Crispin and the Cross of Lead

Crispin and the Cross of Lead
by Avi
Hyperion Books for Children, 2002, Intermediate Fiction, 262 p.
Astor's son has always lived with his mother on the edge of starvation in a small town in 14th century England.  The mother has been shunned for some reason her son doesn't understand, and he shares in her status.  When she dies of illness, Astor's son doesn't know where to go or what to do, but he soon discovers that the overseer of the manor wants him dead as well.  A kindly priest gives him a cross that used to belong to his mother, tells him his birth name is Crispin, and urges him to flee the city.  Out on the open road Crispin meets a juggler, called Bear, who takes him on, first as a servant and then as an apprentice.  The juggler is also more than he seems, and soon both he and Crispin are running from the magistrates.  Will Crispin ever truly be free?

Avi gives a "warts and all" view of life in medieval England.  Crispin is an authentic character for the time period, having grown up without any hope of ever being free from servitude.  The beauty of the book is how he slowly learns to see himself as a free soul who might choose his own path. This book won the Newbery Award in 2003 and is a great choice for  a junior high age student who is required to read a historical fiction or for anyone who likes the per-renaissance.