The Cross of Lead, Avi
The Cross of Lead, Avi
10 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Cross of Lead

Author: Avi

Series: Crispin #1

Narrator: Ron Keith

Unabridged: 6 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 05/23/2008

Categories: Children's Fiction


Synopsis

Newbery Medal winner The Cross of Lead is "a page-turner from beginning to end … full of adventure, mystery, and action" (School Library Journal).

Sometimes I ran, sometimes all I could do was walk. All I knew was that if the steward overtook me, I’d not survive for long. …

Crispin is a poor thirteen-year-old peasant in medieval England. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he has been declared a "wolf’s head," meaning he may be killed on sight, by anyone. He flees his tiny village with nothing but his mother’s cross of lead.

In the English countryside, Crispin meets a man named Bear, who forces Crispin to become his servant yet encourages him to think for himself. But as Crispin’s enemies draw ever closer, he is pulled right into the fortress of his foes, where he must find a way to save their very lives.

A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters, award-winning author Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.

About Avi

Avi is the author of more than seventy books for children and young adults, including the 2003 Newbery medal winner Crispin: The Cross of Lead. He has won two Newbery Honors and many other awards for his fiction. He lives with his family in Denver, Colorado. Visit him at Avi-Writer.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Greg on June 07, 2010

AVI2.0 Review: With warnings, gender changes, and a post script! I just dawned on me that the stupid plot revealing subtitle is there because Avi means for this book to be the start of a series, and a quick check shows that there is a sequel. Avi has a unique skill at flattening characters. Everyone......more

Goodreads review by karen on September 23, 2020

i didn't hate it as much as greg did, but i know what he means about it being a little flat. i probably would have enjoyed this as maybe an 8 year old. is that too old - i don't remember what i was doing at 8, except i had unfortunate teeth. i'm not going to run right out and get the sequel to this......more

Goodreads review by Sandi on March 05, 2008

My sixth grade son made me read "Crispin: The Cross of Lead". He's a really advanced reader, but it's hard to get him involved in books. He'd rather play World of Warcraft or play his guitar. He couldn't put this book down and insisted that I read it. I was surprised at the content of the book. Crisp......more

Goodreads review by Maggie on December 22, 2013

I know this is an award-winning book. Avi's historical fiction is exceptional -- even the metaphor and imagery in the book employ phrases consistent with the times. I feel when I read his historical fiction like I can connect all the historical dots. However, I got the feeling that some of Crispin's......more

Goodreads review by Ensiform on September 20, 2014

Winner of the 2003 Newbery, this historical novel is set in England, 1377. Crispin, an orphan peasant, is told by his village priest that there is a secret regarding his birth. But after stumbling upon the cruel village steward making a secret plan in the woods, Crispin is declared a “wolf’s head” –......more