Hilda the Briton by Emma Leslie- Book from Salem Ridge Press (Schoolhouse Crew Review)

We received Hilda the Briton for review purposes

 Product: Hilda the Briton

Vendor Contact Information: Salem Ridge Press

Age Appeal: 8 to Adult

Format: Paperback (ISBN: 978-1-934671-37-5), 145 pages, copyrighted 2010

Price: $12.95

Emma Leslie, author of Hilda the Briton or, The Golden Age: The Story of a Roman Slave Girl, lived from 1837-1909 and was a Victorian children’s author.  She wrote more than 100 books.

In Hilda the Briton, Emma Leslie introduces us to Hilda and Bran.  They have have been taken from Britain by the Romans to be sold as slaves.  Hilda and Bran are taken to a wealthy Roman home, where Bran becomes filled with hate and Hilda adjusts to her new life.

Hilda hears stories of the Roman god, Saturn, and anxiously waits for him to rule the world in a Golden Age.  The slaves will then be free.  Another slave takes her to hear Apostle Paul, a prisoner, speak about God.  This God loves everyone, including slaves.

Will Hilda follow God?  Will Bran?  What will happen when the rest of the household learns about this new God? 

Excerpt from Hilda the Briton by Emma Leslie.

Our Experience:

Ancient Roman History is one of the subjects we are studying in school this year, so I was really excited to review, Hilda the Briton or, The Golden Age: The Story of a Roman Slave Girl by Emma Leslie.  We put our schedule for Roman History on hold.  We spent that time reading the book.  We read a chapter a day, so it took us eight school days to finish the book.  Each day before we began reading, we would discuss what we had read the day before.

I Liked:

• We have been studying a lot about Apostle Paul in our Bible lessons, so it was great to have him as a character.
• How much children can make a positive difference.
• How Hilda the Briton focused on love.
• The definitions of some of the more difficult words at the bottom of the page. 

I Disliked:

•  Nothing

What B (boy, age nine, officially in third grade) Likes and Dislikes: I really liked Hilda the Briton.  It is a good book for you to read by yourself and out-loud!  I like that it had Paul in it (I like Paul) .  I think this is good for kids my age.  I also think this is good for kids, not my age. The End

What C (girl, age seven, officially in first grade) Liked and Disliked: I enjoyed the illustrations and the whole book.  I liked the book, because it has Paul in it.  I have been studying him in my Bible lessons.  It is good for kids my age.

Dad’s Call: I enjoyed Hilda the Briton.  It was refreshing to read about how the teachings of Jesus were so openly discussed without fear of repercussions or punishments.  The story was a positive message about responsibility. whether you were a slave or a master.  I also liked the definitions at the bottom of the pages of difficult words, unknown phrases, or unknown celebrations to help the young reader better comprehend the story.  While Hilda the Briton by Emma Leslie was written for children, I believe that adults will enjoy it as well. 

Mamma would definitely recommend, Hilda the Briton, by Emma Leslie.

Homeschool Crew - Salem Ridge Press

Do you have a difficult time finding good quality books for you and your children? Then look no further than Salem Ridge Press and it's founder, Daniel Mills.

Salem Ridge takes a great deal of time locating and choosing books from the 1800's and early 1900's to republish. The books are chosen based on morality and ability to teach character according to the Bible. The company decides if any editing needs to be done such as leaving out a kiss or derogatory comment, or adding definitions of words or historical timelines.

Twenty-seven books are now being republished and we received three of them to read.



Mary Jane – Her Visit by Clara Ingram Judson was the first book we read. In this book five-year-old Mary Jane visits her grandparents in the country and has fun hunting eggs, playing with baby mice and rabbits, going on picnics and having her cousin and sister visit. Please go here to read the first chapter as a pdf.



Next was Soldier Fritz and the Enemies He Fought by Emma Leslie. It is the autumn of 1525 in Germany where a young boy, Fritz, choose a Bible as a birthday present from a peddler's pack. The peddler, Carl, shares with him what the Bible is about and how Fritz could be a soldier for the Lord like Dr. Luther. Father Anselm of the Church does not approve and Carl has to help Fritz, his mother, sister and two servants escape the Castle of Thorn where they will live with the charcoal-burners until Fritz's father, Count Eric is able to return and rescue them. Please go here to read the first chapter as a pdf.



We finished by reading The American Twins of the Revolution by Lucy Fitch Perkins. Roger and Sally Priestly's father is a general in General Washington's army. General Priestly secretly comes to the house one night to ask Mrs. Priestly and the children to keep money for the payroll safe. General Howe of the British then comes to the house and threatens the family. The family and Uncle Jude and Aunt Hitty (slaves) is able to escape with the money and food supplies. They are chased by General Howe's soldiers until the Colonial soldiers help them and they are taken to General Washington's camp and their father. Please go here to read the first chapter as a pdf.

What I Liked: Learning about Salem Ridge Press and their republished books was an enjoyable experience for my family and me. It can be difficult today to find quality books, without spending a great deal of time researching the books. I knew I did not have to pre-read these books, because they were coming from a company whose mission is to republish quality work.

The addition that I liked the best was that of the definitions. There were words that I would not have explained to the kids, if the definitions had not been there.

The children and I both looked forward each day that we were able to read these books.

What I Disliked: Two of the books we received were e-books and I discovered that I do not like read books as e-books, if I were purchasing the titles it would be as a physical books. It tied us to the computer and it was hard on my eyes.

What B (age six almost seven) Liked and Disliked: I liked that Mary Jane's doctor came when she was hit by a roadster. And I disliked that that crazy driver hit Mary Jane. I really disliked that. I disliked that Mary Jane was standing in the middle of the road in the dark. I was not sure if the headlights were on or not. I liked Soldier Fritz, because he fought his pride and his passion. I disliked that Soldier Fritz knocked Elsie down the narrow stone stairs. I liked that the twins' father came home by surprise. Sally and Roger were told by their father to not tell any living soul, oh and I am sorry for not saying I liked this part, that he had been there. And I liked every bit of it. The end. Yes, these books would be good for kids my age.

What C (age four almost five) Liked and Disliked: I didn't like Soldier Fritz, he hit his sister. I liked Mary Jane, because they were nice. I think kids my age would not like Soldier Fritz, but would like Mary Jane.

Age Appeal, Number of Pages, Republished and Price of the Books We Received:
Mary Jane – Her Visit- ages 6-10, 190 pages, republished 2008, softcover $12.95, hardcover $22.95, e-book $9.95
Soldier Fritz and the Enemies He Fought- ages 8-adult, 137 pages, republished 2006, softcover $10.95, hardcover $20.95, e-book $7.95
The American Twins of the Revolution- ages 8- adult, 204 pages, republished 2007, softcover $12.95, hardcover $22.95, e-book $9.95

Vendor Contact Information: www.salemridgepress.com
Salem Ridge Press LLC
4263 Salem Drive
Emmaus, PA 18049

More Salem Ridge Press Products: Books by Caroline Austin, William W. Canfield, Alice Corkran, Clara Ingram Judson, Emma Leslie, George Manville Fenn, Lucy Fitch Perkins

Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes. All links were current when posted.