Crispin: The Cross of Lead (by Avi)

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.

it didn't make sence. It sounded like crap and it was the worst book i think i could ever read

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 think that this book was very suspensful at parts. It is not something that I think anyone under the age of 11 would have a very hard time with this book. Also, there is a lot of religion involved. If you are looking into reading this, you should have a strong understanding medieval European ideas.

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.

I liked this book but it is very violont throats being slit may be scary for ages 8- . I recamend it to kids who like violence.

An exciting adventure!Will he live another day? Who is he? Well, find out fast!

He is a 13-year-old boy living in 14th century England, a time when life was hard for most people. He's less than a serf, working the land for people who are his betters and totally dependent upon them. He's really a nothing. He doesn't know why, but he and his mother have always been outcasts in their little village, and everybody seems to hate them. In fact, he is so despised that he doesn't even have a name --- he's just "Asta's son." The village he lives in is owned entirely by Lord Furnival, who is always gone fighting wars for the king. So his steward, John Aycliffe, manages all Furnival's property, which includes the lives of everybody in the village. And Aycliffe seems to hate Asta's son even more than the villagers do. When Asta dies, her son's life becomes more unbearable than ever. Aycliffe declares that Asta's son must give his only ox to Lord Furnival's manor as a death tax for his mother. This means that the boy can't work the land for his meager livelihood. Then Aycliffe accuses Asta's son of stealing and declares him a wolf's head. This means that anybody who meets the boy may kill him on sight, since a wolf's head is not considered a human being. The boy's only friend is Father Quinel. He knows things about Asta's son that the boy, himself, doesn't know. For example, he knows about the boy's father, and he says that Asta's son was christened with the name Crispin, even though his mother had kept that a secret. Father Quinel gives Crispin the lead cross that belonged to Asta and promises that he will tell him all about his father. But when he tries to help Crispin escape from the village, things don't go quite as they planned. Crispin barely escapes, running for his life, with nothing but the cross and the knowledge that he has a real name. The cross has something written on it by Asta but Crispin can't read, and he's astonished to learn that his mother could. Does the writing somehow explain why his mother seemed to both love him and hate him? As Crispin flees his mind is filled with many questions about why he's been falsely accused by Aycliffe, why the people want him dead, and why he and his mother were so despised. Eventually Crispin meets a giant juggler and jester named Bear, who befriends him, but Crispin isn't really sure whether Bear is a friend or foe. He doesn't know if there's anyone that he can trust. Will Crispin ever become a free man? Read his exciting story and discover the secrets about the life of the boy named Crispin.