Module 3 – Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Summary
This story is set back in the middle ages where a 13-year-old boy, known only as Asta's Son, lives as a peasant in a small village. His village is part of the territory of the feudal Lord Furnival. As the lord has been away for years fighting in a war in France, the village has long been under the direct control of the steward, John Aycliffe. In the beginning of the story, his mother dies and Asta's Son is left alone as he has no other known relatives. Shortly afterwards, John Aycliffe falsely accuses him of theft, and declares him a Wolf's Head, one who may be killed on sight. Asta's Son turns to the village priest, his only friend, who gives to him a lead cross that belonged to his mother, and reveals that his true name is Crispin. Before he can learn anymore, the Priest is murdered and he is forced to flee north. He soon meets a man named Bear. Bear forces him once again to become a servant, but Bear feeds him and teaches him the way of the land. Bear teaches him much more than basic survival skills. He teaches him how to believe in himself. Once Crispin does this, they begin a lasting friendship. Bear learns first who Crispin really is, Lord Furnival’s son and heir to the throne. When Crispin learns this, he wants no part of this life and they agree to leave forever in exchange for their lives. Crispin leaves his cross which was engraved with the truth about who he really is and he Bear leave together to a new life of freedom and friendship.
My Impression
This book teaches children and young adults that they only need to believe in them selves, and see the true value that they have. It was refreshing to read a story that deals with issues that children constantly deal with no matter the time period is.
Library Setting
This would be a great book to use to teach different endings with. The students could write an alternate ending for this story and then practice peer editing skills before sharing the final draft with the class. An example of this could be, “Write an ending where young Crispin decides to stay. What would happen to Crispin? To Bear?”
Reviews
Newbery Medal/Honor 01/01/03
Wilson's Children 10/01/10
Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/03
1. Gr. 5-9. In his fiftieth book, (see interview on p.1609) Avi sets his story in fourteenth-century England and introduces some of his most unforgettable characters--a 13-year-old orphan, seemingly without a name, and a huge, odd juggler named Bear. At first, the boy is known as Asta's Son, but when his mother dies, he learns from a priest that his name is really Crispin. He also quickly comes to realize that he is in grave trouble. John Acliffe, the steward of the manor, reveals himself to be Crispin's mortal enemy and declares the boy a "wolf's-head,"which means he is anyone's prey. Clutching his only possession, a lead cross, Crispin flees his village into a vast new world of opportunity--and terror. At his lowest ebb, Crispin meets Bear and reluctantly swears an oath to be his servant. Yet Bear becomes much more than a master--he's Crispin's teacher, protector, and liberator. Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society.
(2002, May 15). Booklist [Review of the book Crispin: The Cross of Lead]. Volume 98 (18).Retrieved
from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=c5b78f301c74e3f587bd777e2f312827
2. A tale of one boy's coming into self-knowledge is set against a backdrop of increasing peasant unrest in 14th-century England. Crispin does not even know his own name until his mother dies; he and she have lived at the literal margin of their small town, serfs, and therefore beneath notice. Suddenly, he is framed for murder and has a bounty put on his head. Escaping, he encounters the mercurial itinerant juggler Bear, who takes him on as servant and friend, teaching him both performers' tricks and revolutionary ideology-which puts them both in danger. After a rather slow and overwritten start, Avi (The Good Dog, 2001, etc.) moves the plot along deftly, taking the two from a Black Death-devastated countryside into a city oozing with intrigue, from the aristocracy to the peasants. The setting bristles with 14th-century details: a decomposing body hangs at a roadside gallows and gutters overflow with filth. The characters are somewhat less well-developed; although the revolutionary and frequently profane Bear is a fascinating treasure, Crispin himself lurches along, progressing from milquetoast to restless rebel to boy of courage and conviction in fits and starts, driven by plot needs rather than organic character growth. The story is set in the years just prior to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and one of the secondary characters, the revolutionary priest John Ball, was a key historical figure. Most children will not know this, however, as there is no historical note to contextualize the story. This is a shame, as despite its flaws, this offering is nevertheless a solid adventure and could serve as the jumping-off point for an exploration into a time of great political upheaval. The title hints at a sequel; let us hope that it includes notes. (Fiction. 8-12)
(2002, May 15). Kirkus [Review of the book Crispin: The Cross of Lead]. Retrieved
from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=c5b78f301c74e3f587bd777e2f312827
3. Set in 14th-century England, Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as "Asta's son." Mired in grief for his mother, the boy learns his given name, Crispin, from the village priest, although his presumably dead father's identity remains obscure. The words etched on his mother's treasured lead cross may provide some clue, but the priest is murdered before he can tell the illiterate lad what they say. Worse, Crispin is fingered for the murder by the manor steward, who declares him a "wolf's head" wanted dead or alive, preferably dead. Crispin flees, and falls in with a traveling juggler. "I have no name," Crispin tells Bear, whose rough manners and appearance mask a tender heart. "No home, no kin, no place in this world." How the boy learns his true identity (he's the bastard son of the lord of the manor) and finds his place in the world makes for a rattling fine yarn. Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story. A page turner to delight Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel. Ages 8-12. (June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
(2002, June 3). Publishers Weekly [Review of the book Crispin: The Cross of Lead]. Retrieved
from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=c5b78f301c74e3f587bd777e2f312827
Module 3 – Goin’ Someplace Special
Mckissack P. (2002). Goin someplace special. New York: Hyperion Books. Fiction
Summary
Goin’ Somplace Special is about a young girl, named Trica Ann, who wants to go to the library by herself. It takes place during a time that African Americans and Caucasians were segregated. Her grandmother gives her permission to go and so she sets about on her journey across town. When she gets on the bus, she has to sit in the back. She can not sit on the park bench because it is designated for whites only, and when she is outside of a hotel, she accidentally gets swept inside the lobby with a mob of people. She is quickly ushered out because African Americans were supposed to enter through the back door. Though Tricia Ann started out on her journey strong and brave, she begins to loose confidence and starts to feel depressed about her journey. She almost gives up until she runs into a woman who shares with her that she should listen to her heart and know that it will be worth it in the end when she gets where she is going. The reader doesn’t initially know that this special place is the library. When Tricia Ann makes it there, she is instantly proud and thankful that she didn’t give up because the library is a place where everyone is treated equal.
