by Avi

“Asta’s son” is all he’s ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. When his mother dies this thirteen-year-old boy, who thought he had little to lose, soon finds himself with even less—no home, family, or possessions.  He is accused of a crime he did not commit and declared a “wolf’s head.” That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name—Crispin—and his mother’s cross of lead. His journey of escape takes him through the English countryside filled with new places, people, and above all, danger. Why are his enemies so determined to kill him?  And will the answer show Crispin the truth of who he really is?

This book is a Newberry Medal winner!