 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
- By Avi
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Start of an exciting medieval adventures series.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a darker view of Middle Ages serfdom than one usually encounters.
What's the story?
In 1300s England, the night after Crispin's mother dies, he overhears a conversation between John Aycliffe, steward of the manor, and a stranger. Suddenly he finds himself hunted, accused of theft. When the priest who tries to help him turns up dead, Crispin is also accused of murder. Fleeing the village in which he has spent his entire life, he takes up with a wandering juggler called Bear.
Still pursued by Aycliffe and his men, they try to lose themselves in a large town, Great Wexly, where Bear has secret plans to meet with the revolutionary, John Ball. Crispin is thrilled just to see such a big town. But there is more to his past than he knows, and a much bigger reason why Aycliffe is so determined to kill him.
Is it any good?
There's a lot here to keep young readers enthralled. The plot is an exciting adventure, with a gritty edge just violent enough to keep the pages turning. The details of the medieval setting are fascinating, and offer a picture of peasant life much more grim than most other books set in this time period.
Crispin is an appealing character, and Bear even more so, and Crispin's progress in learning from Bear to be a juggler and musician is very satisfying. There are mysteries and suspense and plot twists, though alert readers will solve the major mystery long before Crispin does. One odd omission is that there's no Author's Note to explain the historical background, and a map would have been nice as well.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about what life was really like for peasants, and what John Ball tried to do about it.
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 11 years old
September 27, 2009
AGE
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.
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Teen, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
I hated it
it didn't make sence. It sounded like crap and it was the worst book i think i could ever read
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Teen, 14 years old
April 15, 2009
AGE
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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Adult
February 19, 2011
AGE
I think the themes of this book are something children relate to. The idea of a poverty gap is all to present in America today, as are single parent families. I think this book is not only a historically educational tool but also a social tool as well. Children will relate to Crispin and his impromptu father figure Bear.
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Teen, 15 years old
October 2, 2009
AGE
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.
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Teen, 13 years old
November 12, 2008
AGE
i loved it ages 11 nad up appropriate
Crispin and the cross of lead was a great book. It had a little violence and thats it !!!!!
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Parent of 8 and 11 year old
November 22, 2009
AGE
fine for older kids but not ok for tweens
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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Kid, 10 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
read , read, read
An exciting adventure!Will he live another day? Who is he? Well, find out fast!
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Parent
October 17, 2010
AGE
A tough read for younger readers
The book is fairly difficult to read for younger readers due to the the dialect of some characters. Also, has a few violent moments and a few more vulgar words for my comfort. In my opinion, I would recommend this book to a few independent readers, but not a good choice for literature circles or teacher read alouds.
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Teen, 13 years old
April 16, 2011
AGE
Perfect for MOST tweens and great for teens
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.
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| Author: | Avi |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Historical Fiction |
| Publisher: | Hyperion Books for Children |
| Publication date: | March 20, 2005 |
| Number of pages: | 262 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 10 - 14 |
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