The people in this book are fourteen years old, and there is romance, but it’s mostly the kind of romance where one person looks at another person and that person looks at the first person, but their looks miss each other, maybe only by a second, and they don’t connect. There is a a scene in the Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train where the wacko guy does this with his hands and says, “Criss Cross.” He’s talking about something else (murder) but I’m talking about those just-missed opportunities to connect. This might sound discouraging, but I think it’s actually encouraging to know that we came pretty close, and if we keep trying, we’ll get it right.
The book begins with this line from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream:
“What thou seest when thou dost wake, do it for thy true love take.”
I have a theory that there are moments in our lives when we are waking up, and whatever or whoever we encounter at those moments becomes important to us. It’s more about who we are right then than what we see.
Maybe we see a guitar.
Maybe a motorcycle.
Maybe a person.
Maybe it’s the wrong person.
How does anyone know?
Mistakes have to be made.
Maybe a lot of mistakes.
The characters who live in this book are at one of the major theory-forming times of life, and they are forming theories about everything from why there are so many black plastic combs lying on the ground to what Albert Einstein would have done if he were born an Eskimo. (Amazing things with blubber and ice.)
They are also saving lives (Debbie), writing songs (Hector), and working up the courage to say, “Hello” (everyone).
I read somewhere that one of the rules of writing romantic teen fiction is that there has to be a prom at the end, or a prom equivalent. This is the kind where that doesn’t happen. Well, there is that one time, with Debbie and Peter, but does it count? And will it ever happen again? And what are you supposed to do in the meantime?
If there is anyone out there who has ever wondered about things like this, I want to tell them that it’s okay. Or as Hector says in what might be his best song, even though he hasn’t written the verses yet:
and it’s fine, totally fine, totally fine all of the time.
Discussion Questions and Activities
are available on the “extras” page.
From reviews of Criss Cross:
“Perkins writes with subtle, wry humor about perceptive moments that will speak directly to readers. Best of all are the understated moments, often private and piercing in their authenticity, that capture intelligent, likable teens searching for signs of who they are, and who they’ll become.”
–ALA Booklist (starred review)
“Like a lazy summer day, the novel induces that exhilarating feeling that one has all the time in the world.”
—The Horn Book (starred review)
“Brilliantly captures the adolescent-level Zen that thoughtful kids bring to their assessment of the world.”
— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“There is a great deal of humor in this gentle story about a group of childhood friends facing the crossroads of life…Young teens will certainly relate.”
—School Library Journal (starred review)
“The writing sparkles with inventive, often dazzling metaphors. A tenderly existential work that will reward more thoughtful readers in this age of the ubiquitous action saga.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Quirky, delightful novel.”
–KLIATT (starred review)
45 Comments
Post a commentI have a question; the pictures in your book have a lot of detail,so I wondered if you drew them the size they are in the book or did you drew them sort of large and then made them smaller to fit in the book?
Hi, Magda — good question. Some of the simpler ones were drawn close to actual size, but the more complex drawings were definitely bigger, then reduced to the size they needed to be in the book. They’re drawn with a “crowquill” pen (Not really a crow quill, it’s made of metal) that is dipped in a bottle of ink. I like the line quality it gives.
Thank you for the answer. I really like your drawing style
what is the theme of this book because i have no idea what it is.it is quite confusing
If you read the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and the last two sentences of this page, that should cover it. Hope your confused state is a temporary malady.
Dear Lynne Rae,
Like you, I find it impossible to choose one book as my absolute favorite. However, I wanted you to know that this book comes very, very close to it. I have been reading and re-reading this book over the course of almost five years now, and every time I find new insights and gain fresh inspirations. I was fourteen when I first read this book, but even four years later every aspect of the story and the characters still resonates with me the same way. I love the way your words sound. They make so much sense to my eyes, my brain, and my heart. Also, your illustrations are simple, yet touching – spot-on. A young artist, writer, illustrator, dreamer, and thinker myself, I’m not kidding when I say I would love to be you (or at least to be able to do what you do). As I embark on my journey to art school and beyond, I have so much to think about, so much to work towards, so much to hope for. It is partially due to this amazing book of yours that a younger me was inspired to pursue her dreams, and the present me is very grateful. I have no doubt that the future me will be, too.
(Sorry for the gushiness of this comment… It’s just that I’ve been wishing I could tell you this somehow for a long time and I only just recently discovered this website. I see that you check it and reply to comments frequently, so I thought it was worth a shot!)
