Tools for this page
The Secret Garden
-
Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11. -
Is it any good?
-
Common Sense says
Beautiful classic filled with magic and realism.
updated 07.04.08
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 11 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
-
Violence :
-
Sex :
-
Language:
-
Consumerism:
-
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Secret Garden
Parents need to know that this beautifully written book shows two selfish, disagreeable children transformed by the magic of nature and their own imaginations as they work to bring a near-dead garden back to life. For the serious kid reader, this is a stay-up-all night, flashlight-under-the-covers story with fine watercolor illustrations. The book combines realism, mystery, and moral sensibility to make a world children will love.
Read our full review by Katherine Kearns
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about consideration and neglect. Who does the author hold responsible for the children's bad temperaments at the beginning of the book? Is that fair?
Want more? Get Common Sense recommendations delivered to your inbox.
You are now subscribed to the Common Sense weekly newsletter!
To write reviews and create a public profile, complete your account set-up here.
Our Members Say
See all 16 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it- Lives in VirginiaI rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Don't let classics like this die
I feel compelled to write this review by the astonishing number of people I have heard/seen saying that this is a boring book. I hate to say it, but society is heading in a very bad direction if older kids can't get through an approximately 400 page book. I'm not saying that it won't take some time (the first time I read The Secret Garden at age 7 it took me over a month), but children no longer have the attention span that they used to and the only way to fix that problem is to practice. The Secret Garden is all about self-discovery. Mary Lennox, a spoiled and stubborn little girl, exists inside all of us. As a reader, we are appalled at her behavior at first, but then upon self-reflection, we see that we are not so very different, and begin to improve and develop alongside Mary. Believe me, parents, by the end of the book you have a much better behaved child. A must read for everyone!
- Lives in CaliforniaI rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
great book
- Lives in AlabamaI rate this title on for age 8 and give it
LOVED it then, LOVE it now
As a 5th grader, 10 yrs old, this book was an eye opener! I loved it then and am anxious for my 10 yr old to read it. She LOVES books and I never thought of this book until it was recommended! THANKS!!
- Lives in ColoradoI rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Give Recommendations, Get Them, Too!
Become a member and get recommendations from other parents based on your child's age.
Already a member? Log in
Our Members Rate It
Have You Read It? 
For Your Family
Get age-based recommendations for your kids:
Customize based on your child's age
Caroline Knorr recommends:
The Last Olympian: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5
for kids age 10
See more from Caroline Knorr
The Last Olympian: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5
for kids age 10
See more from Caroline Knorr
summitmom recommends:
The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3
for kids age 10
See more from summitmom
The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3
for kids age 10
See more from summitmom
