Newbery Award Book Crispin

Crispin The Cross of Lead by Avi is the second Newbery book I chose to read. The book opens with the burial of a young boy's mother being buried in a paupers grave. The setting is fourteenth-century England. Asta's son, as the boy knows himself, is confronted almost immediately by stewart of the manor John Aycliffe who demands that Asta's son bring their ox to him for the burial tax. Asta's son is so distraught over this because the ox is the only way he has to make money. Fully distressed by this news he runs deep into the forest where he inadvertently hears John Aycliffe and another well dressed stranger talking about an upcoming event that will bring consequences to Aycliffe as well as the stranger. Aycliffe sees Asta's son and begins to chase him with the intent to kill him. Asta's son escapes but events unfold the next day where he becomes a wolfs head meaning to be killed on site. He goes to the local priest for help where the priest reveals that his real name is Crispin. He also discovers his mother could read and write and his father, whom he thought dead, was alive. The priest tells Crispin he must leave the village and go to a larger city. Crispin barely gets away from the village and as he leaves he finds the dead body of the priest. Crispin meets up with a juggler named Bear. Their journey through the English countryside is puzzling and terrifying. In the end of the book Crispin must become a strong independent person to save himself and Bear.
I loved this book as much for the time period as the adventure. Avi has created a wonderful character in Crispin and I look forward to other books on this interesting boy.