Books like Crispin: The Cross of Lead

If you liked Crispin: The Cross of Lead, read The End of the Beginning, The Good Dog, or A Year Down Yonder — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: The End of the Beginning by Avi

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Looking for books like Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Juvenile Fiction · grades 3–7)? The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 3–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Crispin: The Cross of Lead

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Why each is a match

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The End of the Beginninggrades 4–8
Is by Avi, the same author, overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
The Good Doggrades 3–6
Is by Avi, the same author, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
A Year Down Yondergrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Criss Crossgrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
All the Blues in the Skygrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Caddie Woodlawn's Familygrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Carry On, Mr. Bowditchgrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Dicey's Songgrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Gay Neck, The Story of a Pigeon & Ghond The Huntergrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Ginger Pyegrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Crispin: The Cross of Lead for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

  • Hitty Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • It's Like This Cat by Emily Neville · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).

Books like Crispin: The Cross of Lead for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

  • Hitty Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • It's Like This Cat by Emily Neville · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
  • King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).

Common questions

What books are similar to Crispin: The Cross of Lead?
The 10 closest matches to Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi on ReadingList include The End of the Beginning, The Good Dog, A Year Down Yonder, Criss Cross, and All the Blues in the Sky. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Crispin: The Cross of Lead reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–7), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?
Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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