Happy holidays to you and your family. I wish EVERYONE the best in the coming year!
Love,
Kate (17 from California)
Hi, Kate,
thank you so much for writing — your note is making me very happy this evening. I wish you the best of luck in art school, and in everything. Keep me posted!
Hi, I am currently reading this book at fourteen years old. I’d just like to comment on how good it is so far! I’m on chapter 16! I can’t wait to finish it. Thanks for sharing your creative talents with the world. ❤
P.s.
I know how to play piano, so I played and sang along to the little phrase Hector wrote.
Now I can't get it out of my head!
As I'm typing this, my brother is singing it..(:
thanks, both for reading Criss Cross and for singing the song! It seemed like such a great song to me at the time (I still like it), I couldn’t believe someone didn’t snap it up. One guy did sing a version, at a bookstore in Minneapolis.
Hi Lynne,
This book hit very close to home for me and I wanted to thank you so much for writing it. I have re-read it hundreds of times and have it memorized. I loved this book and it’s sequel just as much! You have become one of my favorite authors, and I am a huge fan! I love the drawings in the book, I’m in art class and I love how they are somehow detailed yet simplistic. Anyways, best of luck!
Thanks,
Hannah
Hi, Hannah — this is so great to hear, thank you! (hundreds??) I’m so glad you wrote. Best of luck to you, too — keep drawing.(or something.)
Hi Lynne,
I am a big fan of your work and I just reading the first book
Hi, Valerie,
thanks! I need all the big fans I can get!
Hi Lynne,
I just finished reading your book criss cross and loved it! I was assigned a video project in english. we have to re-create a scene from our book, for me criss cross. The passage muse be of importance to the plot of the novel. I was wondering what scene you think I should recreate. I was thinking Chapter 26, when Debbie and Peter take their bus trip. I think it has importance to the plot according to the description on your webside. I’d like your input. Keep doing what you’re doing! I enjoy reading them.
G
I would love to see a video of this scene. Can you send me a link when you finish?
Sure! I actually was talking to my teacher and decided to switch scenes to when Debbie and Patty are talking. It’s the Brilliant Eskimo Thoughts chapter. I was having trouble finding a guy willing to act at Peter, but i have tons of girlfriends who said they’d help me out!
All I can say is “whoa”… Or is it “wo”. I just finished reading Criss Cross only so I could be able to discuss it with my 11-year old sister after she reads it this summer. This was a great book and I am so happy that I got a chance to read it, even as a 22-year old. I’m excited to see what my sister thinks as well, but I just know she will love it as much as me.
I loved the different styles of writing throughout the book. I can’t wait to share this novel with the 5th graders I will be with student teaching in the fall!
Thanks for writing, Jackie. Makes me really happy to hear. I am curious to hear what your sister/fifth graders think — I know fifth graders read it, but that always seems young to me. Keep me posted!
Do you have a special place you like to write??
Hi, Miranda — right next to a cup of good coffee is a good place.
Thanks for responding! Funny! Do you have any interesting routines you do while writing?
Do you have any pictures of the charters in the book ?
I’m thinking. There are lots of pics. There are pics of bits of the characters. Some whole characters.
You mean pictures of the actual charters from the book Criss cross and if yes can I see them please?
They are imagined characters. But there are bits of pics of them, as I imagine them, in the book. Take a look!
Alright thank you !!!
Im having trouble finding the mood and tone of this book . I’ve read the book and btw I loved it! But I have to do a book report and I can’t really figure out the tone of the book.
hi, Brianna —
I guess what I would say is, imagine someone you’ve just met telling you the stories in the book, in conversation. Afterwards, ask yourself, what kind of person would tell those stories, in that way? A cynical person? A kind person? A quiet or a chatty person? Someone with or without a sense of humor? Stuff like that. Your idea of what the mood or tone is, is as valid as anyone’s. Hope that helps!
Thank you , that did help me. I just wanted to say that I really like this book and I’m hoping to read “all alone in the universe” as well. Thank you
Hi Ms. Perkins,
I first read this book in eighth grade, when I got it for my birthday. Since then, I’ve read it multiple times and chosen it for my mother-daughter book club. It has quickly skyrocketed to one of my favorite books. I’ve read several reviews that say nothing happens during the story, but that’s precisely what I love about it. Because in most of our lives, we don’t have much happening either. Thank you for putting so many of my thoughts into words. I am a freshmen now, and am experiencing a lot of the same fears and desires that Debbie, Hector, and the rest of the kids are. Whenever I come across a book that speaks to my heart as this one does, I feel a little more connected with the rest of the world. Thank you so much for this wonderful story. I am hoping to read All Alone in the Universe soon, too.
