Britfield & the Lost Crown

Our family loves when we get the opportunity to review books. The kids spend a large portion of their school day lost in a book and we sit together and enjoy a good read-aloud as a family often, but there are times when reading just isn't feasible. It is those times especially when we enjoy audio books. 

Britfield & the Lost Crown by C.R. Stewart is a brand new book that is available in all formats. While I love a physical book--the smell of the paper, the touch of the pages, the visual of my progress, the entire experience really--I decided that the audio version would fit our needs better at this time.

This adventure book is geared toward ages 10-18 roughly and is part one of a projected five-book series. The author, C.R. Stewart, is a seasoned writer with much experience in film production, global strategy, international marketing, and public speaking. He was inspired to write the Britfield stories after sketching a scene of a boy and girl in a hot air balloon. The first book takes place all across the land of England and highlights places that Stewart himself has visited. His familiarity of the country shines through in his details, making the narrative come alive.   

The story follows the adventures of Tom and Sarah, orphans at Weatherly in Yorkshire. More like a prison than a loving home, the malevolent orphanage worked the children too hard, punished them too much, and gave them too little. One night, after an unethical and undeserved punishment, Tom decided to free Sarah from her solitary dungeon. He, with the help of the other orphans, staged a coup with an elaborate plan. Not only did they succeed, but both Tom and Sarah used the chaos as a cover to escape the orphanage through a secret tunnel.

The best friends were on the run, not only from the malicious supervisor of the orphanage, but from a renown detective who specializes in missing children, as well. They meet unlikely friends as they race all across England to outsmart their pursuers. The pair trekked through a muddy swap, commandeered a hot air balloon, joined a carnival in the air, gained a surprising companion, stayed in Windsor Castle, got shot, nearly drowned in Serpentine Lake, climbed out of two-story windows, and experienced many other adventures. Their quest, which began simply as wanting to get as far away from Weatherly as possible, became much more important as they started to make connections about Tom's past and who his parents might be.

The story is action-packed from the beginning to the end, and keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. Tom and Sarah find themselves in one nerve-wracking situation after another, making the story tense yet exciting. I feel that the writing is perfect for the target age, but still greatly enjoyed by my younger kids, as well. My group, ranging from 13 years down through 4, liked the book so much that they started asking for the next one before we even finished listening to this.

Aside from a thrilling story, I appreciate all the historical facts and geographical references sprinkled throughout. It is a delightful combination of fact and fiction as it weaves in places like St. Paul's Cathedral, Oxford University, Heathrow Airport, St. Mary's Abbey, Christ Church, Radcliffe Camera,  Blenheim Palace, and more. It mentions, Dickens, Churchill, Queen Victoria, Jane Austen, and other notable English people. 

C.R. Stewart, author

If you'd like to turn the book into a more thorough learning opportunity, there is an 8-week study guide available. This 83-page PDF is filled with exercises broken down by chapter: Vocabulary, Comprehension Questions, Going Deeper, Learn More With Technology. There is a variety of activities including fill in the blank, matching, crossword puzzle, word search, short answer, and  multiple choice for the first two sections. The others, Going Deeper and Learn More With Technology, require the reader to put more thought and effort into the assignment. There is a lot of "what do you think?" and "how do you feel?" and "justify your answer" type of things, along with researching online about various points in the book, such as facts about the current Prime Minister, learning about famous artists showcased in Windsor Castle, studying locations all around England, and more. The conclusion of the study guide also has sections to review the plot, conflict, characters, and theme of the book. There is a complete answer key at the very end. My only complaint is that the pages are done in a gray scale, requiring a lot of ink to print. A plain white background would be appreciated.

In addition to the study guide, there are many other free teacher resources to enhance the learning experience, including samples of the book, games, and creativity suggestions. The website itself is packed full of information, too. There are historical facts and beautiful pictures that help the reader visualize the places and landscapes of the country. 

The audio version is 9 1/2 hours in length and read with a British accent. It was produced by Devonfield Publishing, the author's own company, and is available from Audible.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed Britfield & the Lost Crown! My kids fell in love with Tom and Sarah and their journey. We can't wait to see the adventure continue in France in book two, Britfield & the Rise of the Lion.



