Crispin: Cross of Lead Analysis

Sometimes we have to read a bit in order to figure out a book's setting, but in this case, we know for sure because it announces it at the top of the first chapter. "A.D." stands for Anno Domini, w...

Crispin uses "I" language to tell us his own story in his own words, which makes him a first-person narrator. He's also the main character, as the presence of his name in the title suggests, which...

Crispin: The Cross of Lead is set in the 14th century and is all about a thirteen-year-old boy who manages to survive some seriously exciting times. We know it's a young adult book because it is ab...

Since Crispin's our narrator, and he's telling a story about himself, we learn a lot about how Crispin is feeling about what's happening to him through his tone. Early in the book, Crispin's tone i...

Like a road between small villages, the plot moves along in a straight line in Crispin: The Cross of Lead, meaning we don't need to worry about flashbacks or tangents. And for the most part, we don...

Crispin's name is in the title, so we know the book is about him—well, him and that cross of lead, which, hey, also turns out to have a key part of Crispin's identity written on it. The question...

Having at last escaped the evil John Aycliffe, Crispin and Bear leave Great Wexly to the sound of their own music and singing. Having defeated Aycliffe, Crispin is full of joy and declares that he...

Overall, Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a straightforward read. It's a fast-paced adventure that pulls readers along, and we're not dealing with flashbacks or sudden jumps in time or a whole lot of...

"Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down…"Yeah, you know we're going to reference Fresh Prince whenever possible. Check out Chapters 1 through 11 for the set-up o...

Avi was inspired to write Crispin: The Cross of Lead by a series of audio lectures on Medieval England.(Source.)Crispin: The Cross of Lead is dedicated to Teofilo Ruiz, the historian whose lectures...

Can we give this a triple G rating? Seriously, folks, move along. There's nothing to see here. Nobody even takes a bath, which might be why Great Wexly smells so bad.

Judgment Day (3.14 and throughout)Adam (3.15)Archangel Gabriel (3.15)Judas (8.12)The whale who took Jonah (19.59)Lady Fortune/Fortune's Wheel (26.14) Lucifer (40.4)Feast of Saint Giles (3.1 and thr...