Thanks, Sara, and thank you so much for writing. I knew when I wrote Criss Cross that it wasn’t a book for everyone, and I love hearing about it when it finds the right person. Best thoughts and wishes to you!
Thank you so much for replying! This has made me inordinately happy.
Dear Ms. Perkins,
When I was around 11 years old I read Criss Cross for the first time and loved it (I also read Alone in the Universe and loved it as well, as I found myself able to relate to it at the time). Criss Cross definitely stuck with me and I considered it one of my favorite books. Years went by with the book sitting on my shelf and I still remembered loving it, even though I hadn’t read it for a while. Once during an interview I was asked what piece of art or literature had influenced my life, and I said Criss Cross, even though I couldn’t think exactly why I felt it had. I am now 19 and experiencing many changes in my life, and in a state of nostalgia and in an introspective mood I decided to pick Criss Cross off my shelf and re-read it. And I still absolutely love it! I can now see why it had influenced my life: I feel like it’s a book that anyone can relate to at any age, because we are always trying to figure out who we are and where we fit in the world and the grand scheme of things. I love the wry sense of humor, which pairs well with the deep thoughts of the characters, and just watching these characters go through a summer figuring out who they are is refreshing and enlightening. It makes me appreciate the beauty of life just a little bit more, and reminds me that “it’s fine, totally fine, totally fine all of the time.” Thank you for sharing such an amazing piece of literature with the world. 🙂
dear Sara,
Thank you so much for writing. Your letter makes me inarticulately happy. I think books are good for having those kinds of conversations that don’t always fit in to everyday life, even though they’re about everyday life. I know that’s one of the things I find in them. I love finding a book that speaks to me, and I love hearing that one of mine speaks to someone else, in this case, you. Best!
Dear Mrs. Perkins,
I was having a hard time choosing a book to write a book report on when I stumbled upon your book. I have to say it is the BEST book I have ever read!!!!! Because of you I got an A+ on my book report, not only that my teacher and fellow classmates were interested in the book. Because of you we started a book club and the first book we read was yours truly ” Criss Cross”. Thank you so much for bringing inspiring literature into my heart💖 and many others as well. Hope to hear from you soon!!
Hi, Valerie,
Thank you so much for writing. And thank you for sharing Criss Cross with your teacher and friends. It makes me really happy to hear that you enjoyed it.
I’m in a book club, too. I’ve been in mine for . . . fifteen years? Something like that. I love it. One of my favorite things about it is that it gets me to read books I might not have even heard of otherwise. My other two favorite things are the people who are in it, and that we eat really good food. I hope you are including snacks in your book group. “Hi” to everyone!
Dear ms. perkins-
I am 17 about to leave for university all the way across the United States and I cannot express how much your book means to me. I’m going to be an english major, and out of all the books I’ve ever read, Criss Cross still continues to connect with my heart the most. My mom first bought this book for me when I was in third or second grade, and when I read it, I didn’t quite understand it fully and put it aside (mostly just remembering Hectors song).. But since then I’ve been drawn to reading it every two or three years or so, and every time I understand it on a deeper and more meaningful level. I really appreciate the universality but special specificity in your book and despite all the changes I’ve been through, I can see my own middle school self just looking back at me as I read Criss cross. Sorry if this is a little corny, but I just have to say thank you for writing this novel that has stuck with me. I’m sure I’ll continue to return to Criss Cross throughout my life as I continue to figure out who I am. Thank you!!!!!
Kate: thank you so much! Not corny, not at all!
thank you sooo much for writing this book it is amazing
❤
what does debbie look like? Does she have blonde hair? Brown eyes? Frizzy hair? Curly? A round face like hector? I’m just confused because the book doesn’t show much detail. Also, for the tone mood and atmosphere, I feel like there really isn’t an answer because the narrator is omniscient to there is not much emotion. I am confused on what the tone mood and atmosphere is. I have a book report and I am really confused on these things, so would really appreciate it you would respond. Also I really like criss cross🙂
There are a handful of drawings of Debbie right in the book. Take a look!
now I know debbie is blonde, thanks! But pn the cover, she has brown and frizzy hair. Why is that?
The jacket of the hardcover? Maybe because it’s night time???
oh ok, thank you for clearing it up! I don’t know what blonde hair looks in the nighttime so thank you!