About the Book:
Tom lives in an orphanage. The world’s cruelest orphanage, Weatherly Orphanage, to be exact. When his best friend, Sarah, gets in trouble, they both bust out of the orphanage. Tom has a clue which tells him that his parents are still alive. Sarah and Tom travel all over the world to find Tom’s parents and to escape people who want to bring the orphans back to Weatherly Orphanage. A famous Scotland Yard detective is hot on their trail and almost always a few steps ahead of them. Tom and Sarah need all the help they can get. Even if it is two brilliant professors and two unexpected allies. Can the two kids outsmart the world’s most famous detective who has cracked every single case but one? Will they figure out how the world BRITFIELD can help find Tom’s parents and learn about his past? And most importantly, can they fly a hot air balloon?
There is an 83-page PDF study guide that goes along with this book and takes approximately 8 weeks to work through. It can be found on the Resources page.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book! It was long but extremely hard to put down. C.R. Stewart’s Britfield & the Lost Crown is a book packed with action, royalty, mystery, plot twists, and lessons on friendship and kindness. My favorite part was definitely the unexpected allies near the end of the book which caused a huge plot twist! I would tell you, but I think reading the book would be much more fun! I figured out a few things before the book explained them which was kind of annoying because I like surprising books. Even though a hint of the book was spoiled by myself, it was still very thrilling and unexpected.
Here are a few of my favorite, action-packed glimpses into the book without giving much away:
“When the clock finally struck 7:00 p.m., the orphans diligently put away their tools and cleaned up their workstations. They filed out of the Factory two-by-two and down a long dark corridor. This was one of the brief moments they weren’t monitored or supervised by any Deviants, a codeword the orphans used when describing authority figures. Sarah ran up behind Tom and gave his shirt a swift tug. “So are you going tonight?” she whispered enthusiastically.“I’ll head out in a few hours,” he replied nonchalantly, trying to mask his anxiety.“You scared?” she inquired. “I’d be scared…especially of Wind.”“A little bit…but it’s got to be done, right?”“Right,” she acknowledged, then hesitated for a second. “I wish I was coming with you.”“It’s always been a one-person mission – too risky for more.””
“As they turned to leave, Sarah noticed the two plainly dressed men staring at her.“Tom, isn’t that strange?” she indicated.“What?”“Those guys over there. They keep glancing at me.”Tom looked. One of the men slowly lifted his hand and spoke into a small radio receiver.“Run, Sarah!” Tom shouted. “Run!””
“Tom peered over the basket and saw a vacant meadow with a gigantic structure sitting in the middle.“We should aim for that clearing over there,” he suggested.“What is it?” asked Sarah, squinting her eyes.Hainsworth looked out. “That, my dear, is Windsor Castle.”“M-maybe that isn’t such a good place to land,” Sarah cautioned.“We don’t have a choice,” Tom said impatiently. “It’s there or nowhere.”“But we’ll be arrested.”“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine,” Hainsworth said evenly. “It’s time I pay a visit to an old friend.”
If you like all of those examples, plus adventure, mystery, friends, royalty, danger, traitors, plot twists, and especially hot air balloons, then this book is for you!
For More Information:
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