A recently released adventure story from C. R. Stewart, Britfield & the Lost Crown is a “grab-you-by-the-collar-and-not-let-go” story from the start. Published by Devonfield Publishing, this 383-page softback book is a story that can’t be put down.
Featuring two orphans as your main characters, Tom and Sarah are just two of the orphans stuck at Weatherly Orphanage. The folks who run the orphanage, Mr. and Mrs. Grievous, have several rough characters who help them keep things under control. The orphans should be clothed and cared for according to the agreement of the Grievous’ with the government but the Grievous’ are greedy, keeping the money for themselves. Being worked from sun up to sun down and punished in unbelievable ways, the orphans do what they can to bring a small ray of sunshine to their world. They steal books from the Grievous’ and sneak extra tidbits of food.
Escaping from the orphanage, Tom and Sarah are on the run, refusing to return. Before he leaves, one of the other orphans snuck into Tom’s file and found a single, strange piece of paper. The one word on the paper just might be what could help Tom find out more about his family. Britfield. What did it mean? Not knowing, Tom and Sarah set off to find out. But they are being chased.
Stumbling across a hot air balloon, they jump in and are able to escape. But they are followed by Detective Gowerstone, who has all the help he could possibly need from Scotland Yard. From one adventure to another, trying to get to London, Tom and Sarah are helped by one fabulous new friend and than another. From paying for fuel for the balloon to calling on friends to help them out, the two strive to get away from the detective and find out the truth about Tom’s family.
What they find is surprising – the name Britfield, the one found in Tom’s file, is the name of a royal family that disappeared. From the fields of Yorkshire to The Midlands, from Oxford to London, the adventures of Tom and Sarah will be a story everyone will enjoy.
Britfield & the Lost Crown Website
A website that has hundreds of pictures, maps and history will grab the attention of the reader and enhance the adventure. Visit https://www.britfield.com/locations/weatherly/ to start the adventure and find out more about where the story begins. You can read about the history of this section of England and see beautiful pictures of the area. The map helps the reader get an idea about the travels Tom and Sarah go through in their escape. It also helps the reader to understand more about England itself.
Finding out more about Yorkshire, The Midlands, Oxford, Windsor, Richmond, London, and Canterbury is just another way to really deepen the experience of the story. Hours could be spent on the site.
Britfield & the Lost Crown study guide
We were given access to an 83-page study guide to go along with the book, creating an 8-week literature study. The study guide gives a synopsis of the book and then dives right into the chapter by chapter section. Each chapter section includes vocabulary and discussion questions. Vocabulary could be a simple fill in the blank or a crossword puzzle. Discussion questions ask the student to consider the events of the story. There is a Going Deeper section that asks the student to put himself in some of the situations, such as asking them if they would volunteer to go get a book or what they would do if they discovered they might be the king/queen? The final section is Learn More With Technology. This section asks the student to use the computer to look up and research topics. It might be locating a street map of London and marking places or it might be visiting a site to read more about the royal family or important places.
Learning about some of the history of England and thinking about how to put yourself in the situations, builds understanding and empathy. The study guide can take the book up a few notches from a really exciting book to a study that brings depth and interest.
Our Thoughts
We have been enjoying Britfield & the Lost Crown as a family read-aloud during our joint learning time. It is a fun story that we are all getting into. The cliff-hanger chapter endings are lots of fun. When I stop, I get all the expected groans of a really good story that you just want to keep reading and reading. In fact, I read it in one sitting. It is long so do not expect your students to be able to do that but I chose to stay up late and read because it was such a gripping story.
I read it on my own first and felt like there was nothing to be concerned about for my girls. Do be aware that there are plenty of moments of intense danger (escaping situations, the dog, being up in the balloon and not knowing how to use it or land it, etc.) and that the characters are disobeying authority. You may want to preread the book to be sure it is a good fit for your family. But for our family, it is a joy to read.
There is also an ebook version and an Audible audiobook version available. Several on the Homeschool Review Crew were sent the audiobook or the ebook and have written a reviews. Be sure to read through the reviews on the Crew page to find out what they thought. I am considering getting the audiobook version of it for our family to use at other times, as well. It is THAT wonderful of a story.
Blessings,
Lori, At Home.
Be sure to read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew. Some of us received the softback book, some received the ebook, and some received the audiobook. Click on the banner below to read more of the reviews.
At Home 
sounds like a book I would enjoy reading! 🙂
I do think you would.
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[…] & The Return of the Prince is the 3rd in the series by C. R. Stewart. You can find reviews of Britfield & The Lost Crown and Britfield & The Rise of the Lion on the blog. This is the continuation of the story of Tom, […]