The Secret Garden

This is the gold standard for a story. It's timeless- I first read it 50+ years ago and was completely captured by it. I just read it again and was equally captured and inspired. It's so wise, so right on, it could have been written this year... It's awesome for kids and adults. You can't go wrong.

This is a classic story that we loved as children. I was drawn to reread it after seeing the musical Secret Garden on stage. The stage show is very different from the story, but both have their strengths. Mary Lennox is an unpleasant, sallow little girl who is orphaned in India when a cholera plague swept through their area. Her life in India had not been idyllic as she had been ignored by her parents and virtually friendless. She is sent to live with an uncle in Yorkshire England. She has never been to India and never met the uncle. Her uncle, Archibald Craven has not been coping since the death of his young wife 10 years before. Fortunately, Martha is there with her good nature and good sense. Martha and her brother Dickon work their magic. The first part of the book remains charming as the orphan Mary arrives in Yorkshire and begins to find her way and to investigate the mysterious crying in the night. Who wouldn’t love Dickon with the orphaned lamb, young fox, tame squirrels, and ability to charm most animals? The second half of the book feels more dated in its repetitive preachy-ness about Magic. Still, every young reader needs to learn when to savor every word and when to skim along so this is not a bad opportunity to skim. The book is still something that a child could enjoy and the message of positive thinking and the benefits of being a polite kind person is still current. The Secret Garden is available for free from Amazon in a Kindle version. I can ‘t give it less than 5 stars because of the special place that it holds in my childhood memories.

This is one of the best children's books or best books ever and this edition is ao beautiful. Totally worth having. The Secret Garden was one of the biggest things that helped my little boy begin healing from PTSD.

The Secret Garden begins exotically in India where the reader is immediately plunged into the unhappy life of its main character, Miss Mary Lennox. The author paints a very clear portrait of Mary, allowing the reader to instantly feel connected with her and her ongoing misfortunes.The story follows Mary’s journey to England where she must now live in her mysterious uncle’s home on the Yorkshire moor, Misselthwaite Manor. Cold and dreary, the enormous house offers little consolation to Mary, especially since most of its one hundred rooms are completely off-limits for her to explore. With the first sights and smells of spring, Mary finally has the chance to discover the secret garden, as well as to make her first friends – a curious red robin, a grumpy old gardener, and one of the most fascinating characters in young people’s literature, Dickon Sowerby. With his gang of “tamed” wild animals following his every move, Dickon helps Mary to bring to light some of the hidden beauty of the nearly forgotten secret garden. Together, they encourage Mary’s often ill and depressed cousin, Colin, to see that there are countless wonderful and exciting things to live for if he is truly willing to experience them. Overall, The Secret Garden is a very light, easy to read book, great for readers, age 8-11. Although it is definitely not an “action-packed” book, it succeeds where many books fail – its incredibly deep, realistic characters. Mary, Dickon, Colin, and their animal friends nearly jump off the page. If you are looking for a captivating book to read, I highly recommend The Secret Garden, especially if you need something to cheer you up on a rainy day.

This book is beautiful, truly worth giving as a gift or keeping for yourself. I am enjoying reading it again.

I got this book for my mother to read aloud when my kids visit her. They couldn't put it down! The interactive illustrations are incredible and really make the story come alive.

What an amazing heart warming story about two young people who were very spoiled and had everything temporal they needed but were the poorest children in heart. The 90s movie was my favorite as a child but I never knew why besides the way it made me feel. I have felt an urging to read this book with my children (13, 10, and 7) and I’m so very glad I did. We almost all know the basic story, spoiled girl, comes across a secret garden at her new home after losing her parents, meets her secret cousin and they grow together. The story was just beautiful though and warmed my heart and also gave my children warm feelings. I hope they feel a yearning for this story as they grow older the way I did. I hope it inspires them as we grow our own garden (looking back, I’m sure this is why I’ve wanted so greatly to grow my own beautiful flowers and vegetable garden because of this beautiful story). It has all come together for me though learning about the Well-Educated Heart philosophy and trying to warm our hearts through beautiful stories, art, and music. This story absolutely has a moral and we see a dramatic growth in characters, this isn’t as common as it used to be. The full story was magical and inspirational. If you haven’t read this classic, go read it right now! It will warm your heart and make you want to be a better person.

I love this book. I never read it before, and I don’t know how, but it’s now one of my favorites of all time. And I read it on the Kindle version, which was very good, no typos or weird issues at all. Highly recommend.

Doskonałe wydanie.

Comprei este livro para a minha coleção pessoal, e não me desapontei. É realmente muito lindo, as ilustrações são maravilhosas, e tem partes interativas. É um clássico e esta edição é simplesmente perfeita! O livro chegou pelo menos 4 dias antes da data em que estava previsto chegar, o que me surpreendeu pela positiva. Veio embalado em plástico e está novíssimo.

The Secret Garden is a timeless classic about healing, friendship, and finding joy in unexpected places. Watching Mary transform from a lonely, bitter child into someone full of curiosity and kindness was one of the most rewarding parts of the story. The writing is simple yet beautiful, and the descriptions of the garden create a peaceful, immersive atmosphere. Beyond its charming plot, the book carries a powerful message: with care, patience, and hope, even the most neglected things can bloom again. The edition itself is well-produced, with good page quality and a comfortable reading experience that complements the story perfectly.

Vi algumas avaliações aqui dizendo que a loja vendia livros usados com o título de novo aqui na Amazon e fiquei com medo, mas chegou em perfeito estado, MUITO bem embalado! Novíssimo!!! O livro tem uma diagramação boa, assim como ele é bem leve, margens ok também

I don't often write reviews for books but I had to for this one. I loved this story and the movie when I was a child and wanted it to captivate the imagination of my daughter in just the same way. Unfortunately, like many of the classics, the language is now very outdated and stilted and hard to read or understand for children nowadays. This collection of classic stories that Miles Kelly has revamped is absolutely wonderful! We started with The Wizard of Oz and are now half way through The Secret Garden. My seven year old daughter is enchanted by it. Both of us really look forward to our bedtime reading session now. The illustrations are plentiful and beautiful. Each page is bordered with ivy vines and roses, giving it the feeling of real quality and luxury. The chapters are perfectly sized (we read two or three a night but if the child is reading it alone, than one would be perfect). And the story itself has not been altered, but the wording makes it much more up to date whilst still retaining the air of a good classic. Absolutely love the Yorkshire accents bit. My Nan is a Yorkshire lass and I can see her so well in my mind's eye whilst reading Martha's dialogue. Magical. A must have for any literature loving family!