My Impression
I think this story gives hope to anyone of any race, gender, or religion. It speaks in all languages as it speaks to the reader's heart. We shouldn't give up on what we believe in.
Library Setting
This book would be great to teach about the history of segregation and about the strong leaders during that time, such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for equality and fairness. It is also wonderful message for the students to learn that the library was and still is a place where everyone is free to dream and believe in themselves.
Coretta Scott King Award/Honor 01/01/02
Reviews
1. Ages 5-8. Tricia Ann excitedly gets her grandmother's permission to go out by herself to "Someplace Special"--a place far enough away to take the bus and to have to walk a bit. But this isn't just any trip. Tricia's trip takes place in the segregated South of the 1950s. That means Tricia faces sitting at the back of the bus, not being allowed to sit on a whites-only park bench, and being escorted out of a hotel lobby. She almost gives up, but a local woman who some say is "addled,"but whom Tricia Ann knows to be gentle and wise, shows her how to listen to the voice inside herself that allows her to go on. She arrives at her special destination--the public library, whose sign reads "All Are Welcome."Pinkney's watercolor paintings are lush and sprawling as they evoke southern city streets and sidewalks as well as Tricia Ann's inner glow. In an author's note, McKissack lays out the autobiographical roots of the story and what she faced as a child growing up in Nashville. This book carries a strong message of pride and self-confidence as well as a pointed history lesson. It is also a beautiful tribute to the libraries that were ahead of their time.
(2001, August). Booklist [Review of the book Goin’ Someplace Special]. Volume 97 (22). Retrieved
from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=b80cf2ede076bbd8cb392d70e7da0d0b
2. This is the story of a child facing a difficult time sustained by the support of the adults in her life. Going alone for the first time, 'Tricia Ann is off to Someplace Special--the public library where "All Are Welcome." The journey isn't easy: she must face the indignities of life in the Jim Crow South. The text and art strike just the right balance: informative without being preachy; hopeful without being sentimental.
(2002, Spring). Horn Book [Review of the book Goin’ Someplace Special]. Retrieved
from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=b80cf2ede076bbd8cb392d70e7da0d0b
3. In a story that will endear itself to children's librarians and, for that matter, all library lovers, 'Tricia Ann begs her grandmother to be allowed to go alone to Someplace Special. Mama Frances acquiesces, sending her off with instructions: " 'And no matter what, hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody.' " 'Tricia Ann's special place is not revealed until the end, but on the way there, the humiliating racism she encounters on the city bus, in the park, and in a downtown hotel almost causes her to give up. " 'Getting to Someplace Special isn't worth it,' she sobbed." When she recalls her grandmother's words: " 'You are somebody, a human being-no better, no worse than anybody else in this world,' " she regains the determination to continue her journey, in spite of blatant segregation and harsh Jim Crow laws. " Public Library: All Are Welcome" reads the sign above the front door of Someplace Special; Mama Frances calls it "a doorway to freedom." Every plot element contributes to the theme, leaving McKissack's autobiographical work open to charges of didacticism. But no one can argue with its main themes: segregation is bad, learning and libraries are good. Pinkney's trademark watercolors teem with realistically drawn people, lush city scenes, and a spunky main character whose turquoise dress, enlivened with yellow flowers and trim, jumps out of every picture. A lengthy author's endnote fills in the background for adults on McKissack's childhood experiences with the Nashville Public Library. This library quietly integrated all of its facilities in the late 1950s, and provided her with the story's inspiration. A natural for group sharing; leave plenty of time for the questions and discussion that are sure to follow. "(Picture book. 5-9)"
(2001, September 15). Kirkus [Review of the book Goin’ Someplace Special]. Retrieved
from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=b80cf2ede076bbd8cb392d70e7da0d0b
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