think it would be more appropriate for someone a little bit older.
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Crispin: The Cross of Lead
(2005, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Written by Avi)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Start of an exciting medieval adventures series.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 9 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Parents need to know that this is a darker view of Middle Ages serfdom than one usually encounters.
Read our full review by Matt Berman
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about what life was really like for peasants, and what John Ball tried to do about it.
Our Members Say
See all 23 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
fine for older kids but not ok for tweens
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Educational
I think this book was okay. It was a bit hard to follow, even for me. However, its a great book if your wanting to get an idea of the midde ages.
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Loved this book sooo much!
I had to read it for school, and I thought it was torture at first but towards the middle and end it was great!!! There was some violence that kinda creeped me out but all around good book otherwise.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
a great book for history projects
in the 1400s yes not 1300s a boy named Asta's son is all this boy has been called and when his mother dies ( the only family he has left) he son after gets declared a wolf's head for a crime he did not commit. You go on many adventures with Asta's son and will soon learn his new name. this book is very good it has a lot of facts from medieval europe.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
a great book for history projects
in the 1400s yes not 1300s a boy named Asta's son is all this boy has been called and when his mother dies ( the only family he has left) he son after gets declared a wolf's head for a crime he did not commit. You go on many adventures with Asta's son and will soon learn his new name. this book is very good it has a lot of facts from medieval europe.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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