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Other homeschooling families had the opportunity to review either a paperback copy or an ebook of Britfield & the Lost Crown. You can read those reviews and more of the audio version on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

If You Were Me Books

This review is brought to you by Carole P. Roman and Awaywegomedia.com.

Reading is a huge part of our lives. With literature being the foundation of our schooling, I depend on living books for the majority of our learning. Textbooks have their place, I suppose, but a book that puts you in the story and teaches without feeling like work is much preferred in our home. My kids enjoy history especially in this manner. We were able to study 4 different time periods and locations with the following books:

• If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume I) 
• If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume II)
• If You Were Me and Lived in...Elizabethan England (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume III)
• If You Were Me and Lived in...the Middle Ages (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume VI)

As soon as the books came, the kids were excited. They enjoy the other If You Were Me books by Carole P. Roman that we own, and they expected these to be the same. They are similar in that the books are written in second person format. Each book places you, the reader, in that location during that time period. What we didn't expect was that these book, which are part of the Introduction to Civilizations set, are so much more in depth. The books are substantially longer and contain much more information.

If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece takes you back to 350 B.C.. It teaches where the country is located and its capital and other cities. It describes that Greece is "the Cradle of Western Civilization" because it created the foundation for many countries for their government systems, literature, and philosophy. It talks about the Ancient Greeks' clothing, like a chiton, peplos, and toga. Almost every page spread talks about a Greek god, describing their names, appearance, and traits.

 
If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy focuses around the year 1483 in Tuscany. Popular names were Lorenzo and Cosimo for boys and Dolce and Lisabetta for girls. This was an important period of rebirth and inspired many famous artists, like Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello. Because Florence was the birthplace of the new movement and became known as "The Athens of the Middle Ages." The book gives a good understanding of how the people lived with a detailed drawing of a typical house and explanation. Common seasonings during that time were cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, saffron and pepper, along with oranges and lemons. It was a time of sporting events, festivals, and dances.  

If You Were Me and Lived in...Elizabethan England describes life in 1578 during the reign of Elizabeth I. This was the golden age for art and literature and saw an increase in exploration. The narrow, cobblestone streets were filthy as people threw dirt, garbage, and waste out the windows. Houses were half-timbered and made of wattle and daub and the floors were covered in straw. Middle class people ate mutton, sausage, cheese, stew, and bread. No one drank water, but chose ciders and ales instead. The clothing consisted of many layers, and laws stated what color each class of people could wear. The religion was determined by whomever was on the throne.

  
If You Were Me and Lived in...the Middle Ages focuses on 1072 in a small town in London, England. This book, at nearly 100 pages, is double the length of each of the other books. so there's a ton of information. It talks about names, like Geoffrey, Roul, Melisende, and Aalis, and explains how they determined surnames. It's written as if the reader is the daughter of a knight. It describes life in a castle with wealth, servants, a large family. It mentions the Crusades, the importance of the church, the classes of society and their occupations and how they lived.

I used these books as read-alouds with the kids. We spent days cuddling together on the couch, traveling back in time reading these stories. We talked about the pictures and compared to how differently people lived back then. The books contain a brief overview of each period and leave it open for further study. We spent much time discussing the information. The author, Carole P. Roman, offers many free printables and worksheets to accompany the books and lists other resources, as well. We haven't started the Middle Ages book yet, as I know that one we can easily spend weeks working through with all the details included.   

The back of each book contains a glossary of people, places, and things that are pertinent to that time and place. Each one also has a section about important or famous people and a description for each. These resources can be used as a spring board for further study.

Here's what my kids had to say about the books:

"I liked learning how people used to live."

"I liked learning what foods they ate and what they did. I liked learning their names."

"It was cool seeing how they dressed."

We learned some interesting bits of information like where the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" originated, who once considered  tomatoes poisonous, that chicken cost a penny at one point, and what was called "white gold." If you're looking for a way to teach your children about time periods in a fun, easy manner, these books will meet that need.

