Spoilt children, an oppressive country pile and the most wondrous playground of flora and fauna combine perfectly to create a pastoral classic of the Edwardian Golden Age that continues to enchant and entertain over a century after its original publication.
"People never like me and I never like people," Mary thought.
When Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle, everybody says she is the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It is true, too. Mary is pale, spoilt and quite contrary. But she is also horribly lonely. Then one day she hears about a garden in the grounds of the Manor that has been kept locked and hidden for years. And when a friendly robin helps Mary find the key, she discovers the most magical place anyone could imagine...
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9780099572954
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 255 g
Dimensions: 187 x 130 x 25 mm
The Secret Garden should be on every child's bookshelf - The Times
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is my "current" favourite children's book. I reread it to my six-year-old daughter last summer and both of us loved it - although she did require me to have a go at the full Yorkshire accent for Dickon, which proved a little bit tricky. It has magic, darkness, whimsy and truth and the fact that it was first published in 1909 yet still managed to enthral my 21stcentury daughter is a testament to its greatness - Kirsty Young
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a wonderful story that I could think myself into, given that the heroine is the sort of awkward little girl that I thought I was. I loved the idea of a secret place where children could be on their own - Nina Bawden
So what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way...my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics! - National Association for the Teaching of English
Mary is a tough feisty character, who manages to turn a whole household, and the lives of those in it, completely upside down... The book is brim full of magic and joy - Sunday Telegraph
I enjoyed reading this as a child, and I enjoyed reading the book just as much as an adult.
This was one of my all time favourite reads as a child.I am yet to find a ten year old girl who does not love this story.
This will remain one of my most cherished books of all time, as I have fond memories of reading it to my dad when I was ickle. 'The Secret Garden' tells the story of a young girl who loses her parents very... More
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