Cover of Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

by Avi

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

On reading-award lists:Newbery Medal

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi is assigned in US schools at grades 3–7. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Crispin: The Cross of Lead is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 3–7
Pages
324
Reading time
about 5h 55m (est.)
First published
2002
Genre
Juvenile Fiction
ISBN-13
9781423140719

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Newbery Medal?

More formats & details

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About this book

A fourteenth-century English peasant boy is falsely accused of murder in this Newberry Medal-winning, New York Times –bestselling mystery adventure. "A page turner to delight Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel." — Publishers Weekly Sometimes I ran, sometimes all I could do was walk. All I knew was that if the steward overtook me, I'd not survive for long. . . . Crispin is a poor thirteen-year-old peasant in medieval England. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head," meaning he may be killed on sight, by anyone. He flees his tiny village with nothing but his mother's cross of lead. In the English countryside, Crispin meets a man named Bear, who forces Crispin to become his servant yet encourages him to think for himself. But as Crispin's

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Why widely assigned

This Juvenile Fiction title, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 2000s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Crispin: The Cross of Lead?
Crispin: The Cross of Lead is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Crispin: The Cross of Lead?
It takes about 5h 55m to read Crispin: The Cross of Lead (324 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 355 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Crispin: The Cross of Lead?
Crispin: The Cross of Lead appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Crispin: The Cross of Lead banned in schools?
Crispin: The Cross of Lead does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner.

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