Et cetera : What We're Reading: Britfield & the Lost Crown

‘Britfield & the Lost Crown’ by C.R. Stewart

I wish that one of our younger patrons had told me about this book series much sooner! Set in England, an orphanage housing 56 children from ages 5 to 16, Weatherly is a 16th century castle, seven stories high. The British government funds this orphanage as long as it is privately run. The catch is that if the number of children held in the confines falls below 56, the orphanage loses its funding. You can imagine the fear and outrage when two of the children escape!

The orphanage sounds like something straight out of a Dickens novel. The dorms are huge, cold rooms with rickety beds and wafer-thin mats. The food is nearly inedible, and the workrooms are in use daily until 7pm. The items that the children built were sold in town and the money goes straight into the pockets of the owners, Mr. & Mrs. Grievous. These two villains are assisted by Supervisor Speckly, ‘six feet tall…with a deep, scratchy voice and a grip like a vice!’ He has two henchmen who are described as ‘burly yet feeble-minded bullies,’ Brewster and Sludge.

The orphans love to read, but their only choices are books they keep in a cupboard. They have read each of the eight books about twenty times each and have invented a system of exchange from the home of the Grievouses. This is accomplished with great daring, since they must unlock the door of their room, sneak out of the house and run like the wind. Speaking of Wind, did I mention the large, mean, ugly dog that guards the property? He has been named Wind because nobody ever sees him coming – he just appears! I loved this book because of the adventures; they seemed never to end. Pick up #1 of this series of four books. We just received the fourth one, so get started today. Available in junior fiction and on the Libby app.

Relax and read!
Love, Connie