Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Another nursing Newbery read, and I liked this one way more than I expected to. When I started it and realized it was set in the Middle Ages and the main character was this peasant/serf boy, I really didn't want to read it. I guess I thought it might be like The Midwife's Apprentice, which wasn't my favorite book by any means. Plus, the Middle Ages is just a depressing time. But this book had a lot more adventure and excitement in it than I expected, and I found myself dreaming about it last night, so I definitely got more out of it than I thought I would. I wouldn't say I loved the characters--Crispin never seemed to have any personality--but I thought the plot was fun and exciting and I was able to understand a little more of medieval culture just from seeing how entrenched the religion was in these characters and the way things were for them, so it was worth the read.