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 is why Crispin's name is in the title. Avi could have just called the book The Cross of Lead, which is still a good title. By including Crispin's name in the title, though, Avi draws our attention to the character. The book is about more than just the cross of lead: It's really all about Crispin's transformation from Asta's son to, well, Crispin.