1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 2002. CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD. New York: Hyperion Book. ISBN 0786816589

2. PLOT
Set in the 13th century, this story is about a boy who has just lost his mother and has no other family to speak of. He is a poor servant boy that has nothing, not even a name. After accidentally coming upon the steward in a meeting, the boy finds himself being blamed for unspeakable crimes he did not commit. He is being tracked down and has been declared a wolf's head, which means is not human and may be killed my anyone. Before fleeing his town, he finds out that he does have a name and it is Crispin. Eventually, Crispin comes upon an abandoned town where he meets a jester. The jester makes him his servant and the two set off to go from town to town performing. After some time the two begin to bond. Eventually, Bear and Crispin learn the truth about why there are people after Crispin. As the secret son of Lord Furnival, he could make a claim to the land and take it away from the recently widowed Lady Furnival. Bear and Crispin work together to escape.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
As I was reading this book, I felt as though I had been plunged both to another place and another time. This novel helped me to understand what it was like to be a servant during these times. By giving this time period the face of a poor servant boy, I was able to make a connection because by the end of the story I really cared for him. There were parts in the story that were hard to understand because of the language, but the author helped with this by adding a glossary at the end. This really made a difference in how much I understood the story. This is such a different time period than what I have lived that without this glossary and the author's note I would probably have been very lost at parts. The plot was slow to start, but soon the action began and I could not put it down until it was over. This book made me want to find more historical novels and non-fiction from this time period.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly: "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."
From School Library Journal: "a meticulously crafted story, full of adventure, mystery, and action."

5. CONNECTIONS
Continue reading about Bear and Crispin's journeys in:
Avi. CRISPIN: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. ISBN 078685152X

Other books about the Middle Ages:
Schlitz, Laura Amy. GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE. ISBN 0763643327

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 0142403105

2. PLOT
This is a story of the Civil War from the perspective of the sisters, mothers, and lovers that are left behind. As it starts, Tilly lives with her mother, sister, and her twin brother Noah. There is speak of a war beginning and they can see in Noah's eyes that he is wanting to go. One day a boat comes to town carrying a mysterious lady, Delphine, and her companion. Tilly's mother offers her their place to board. Noah seems to have an attraction for Delphine and this seems to keep him away from the war for some time. Finally though, Noah decided that he must join the forces and go into battle. The thought of her son being away is too much for Mama, and she tells Tilly to go find her boy and not to return until he is with her. Once there, Delphine and Tilly see that these soldiers are not being cared for the way they should. They stay and help nurse all the sick soldiers until the day of battle. Although Noah comes back to them again, he is missing his arm and is in a bad way. They finally get him well enough to take home only to find out that Mama has gone into the river thinking her son is dead. Tilly, Noah, Delphine, and Dr. Hutchings create a bond through all of this hardship that lasts for a lifetime.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story about the civil war took a different approach and told the story from the sister's perspective. This really made the story interesting to me. Being a woman, I felt as though I was able to connect with the main character and made me see the differences in the way that women from that era and my era live their lives. The author explained that he decided to focus on one battle and therefore decided to make the story set in a town that is near there. My eyes were truly opened when it was shown how the soldiers were treated during this war. I was absolutely appalled and would like to learn more about how women helped with this.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal: "In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience"
From Booklist: "a riveting story that shows racism everywhere and young people facing war"

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books about the Civil War:
McPherson, James A. FIELDS OF FURY: THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. ISBN 0689848331
Murphy, Jim. THE BOYS' WAR: CONFEDERATE AND UNION SOLDIERS TALK ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR. ISBN 0395664128

1. BIBLIOGRPAHY
Lowry, Lois. 1989. NUMBER THE STARS. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0440227534

2. PLOT
This is the story of two best friends growing up together in Denmark during World War II. At the beginning of the novel the girls are running through the streets together without a care in the world, until they are stopped by the guards in the street and remember that things are not as they used to be. Annemarie's best friend Ellen is Jewish. One night, they are told that the soldiers are coming to take all of the Jewish people away and they must hide Ellen and her family. The girls must bravely pretend that they are sisters. Annemarie becomes a hero to her friend's family and the other Jewish families that they are helping to escape. As they are about to sneak the families across the sea to Sweden, Annemarie discovers that an important package that was suppose to be on the boat with them has fallen on the ground. In a race against time and in danger of being caught, she must deliver this package to ensure the safe escape of the Jewish families.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I was truly moved by this story. Children would easily be able to connect with the character in this story. The scene at the beginning of the book really shows that the children that endured these things were normal children at the beginning of the war. This story shows children that they are capable of bravery and making change just as much as adults are. This book was such an easy read with suspense, laughter, and was very emotional. I found the author's note to be one of the most interesting parts of the story. I had never known that these handkerchiefs were used. I really enjoyed how Lois Lowry pointed out exactly which things were taken from history and what was supplemented for the story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly: "tells of a 10-year-old girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to save her best friend"
From School Library Journal: "Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery"

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books about the Holocaust:
Zusak, Marcus. THE BOOK THIEF. ISBN 0375842209
Bitton-Jackson, Livia. I HAVE LIVED A THOUSAND YEARS: GROWING UP IN THE HOLOCAUST. ISBN 0689823959