"The Secret Garden" - Classic Teens Project

     I read "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the first time when I was ten years old. I re-read it over the summer, and was reminded why I loved that story so much. Even if it is meant for children its still beautiful and meaningful. It is certainly my favorite children's tale. :D I have this copy (below) in hardcover.

     "The Secret Garden" is about a little girl who moves to the moors in Yorkshire, England after her family and caretakers die from a cholera outburst in India. Being neglected most of her life by her parents, Mary didn't know how to love or how to be friendly or how to be a regular child. She is frail, thin, sour and ugly. After meeting Martha, her new maid and first friend, Mary begins to play outside and absorb the life that the moors have to offer. She grows strong enough to venture out, and soon a robin leads her to a hidden door and a buried key. She then discovers a neglected and wild, but beautiful, garden. Mary's life blooms from there. She meets Martha's younger brother Dickon, who has a marvelous affinity to animals and nature, and her sickly cousin Colin, and introduces them both to the garden. Together, the trio heals the garden and renews its beauty with their growing friendship, and Mary and Colin learn to be children and grow strong and lovely. The secret garden is revealed to the adults at the end, but revealing how would ruin the plot for you. :D

     As I said before, this is my favorite children's story! I love how the garden represents Mary's and Colin's growth; it blooms and grows as they do. I also love how Dickon is the wise-man of the story (He's only twelve!). The flower imagery used throughout the story really brings the theme of growth to life, and highlights the connection between the garden and the children. All of the characters are lovable and generally good people; I can't name a real villain in the story. This is certainly a book to read if you want your heart to be nice and toasty. :D

Rating for an adult audience: 4/5

Any adult would love reminiscing about this book while re-reading it. Most adults either read "The Secret Garden" as a child or heard the story from their parents. However, they won't appreciate it as much as a younger individual because they have finished growing already and they can't connect to the children as well as a younger person might.

Rating for a teenage audience: 4.5/5

This book will probably create feelings of nostaligia for teens as well as for adults, but for different reasons. We can remember our childhood better than an adult, and therefore the message of this story will hit closer to home. You never know, perhaps this story can still teach us a few things about life (it did for me!). Some young adults or older teens might have a hard time understanding the characters and connecting with them, though.

Story: 4.5/5

"The Secret Garden" has a story like any other children's story: when remembered, it makes you sigh and smile. It is heart-warming and impactful. It's message is clear and so elegantly simple, yet it is one of the most important messges one can learn.

Characters: 3.5/5

The characters in this story are whimsical and pure; they are easy to understand and relate to, and are a joy to read. However, because these characters are meant for children to understand, they are a bit simple. The main characters are round and dynamic, but they aren't very deep, especially for an older reader.

Difficulty: 3/5

This book is a pretty easy read. The vocabulary is easy and there isn't much difference from today's language. This was published quite a while ago, though, so the writing is flowery and there are some longer sentences than we are used to. The Yorkshire dialect used isn't too confusing, but might pose a challenge for some.

"The Secret Garden" is a beautiful story that everyone should be able to recognize and enjoy. It can bring joy to even the most sour heart.

Happy reading!