BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN {Review & Giveaway}

If you’re looking for a fast-paced adventure novel for your middle-grade students, then catch a ride with the orphans in BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN, written by C.R. Stewart.

“The first in a series, Britfield intends to educate as well as entertain readers by weaving geography, literature, architecture and history into the plot. Children will not only embrace the action-packed chapters, but will enjoy the authenticity of a story with real locations and realistic events: no one flies, has magical powers or has a thirst for blood.”

-Devonfield Publishing

BRITFIELD has already garnered numerous awards including the prestigious:

• GOLD MEDAL PARENTS CHOICE AWARD,
• GOLD MEDAL CHILDREN’S LITERARY CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS – MIDDLE GRADE CHAPTER BOOK
• MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS BEST IN FAMILY FRIENDLY MEDIA

I’ve written many book reviews, but this is my first review of a middle-grade novel. Wow, what an exciting way to dive in! You can jump in too, with the giveaway. More details about that will be given later. First, let’s learn about who wrote BRITFIELD.

BRITFIELD’S Author

Chad Robert Stewart has one of the most diverse author bios I’ve ever read. He’s worked as a global strategist, marketing consultant, creativity specialist (film and media production), financial analyst, and a multi-award-winning author. He’s had over twenty years of experience writing fiction, nonfiction, and movie screenplays.

Stewart has earned at least three degrees, one of which is a B.A. in British Literature and European History from Brown University. Originally from California, he has traveled extensively to England, even residing there for over a year.

His love for England is apparent throughout the 383 pages of this book. As readers travel through Yorkshire, London, and Dover they learn intriguing tidbits about the country’s history, culture, and geography.

Stewart presents realistic details throughout the book, but not in a cumbersome manner. There’s just enough to help readers envision the scenery as they gallop through the story.

What or Who is Britfield?

That is the mystery two runaway orphans are trying to figure out after they escape from the horrendous Weatherly Orphanage.

Although the orphanage gives readers the impression the story is set in medieval times, it is actually a contemporary mystery adventure. The Weatherly administrators have suppressed current technology from most of its orphans so they can run a lucrative illegal business. The orphans lack many things–adequate food, clothing, education, and experiences outside the walls of Weatherly.

The main characters, Tom and Sarah, both age twelve, decide to escape. They head to London armed only with one word swiped from Tom’s tightly guarded file: Britfield.

Readers will rally behind the efforts of Tom and Sarah’s escape. They’ll laugh at the shenanigans of the other orphans who create distractions so their friends might reach freedom.

As they journey from place to place, the knowledge Tom and Sarah acquire makes them wonder if Tom is a Britfield and possibly the rightful heir to the throne!

One Adventure After Another

After escaping from the orphanage, Tom and Sarah jump into a hot-air balloon to escape a pack of people who are in rapid pursuit—the orphanage administrators, a famous Scotland Yard detective, and several mysterious others.

It’s one exciting adventure after another, each one ending with a close call to captivity. Not everything is as it seems. Tom and Sarah are astonished by who they can trust and who they cannot.

In the end, they are met with several shocking surprises. This first book in the series wraps up fairly well with some satisfying endings. However, Tom and Sarah’s story is not finished. The next book in the series will explore their continuing adventures in search of Tom’s relation to “Britfield.” And the stakes will continue to intensify.

BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN Extras

In the front of the book, the author has provided five detailed maps of the major cities Tom and Sarah visit. These are helpful. However, the extras you do not want to miss are located on the Britfield website. There, readers can view colorful photos of the actual places in England that are mentioned in the book.

Also, another feature I love is the free download of a BRITFIELD study guide. Eighty-three glorious pages of vocabulary and reading comprehension exercises. These may be in the form of research, puzzles, art projects, and more.

Going Deeper

Also, there are “Going Deeper” questions such as this one for chapter one:

“When you are having a hard time in your life, what do you do to feel better? Who do you turn to for help?”

Learning More with Technology

Then, there is “Learning More with Technology.” An example of this from chapter one is:

“Choose one of the authors mentioned in Chapters 1 & 2 (listed below). Do an online search for the author’s name. Write down the year the author was born, where the author lived, and two important facts about his/ her life. Then list two important books written by that author."
Geoffrey Chaucer    William Shakespeare
Jane Austen     George Eliot 
Charles Dickens     Thomas Hardy
C.S. Lewis     Alexandre Dumas

Another example from chapter five is:

“Government-run “orphanages” no longer operate in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or in the European Union. Using the internet, find out when these countries closed their orphanages, why they were closed, and what replaced them. Name at least three countries in the world where orphanages still exist.”

Elements of Story & Answer Key

The study guide ends with instruction on the elements of a story. Activities are offered to help students develop their writing skills. And finally, an answer key is provided for the entire study guide.

Thoughts and Recommendation

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

It’s easy to understand why BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN has won so many awards. I’m an adult and I had a hard time putting this middle-grade novel down.

I would have loved this kind of book when I was a middle-school student. So often, I stopped reading books because large chunks of description and unnecessary information choked the story. BRITFIELD doesn’t do that. Stewart expertly keeps the story in the limelight while sprinkling a savory amount of details.

In my opinion, the only shortcoming was an unsatisfying reveal for a character named Speckle. To me, it didn’t seem believable for his character. But, I’m wondering if the author may flesh this out in a future book. Regardless, it was a captivating book and I look forward to the next one in the series.

One exceptional quality I found about this exciting book is the wholesomeness of it. Not as in a goody-two-shoes kind of way. There are some “bad guys.” Even Tom and Sarah make mistakes. Yet, this book does not contain foul language, coarse joking, or material too mature for kids. I think many readers will liken it to the first breath taken after successfully escaping the dungeon of a horrendous orphanage.

I highly recommend this adventure book for students ages 9 – 14. It’ll even grab the attention of older reluctant readers. The print size seems to be a bit larger which makes it a little easier on the eyes.

BRITFIELD would make a great family read-aloud. And, a great movie—which by the way, is in development now.

BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN Giveaway

Now, for the giveaway! Devonfield Publishing kindly sent me two copies of BRITFIELD & the LOST CROWN. One for me to review and one to offer as a giveaway. Woo hoo! Thank you, Devonfield.

Would you like to win this book? You can get your name in the drawing twice.

Your name will go in once if you leave a comment below. And it’ll go in again if you are subscribed to this blog’s email list.

If you decide to sign up for the free blog updates, I promise to protect your privacy and your time. You’ll only receive one email a week with the latest blog post. Plus, you can unsubscribe at any time.

So, how about it? Would you like to get your name in the drawing for a free copy of BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN?

As always, I pay all shipping costs. The drawing will take place on November 27, 2020.

CONGRATULATIONS to Jane F.! Your name was randomly drawn as the winner of BRITFIELD & THE LOST CROWN. I’ll be in touch with you soon on the delivery details.

I received a FREE copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

(Update): The second book in this series is out. If you like, you can hop over and read my review of BRITFIELD AND THE RISE OF THE LION.