Module 5 Book Reviews: Historical Fiction

Crispin The Cross of Lead by Avi
2003 Winner of the John Newbery Medal

1. Bibliography
Avi. 2002. Crispin The Cross of Lead. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786808284.

2. Plot Summary
Set in fourteenth century medieval England, a young peasant boy loses his mother, his home, his priest, and all normality. On the run to avoid losing his life, Asta's son encounters an interesting man by the name of Bear. The two join forces as travelling entertainment. As a result of this dynamic relationship, Asta's son begins a personal journey in which he develops a stronger character and learns about his family history as well as his real name. At the end of the story, Asta's son is able to defy attackers and earn his freedom.

3. Critical Analysis
"Crispin - The Cross of Lead" is an important piece of historical fiction because the descriptions stay true to the nature of the time period and neither are the descriptions sugarcoated. Asta's son, a serf, relates the drudgery of day to day living with these words, "When winter came, we fed the animals-we had an ox, and now and then a chicken-gathered wood and brush for heat, slept, and tried to stay alive...Thus our lives never changed... (pg 12). His did not have an academic education, but was exposed to much religion. "As for the two roads that passed through Stromford, all I knew was that they led to the rest of England, of which I had no knowledge. And beyond England, I supposed, came the remaining world: 'Great Christendom,' our priest called it (pg 19).

Several situations occur in the story that depict unpleasant occurances. The first is when the dead mother is buried by the priest. Later in the story Asta's son explains the punishments for minor infractions, the wording is direct. "It could be a whipping, a clipping of the ear, imprisonment, or a cut-off hand (pg 3). The next very vivid description is of a man that had been hung. "Now his face was moldy green and much contorted, with a protruding tongue of blue that reached his chin. One eye bulged grotesquely. The other was not there. His body oozed from open wounds. Swollen legs and arms flopped with distended disjointedness. Bare feet pointed down with toes that curled upon themselves like chicken claws (pg 56).

It is easy for the reader to absorb information about the time, the place, the difficulties, and the people as Asta's son travels across England learning about himself, his countrymen, and his country.


4. 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.

5. Connections
For more stories that reveal the strength of orphaned children check out the following:
Burnett, Frances Hodgson. LITTLE PRINCESS. ISBN 0064401871.
Lupica, Mike. HEAT. ISBN 0399243011.