Bibliographic Data:
Avi. 2002. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786826479
Plot Summary:
Crispin, a 13-year-old peasant boy in 1377 England, is claimed a wolf’s head. This means he is not considered human and anyone may kill him, so he leaves his small village hoping to find freedom in a larger town. He meets a traveling juggler named Bear who takes Crispin as his apprentice and attempts to protect him from the men that are searching for him throughout the villages and towns of England.
Critical Analysis:
Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a historical fiction tale of a young peasant boy in medieval England. Avi shows the importance of God and religion, especially to the poor, in the fourteenth century by Crispin’s constant prayer, trust in priests, and belief that God will lead him on the correct path in life. Crispin’s only possession after his mother passes away is a lead cross from his father’s death; they were given to dying during the Great Death (plague) years before. The writing on the cross ultimately gives Crispin an identity he never had before.
Avi includes real characters in his story of peasant life in 1377; John Ball was in fact a leader in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. In Crispin, Ball holds meetings to discuss the living conditions of the poor throughout the lands. Those involved attempt to figure out when the best time to revolt against authority will be, and some feel the time is right since Lord Furnival, the Lord over the area, has died. Historically it was only four years until the unsuccessful revolution began.
The danger and violence of the times are clearly described early in the book. As Crispin flees his own village, he comes upon a decaying hanged man on a path. The picture presented is disturbing and grotesque, but I am sure it is also quite accurate as to what could have happened to an outlaw in 1377.
Great Wexly, where Bear and Crispin eventually travel to, is a large fortified city of thousands, much different than Crispin’s village of 150 souls. The filth of city living and dramatic separation between the rich and poor are evident in Avi’s writing of this area.
Crispin: The Cross of Lead is an amazing adventure story of a boy finding himself in a medieval era where few were ever freed from their monotonous and predictable lives serving rich lords and kings.
Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal “Avi has done an excellent job of integrating background and historical information, of pacing the plot so that the book is a page-turner from beginning to end, and of creating characters for whom readers will have great empathy. The result is a meticulously crafted story, full of adventure, mystery, and action.”
Booklist “Avi sets his story in fourteenth-century England and introduces some of his most unforgettable characters--a 13-year-old orphan, seemingly without a name, and a huge, odd juggler named Bear. At first, the boy is known as Asta's Son, but when his mother dies, he learns from a priest that his name is really Crispin… Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society.”
Connections:
Avi’s website http://www.avi-writer.com/books/crispin.html
Crispin: The Cross of Lead would be a wonderful addition to a history unit on the medieval era for middle school grades.
A great lesson guide (PDF file), compete with historical information, a glossary, an author interview, and questions is available online from Hyperion Books for Children. hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/0786808284147.pdf
A Literature Circle Guide (PDF file) with even more ideas for questions and activities based on the book.
teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/pdfs/crispin_t.pdf
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