 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Secret Garden
- By Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Beautiful classic filled with magic and realism.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
Two cousins -- one motherless, the other an orphan -- are so monstrously spoiled that no one can stand them and they can hardly stand themselves. With the help of a boy of the moors and some natural magic, they discover an abandoned garden and return it to abundance. As the garden grows the children grow -- into their own better selves.
Is it any good?
If you think a book from 1911 might be too stodgy to interest children, think again. Children like Frances Burnett's ability to tell the truth about her characters without condemning them. Mistress Mary, quite contrary, "was a self-absorbed child," and Colin "thought the whole world belonged to him." But Burnett makes it clear that these children have been raised without their parents' love.
Children will first be caught by the mysterious world that unfolds, and then comforted to see Colin and Mary reclaim themselves, with a little help from Mother Nature and kind friends. Burnett sets a tone balanced between unflinching realism and high optimism -- not too hard, not too soft.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
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?
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Kid, 10 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
The best book in the history o the best books
At first the main character Mary Lennox is a spoild brat but after she finds the secret garden she starts thinking about other people and their feelings. At first I though it was boring but after I read the 1st chapter it was really interesting. It is a book you will want to read over and over again.
So if you go somewhere and happen to see the book you should get it and read it. You sure won't regret it.
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
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!!
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Kid, 10 years old
February 22, 2011
AGE
The secret garden
Very good but if readers need it to be fast not for them!
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Teen, 16 years old
December 17, 2008
AGE
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!
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Parent of 3, 6, and 8 year old
January 5, 2009
AGE
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Kid, 10 years old
May 31, 2010
AGE
p.s. I think it is the best for 9,10,11.
I loved it!! Me and my friends had a book club and talked it over. We had the best of time. But after the book, we watched the movie.
What other families should know:
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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
It made me feel all warm inside!
This was a wonderful book! It's one of those books that when you finish it, you want to read it again. The main character of the book starts out as a spoiled brat, but when she moves, it all changes! She meets a boy with physical problems and discovers the "Secret Garden"! A refreshing novel!
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Kid, 12 years old
May 6, 2011
AGE
Not an option for younger kids
This book has nothing questionable in it, but the reason I rated it so highly is because you need to fully grasp the meaning of this classic novel. It is unenjoyable for young readers because of the old fashioned speech used in it. I loved it, it was excellent; but smaller children will be bored by it quickly.
What other families should know:
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| Author: | Frances Hodgson Burnett |
| Illustrator: | Tasha Tudor |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | December 31, 1969 |
| Number of pages: | 368 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
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