Genre 5: Crispin The Cross of Lead

Crispin the Cross of Lead by Avi
Hyperion Books, 2002
ISBN 0-7868-0828-4

Summary:
A boy with no name of his own living in 14th-Century loses his mother. Following her death, he discovers his real name, Crispin, and is declared "Wolf's Head," the medieval version of "Wanted: Dead or Alive." His only option is to leave his village, a dangerous proposition for a boy with no family, no trade, no money, and no idea where to go. He is claimed as a servant by a traveling entertainer, and while his new master may seem harsh at times, he is also a protector who eventually helps Crispin claim his own freedom.

Critical Analysis:
While the draw of this book is firmly rooted in characterization, vivid details of daily living in 14th-Century England make the characters seem realistic. Crispin's first glimpse of a real city astonishes him:

"Pressing in on the crowded, narrow streets were looming walls of close-built buildings, structures two, sometimes three stories high, with slate, not thatch, roofs. These houses were, for the most part, built of timber beams with pale mortar filling in between the wood."

This is a far cry from his native village where doorless thatched huts house people on one side and livestock on the other, and the reader can imagine how engrossed a young boy would be by all the new sights and sounds.
Plot events are also dependent on a historical setting. When Bear claims Crispin as a servant, a modern reader's response might be indignation. People can't simply "claim" other people! However, Avi has already set the scene by introducing the medieval idea of loyalty to a lord, even a bad one, as well as the idea that peasants --especially young ones-- have no rights.
Even as a servant, Crispin's character is interesting because he is constantly growing. He learns the art of entertaining with music and dance at the same time he is uncovering clues about his past, which, from the earliest chapters, is clearly more complex than it might appear on the surface. The child who at one time is resigned to his peasant fate eventually figures out his past and grows to claim his own freedom.
Avi combines three staples of engrossing young adult fiction--mystery, action, and friendship--to create a book that children and adults of all ages can enjoy.

Review Excerpts:
Avi conjures the atmosphere of the medieval English landscape by concentrating on that world's physical details (especially the smells), yet it's also clear from Crispin's narration, wherein he constantly defers to the will of God, the overwhelming role that religion played in the life of the medieval peasant. The pace is quick, and the boy's change from cowed serf to courageous hero is logical and believable.

Janice M. Del Negro, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October 2002, v.56, no. 2

"Avi writes a fast-paced, action-packed adventure comfortably submerged in its fourteenth-century setting, giving Crispin a realistic medieval worldview even while subverting it with Bear's revolutionary arguments. . . . From Crispin's initial religious dependence and inability to meet others' eyes to his eventual choice of his own path and freedom, the theme of self-determination is carried lightly, giving this quick, easily digested thriller just the right amount of heft."

Anita L. Burkam, The Horn Book, September/October 2002, v. 78 no. 5

Connections:

• Research various aspects of 14th-Century English life: religion, food, architecture, government, or weaponry.
• Compare life in 14th-Century England to historical fiction about life elsewhere during the same time period (example: A Single Shard).
• Create models of the village or the city; create costumes for various characters.
• Discuss the themes of oppression and freedom across the centuries. Why do people always seek freedom, even when it involves risk?