Britfield & The Lost Crown {An Adventure Book Review}

As homeschoolers, we have an insatiable thirst for books. Our home is littered with more books than we have shelves for, yet I rarely turn down a new one. There’s just something about opening the cover, turning the pages and diving into a story. Fiction, non-fiction, picture book or chapter book – it doesn’t matter. Each book is an opportunity to learn about characters, locations, and even yourself as you journey through the pages. And our latest book, Britfield & the Lost Crown, has been no different. Even though this was a review, this book captured the hearts and minds of us all with it’s adventure and twists.

A Quick Synopsis

Britfield & the Lost Crown is the first novel in what aims to be a series of five. In this first installment, you meet Tom and Sarah, orphans who are living in Weatherly, a 16th Century castle turned orphanage in England. The orphanage is run by Mr. and Mrs. Grievous. Speckle is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the orphanage and along with Brewster and Sludge, it runs more like a labor camp. Food is restricted to one meal per day and the children spend their days working in The Factory. And while the Greivouses receive adequate funding from the government for things like heat, clothing, food, and schooling, all of these items are severely limited.

Yet all of the orphans have a bond that is stronger than their despair. These children who have no one, cling to one another and are fiercely protective.

“If I go, you go. That’s our deal, remember?”

Britfield & The Lost Crown, Page 35

One day, Tom, number 47, learns that his parents may not be deceased. This information comes from Mr. Greivous himself, yet Tom is torn. In order to receive the rest of the information about his family, he must rat out the rest of the orphans. The owners are aware that the kids are sneaking out at night, smuggling items such as pencils and fruit in, and communicating with one another – and they want to know how this is happening. Tom is torn between finding the family he longs to know, and protecting the only family he has known for the last six years. Along with his best friend in the orphanage, Sarah, he and Sarah embark on a quest across the British country-side with many hoping for their capture and failure.

Getting The Kids Reading

While one could easily sit down and read Britfield & the Lost Crown simply for fun (which we did), you can also dig so much deeper. This soft-cover chapter book is considered juvenile fiction and for this review, I read it along with my 14-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son.

As my son often does with a new book, he questioned this novel. It was new and he didn’t really have any immediate interest. However, as I typically do in this situation, we began reading the book together. This low-pressure approach allows me to get him interested in a story without demanding he read.

And as I figured, just a few chapters in and tired of reading aloud, he commenced reading himself.

My daughter was also a little unsure. She’s at that age where if a book might good for her little brother she’s unsure if it will be interesting for her. And while Britfield & the Lost Crown didn’t exactly draw her in from page one, she did find that as the story progressed and the characters were developed she too was invested in the story of two orphans and their daring escape across the British countryside.

Not Just For Fun Though

As a homeschooler who more and more wants to teach my kids from a place of literature, I was quickly drawn to the various aspects of Britfield & the Lost Crown. One of the first things I noticed was the level of advanced vocabulary seamlessly woven into the paragraphs. Far too often, newer books tend to simply used drummed down words and sentences, but this one does not shy away from both complex words and complex sentences.

And as my son often does, he would stop the story to inquire about the words he was unfamiliar with. Sometimes we would look them up but other times we reread passages to look for context clues that would help us to surmise the meaning of a new word.

Additionally, history, culture, and social aspects are all within the story. Historical castles, figures, and locations throughout both England and Great Britain are used both as the various settings and mentioned in the text. Often we found ourselves researching figures like Mary, Queen of Scots, hot air balloons, Scotland Yard, Oxford University, and even Windsor Castle. Rich with history, each of these detours in reading lends themselves to opportunities for learning that were driven simply by natural curiosity.

The Study Guide

Now where this review occurred over the summer I opted to forgo the study guide. However, this resource is perfect if you are looking to include Britfield & the Lost Crown in your homeschool program. At 83-pages, this printable document includes vocabulary work, comprehension questions, and going deeper questions to really get your kids thinking about the complexities of the story and what they might do themselves if faced with a similar situation.

Designed to be completed in 8 weeks, this is a wonderful companion to the story. One of my favorite features of the study guide are the “Going Deeper With Technology” sections. Here, readers are encouraged to research authors mentioned within the text, learn more about England and the towns mentioned in the story, and even exploring the complexities of the British ruling monarch.

In fact, by combining the novel, the study guide, and your own personal interests, you could easily develop an in-depth unit study using Britfield & the Lost Crown.

The End Is Just The Beginning For This Adventure Book Series

Throughout the 383 pages of Britfield & the Lost Crown, readers will eagerly turn each and every page, devouring chapter after chapter filled with excitement and adventure, twists and turns. Unlikely allies, enemies who become friends, and plot lines keep characters and readers alike as Tom and Sarah work to solve the mystery of his family.

Armed with a single clue, and a determination that cannot be thwarted, these two 12-year-olds are quick-witted right up until the last page. And while the story ends nicely, it also leaves enough unanswered questions for readers to contemplate while they await the 2nd novel in the Britfield adventure series, Britfield & The Rise of The Lion in 2020.

You can read additional reviews here!