A Little Princess

Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Narrated by Virginia Leishman

Ten-year-old Sarah Crue arrives at Miss Minchin's London boarding school arrayed like a princess. She wears velvet, lace and silk, carries a gorgeous life-like doll, and has a French maid. Charming and imaginative, she soon becomes the envy of the other girls. When tragedy suddenly takes away Sarah's fine clothes and privileges, her schoolmates wait to see if she will give up. But, now living in the school's dingy attic and toiling long hours for the demanding students who were once her friends, Sarah's generous spirit remains untouched by the hardship and cruelty. Frances Hodgson Burnett earned a special place in children's hearts with her wonderful books which include The Secret Garden. Since 1905, A Little Princess has captivated countless readers, and recently it has been made into a major motion picture. Now, through Leishman's lyrical narration, Sarah and the other unforgettable characters of this delightful riches-to-rags tale speak to new generations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 5, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440797613

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English author and playwright best remembered for her children’s stories, including A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. 

Reviews for A Little Princess

[Thea Rose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read The Secret Garden many times so I thought it was finally time to read A Little Princess. I vaguely remember seeing the movie as a kid. What spirit Sarah has.

[Allison · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

McKenna Lynn Van Der Walt❤️❤️??
It was amazing and it made me feel that I am really blessed and that I should do more for others and be more grateful.

[jennannej_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty sickly sweet kind of children's book. I'm sure that Sara was just that perfect, right? But all children can have a goal and I suppose it is a good goal. Very similar to the film with Shirley Temple, except for the ending. Since I'd already seen the film, I pretty much knew what was coming up. Cute read.

[missboyer3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about a different kind of princess than one might imagine; a princess that is an orphan - lonely, cold, hungry and abused. Sara Crewe begins life as the beloved, pampered daughter of a rich man. When he dies a pauper, she is thrown on the non-existent mercy of her small-minded, mercenary boarding school mistress. Stripped of all her belongings but for one set of clothes and a doll, Sara becomes a servant of the household. Hated by the schoolmistress for her independent spirit, Sara becomes a pariah in the household, with only a few secretly loyal friends. But through her inner integrity and strength of will, Sara Crewe maintains the deportment, inner nobility and generous spirit of a "real" princess.

[titaniac_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably the most touching book I have ever read, Frances Hodgson Burnett`s best book.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ara Crewe is a child gifted with a remarkable imagination, intelligence and a doting father. When her father dies, her intelligence is useful certainly, but it is her imagination that really pulls her through the tough times. She wonders in the beginning of the book whether she is actually nice or not, because she has never experienced a hardship. I really loved that when hardship came, she struggled to maintain her princess demeanor. She got angry and wanted to respond spitefully to ill treatment, but made the conscious decision to rise above. This makes Sara feel like a real girl, not like some absurd Pollyanna.

I am always happy to find another book lover, and such is Sara Crewe. One of the most trying moments of the book for her in her battle to keep her temper is when her reading is interrupted: "Never did she find anything so difficult as to keep herself from losing her temper when she was suddenly disturbed while absorbed in a book. People who are fond of books know the feeling of irritation which sweeps over them at such a moment." Delightful.

There was one element of the story that is a bit...odd...from a modern perspective. That is that the Indian servant, Ram Dass, watches Sara while she is inside and even comes into the room while she is sleeping. His intentions are entirely noble and he is doing good. Still...it's hard not to be at least a wee bit creeped out by that these days.

Although a children's book, this classic loses nothing when read by an older audience. I highly recommend this to anyone who believes in magic! Also, if you haven't seen it, definitely check out the 1995 film version, because it manages to capture the magic of the book and even improve upon the story (in my opinion)!

[alyssa.wassink · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After having watched the movie for years, I found out it was based on a book! I had never known. It's a nice, cheery story and a quick read. I would certainly read it again.

[cephaloparty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book means so much to me. It's one of the few books to deal with make-believe in a respectful, realistic, and positive way. It's also a wonderful book in that it doesn't sugar-coat the life of a child into idyllic scenes without pain or hardship--a very good thing for children of broken homes to find solace and a strong, capable heroine. True, the ending of the story is rather neat; but a happy ending does not mean the story is without worth and value. Sara was and still is my hero, showing me that even with nothing I still had stories to help me through, that kindness and royalty are a way of life, and that everyone is a story.

[miranda_paige · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautiful book. The cover art is enchanting and the illustrations are equally gorgeous. A beautiful edition of a beautiful book. I have loved this book for as long as I can remember. I wanted so badly to be 11 because that was how old Sara was. I think i admired her bravery and it was nice to know someone whose world was more troubled than mine and still managed to survive. The thought was comforting to me.

