Crispin: The Cross of Lead, A Newbery Award Book

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

I enjoyed reading Crispin: The Cross of Lead. The book held my attention and became quite a quick read as I couldn't wait to see what would happen next to the boy. I have read many books about medieval England so the struggles of the characters were not unknown to me. I did wonder, as I read, if a young reader could grasp some of the concepts in the book such as the mercenary wars, the plague, and the system of lords and serfs.
I feel the author developed strong characters in this story. Readers can not help but cheer for Crispin as he escapes numerous times from the evil John Aycliffe. The character of Bear is quite interesting as you think his only purpose in life is to entertain others. You are quite surprised to find he is a spy navigating throughout the countryside of England to see if there is any public support for an uprising against the rule of the lords.
I enjoyed the ending of the book, even though it bode a violent end of the evil Aycliffe. Crispin becomes a brave and determined young man who saves his friend, Bear. You are left with the feeling that Crispin, with Bear's help, will become his own man and lead a much better life.
I have not read any other books by this author, Avi. I felt the story line was strong enough to be enjoyed by both adults and young readers. I would like to read more books by this author but I would hesitate to recommend this book to those readers who may not be mature enough yet for some of the content of the book. After reading this book I did think that children's literature has changed since I was a young reader. Topics and issues covered today seem more mature than the selections I had read as a young reader.