You can connect with Carole P. Roman on the following social media sites:

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If you'd like to read more reviews of these books or of some of the other titles offered, please visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

The Dragon and the Raven

We were able to review the newest product from one of our favorite companies! Heirloom Audio Productions has created another exciting audio adventure that's sure to be a hit with the whole family.

Our schooling is very literature-based. Our family loves read-alouds. I've mentioned dozens of times how the kiddos will sit and listen to various novels for hours on end. I love reading them quality literature and sharing that time with them. Not only does it teach them life lessons, it also introduces them to new vocabulary. The only problem is that I don't always have the time to spend the day reading. We love to incorporate audio books and dramas into our days. Whether we're folding clothes, driving in the van, or just needing some downtime, audio books are perfect.  The Dragon and the Raven is no exception.

 

The Dragon and the Raven is a theater-quality production based on the novel with the same name, written by G.A.Henty. Between the music, the quality of the actors reading the lines, and the background sounds (swords clanking, wind blowing, pages turning, arrows soaring, fire crackling, etc.), it sounds like a movie production. It's easy to visualize the scenes: ships sailing the open seas, men engaged in battle, people fighting for their lives and beliefs. The narrator has a rich, powerful voice that makes the drama exciting to listen to. We were immediately pulled into the story.

The tale takes place in the ninth century. Edmund, not quite a boy, but too young to fight in battle, watches as his father is killed by the Danes. He acquires a zeal to join the cause against the pagan armies. He designs a faster warship, learns the secret of the shield wall, falls in love, and maims a man. He also learns firsthand of the faith of King Alfred and discovers what it means to truly trust in God. Edmund grows from a boy into a man, from a servant into a leader. His faith is tested, but he remains strong. Set in the time of the great battles between the Saxons and the Danes, there is plenty of adventure along the way.

The Dragon and the Raven single package costs $29.97 (+ shipping and handling). Along with the 2-CD set, you will receive 3 bonuses:

1. The Dragon and the Raven Study Guide (digital download) -- This complete guide is used to enhance your learning and complement your study. Each section, which correlates to the tracks on the CDs, is  filled with review questions, ideas to get you thinking deeper, and vocabulary words. There is more information about G.A. Henty and King Alfred the Great; multiple Bible studies that coordinate with the story, and many pictures from the times. 
2. Printable Copy of Proverbs 21:31 (digital download) -- "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord." While this verse is not the same as the King James Version (which wasn't translated during this time period), it is as King Alfred quoted it in the story. This inspirational quote will remind you of God's omnipotence.  
3. The Dragon and the Raven Soundtrack (MP3 download) -- Our family loves soundtracks. This beautiful music was written by Emmy-winning composer John Campbell (creator of the original score for C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, Adventures in Odyssey, and more). We've enjoyed listening to this moving music while doing school, cleaning house, and folding laundry.

There is also an option of a family four-pack. For $99.97 (+ shipping and handling), you get 4 copies of the 2-CD set along with additional bonuses: Live the Adventure E-Newsletter; G.A. Henty's original The Dragon and the Raven e-book; professionally designed, printable promotional poster; and a behind-the-scenes documentary featuring the cast and crew.  

Here's what my kids had to say about the story:

"My favorite part was when Edmund cut off Sweyn's arm. I liked all the fighting and attack strategies and when it rained and put out the fire on the ship."

"It's super cool! I like that they named a ship The Dragon."

 

"I thought it was funny when Alfred burned the cakes!"

 

 

The 2 1/2 hour audio production is ideal for ages 6-adult, but our entire family enjoyed listening to it. We used the study guide questions to review the story and tackle difficult topics. The kids especially liked finding locations from the story on a map and learning a new recipe for "Alfred Cakes." We stopped the CD multiple times to discuss things like alliances, vengeance, what it means to really be a Christian, strategy, and more. Of course, the little ones didn't quite understand everything, but it's never too early to introduce quality literature. This will be a story that we reference throughout the years.

You can connect with Heirloom Audio Productions on the following social media sites:

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If you'd like to read more reviews of this audio drama, lease visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.