| "Asta's son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less -- no home, family, or possessions. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head." That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name -- Crispin -- and his mother's cross of lead. His journey through the English countryside is amazing and terrifying. Especially difficult is his encounter with the juggler named Bear. A huge, and possibly even mad, man, Bear forces the boy to become his servant. Bear, however, is a strange master, for he encourages Crispin to think for himself. Though Bear promises to protect Crispin, the boy is being relentlessly pursued. Why are his enemies so determined to kill him? Crispin is gradually drawn right into his enemies' fortress where -- in a riveting climax -- he must become a different person if he is to save Bear's life and his own. He discovers that by losing everything, he has gained the most precious gift of all: a true sense of self. A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters, Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.
Annotation:
Prolific children?s author Avi?s 50th novel is set in medieval England, where an illiterate teenage boy, simply known as Astas?s son, is left in dire straits after his mother dies and he?s accused of a priest?s murder. Fleeing for his life, having discovered his true name is Crispin, the boy befriends Bear, a roving juggler, and sets out to clear his name. Winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal.
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Author Bio| Avi Wortis is known to his readers simply as Avi. Raised in New York City, he was ironically assigned a tutor in high school to help him with his writing. His first novel, WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN, ANYWAY?, was published in 1992 while he was working as a librarian. Avi writes historical fiction, fantasies, thrillers, and comic novels. In 1991, THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE was named a Newbery Honor Book and winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction. In 2003, CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD received the much-coveted Newbery Medal. |
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