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. "Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with
twists, turns, and treachery aplenty. . . . A page-turner to delight
Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel."-Publishers
Weekly (starred review) " . . . [T]he book is a page-turner from
beginning to end . . . [A] meticulously crafted story, full of
adventure, mystery, and action."
-School Library Journal (starred review)
"Historical fiction at its finest."-VOYA