Crispin: The Cross of Lead was published by Hyperion Books for Children in 2002 and won the Newbery Medal in 2003. Set in England in 1377, during the final year of Edward III’s reign, the novel follows a nameless peasant boy known only as “Asta’s son.” When his mother dies and the village steward declares him a wolf’s head — an outlaw who can be killed on sight — he flees with nothing but a lead cross his mother kept hidden. He falls in with Bear, an itinerant juggler and entertainer who is also secretly involved in John Ball’s revolutionary movement for peasant rights.
The cross of lead, when finally read, reveals the boy’s true name and parentage — Crispin — and the reasons why the local lord wants him dead. The novel’s power lies in the connection it draws between identity and freedom: Crispin’s journey is simultaneously a physical flight from danger and a psychological journey toward selfhood. To know your name is to claim your existence.
Collecting Crispin: The Cross of Lead
First edition (Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 2002): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $40–$100
- Very good: $15–$40
- Newbery Medal stickered copies: Slightly higher if sticker is original
Projected values (2026–2036): Strong appreciation. Newbery Medal winners hold value permanently.
Medieval Freedom
Set in 1377 England, Crispin follows a thirteen-year-old serf boy who discovers that he has been declared a “wolf’s head” — an outlaw whom anyone may kill on sight — after his mother’s death. Fleeing his village, he falls in with Bear, a giant juggler who is secretly involved in a plot against the feudal order. Avi uses the medieval setting to explore questions of identity, freedom, and the courage required to claim one’s humanity in a system designed to deny it. The Newbery committee recognised both the adventure and the depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Avi? Avi (born Edward Irving Wortis in 1937) is one of the most prolific and respected American children’s and young-adult authors. He has published over seventy books across nearly every genre — historical fiction, fantasy, mystery, adventure, and realistic fiction. He won the Newbery Medal for Crispin (2003) and received Newbery Honors for Nothing but the Truth and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.