[caonima_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is the touching tale of Sara Crewe, a seven year old who has been treated like a princess all her life by her doting father. The story begins where Sara and her father are arriving in London after traveling all the way from India, where she has lived all her life. Her father, a rich Englishman, wants his little daughter to go to a boarding school back home in England. Thus begins this story, which is at times tragic and at other times sweet. Life is not always a bed of roses for little Sara and she soon learns the value of kindness, fantasy and her own inner strength. Later in the story Sara receives news that her father has died and is cast aside by those who used to treat her like royalty, she befriends a little girl who is a servant at the school and goes through hard times and some pretty amazing times as well before she finds what she is looking for. This is a beautifully crafted story for all children to read, it deals with issues that still touch our everyday lives and is told in a tasteful and exciting manner so that the reader’s attention is always completely on the book. This jewel should be in the book collection of all little readers. I give it five stars.

[briannad84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite books and movies! Brings back lots of great memories!

[kdmdr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sara Crewe is a very rich girl .She lived in India.One day her father die in India. She has no money.This story made me happy.I thought friend is very important.I thought this book worth reading.

[bleached_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a wonderful children's story about a girl who is orphaned at a boarding school and sinks from the richest girl to a servant. Not letting her sad downfall get her down, Sara Crew makes friends with the other servant girl Becky and all the other girls of the school who sneak up to the attic to hear her fantastical stories of magic in India, her previous and beloved home. When real magic starts to encompass her, Sara learns how great friendship and kindness can be with a little magic and a little hope.

[alexgieg_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book that teaches a fundamental lesson: to never, ever, lose hope.

[molliewatts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sara Crew arrives at boarding school rich and pampered. She has more dresses and dolls than any of the other girls combined, yet she is more than willing to share and she shares often. She even makes friends with the scullery maid, Becky. When her father dies suddenly and Sara is left penniless, she is forced to turn over all her lovely things and live in the attic as a scullery maid. The other girls will not even talk to her anymore, and she must now rely on her imagination to see her through the long, cold days and nights. When a sickly stranger moves into the house next door, Sara's fortunes look as if they might improve and she is in for an unexpected surprise, as is everyone else.This was another favorite of mine as a child. I couldn't get enough of the "riches to rags and back again" story. It is all about making the best of one's situation and always having a bright outlook on life, no matter how bleak your situation. I think my favorite scene from the book is when Sara finds her dingy attic room made-over.

[readermom68 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite books when I was young, along with The Secret Garden.

[jhudsui_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Do I really need to review this? You can tell perfectly well from the title whether it's something you're interested in reading or not.Anyway, there's absolutely no character arc and relatively little in the way of a plot but the novel will draw you along through it by sheer force of charm anyway. You cannot hope to beat Sara Crewe in princess-off. She is simply the best there is.

[cltnae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoughts: This story is a good story about love and loss. I liked this book because it shows a way to cope with the loss of a loved one and how even though the girl lost everything she was still able to be kind to others. This book has great values that children should learn when growing up. I enjoyed this book very much I thought that is shows how resiliant children are. When I was reading this book it was like a was there in the school experiencing everything with Sarah. Summary: A young girl who grew up in India and moves to France to go to school while her father goes to war. To keep herself intertained she makes up stories to tell the other girls at the school. One day a message comes that her father has been killed in the war. She has nowhere else to go, so the owner of the school makes her a house maid. She has to clean the other girls rooms and take wood to there fireplaces. Eventually some of the girls start to speak to her again and she tells them more stories of India.Classroom Extensions:1) I would have this book on my self so that my students could read it on their own time. After the student read the book I would have him/her do a story map. 2) I would have my student write out what the main idea of the story, and how their thinking changed through the book.

[shesinplainview · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I devoured this charming book. It has a moral that young & old alike today would do well to follow. An intelligent well brought up little girl faces tragedy and destitution bravely and honorably and ultimately is rewarded.

[anniecase_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a child I felt almost elegant reading Burnett's delicate prose. The story takes on a magic that way. It has been well-documented in films at this point, but the original text still manages to entertain, delight and inspire new generations.

[kimjd_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the book that epitomizes the magic of reading for me. When I think back to childhood days curled up and reading for hours, very few characters drew me in as completely and utterly as Sara Crewe.

[mialro_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A riches to rags to riches story, this great children's classic is about a privileged girl who is able to hold on to hope through imagination despite terrible circumstances. Beautifully written, charming story set in Victorian England.

[momma2_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Blake was sure this was going to be the time I steered him wrong with a book recommendation. But by the end when the story all comes together he didn't want to stop listening. Wonderful book. We all enjoyed it immensely.

[caitlinnk_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Best classic I have ever read! I usually find old books boring, and uninteresting, but this book is far from it. It lets you into the mind of Sara, who is a girl, with her heart in the right place. But, despite her efforts, she has to learn the hard way that not everyone deals well to a perfect student, daughter and most of all, a kind-hearted little girl.

[bluesalamanders · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sara Crewe is the adored young daughter of a wealthy English officer serving in India. When he finally decides to send her to a London boarding school, it's hard on them both, but Sara is a resilient and charming child and does well there. When her father dies and she is reduced from favored student to ill-treated servant, her resilience and her talent for "pretending" become more important than ever.I've loved A Little Princess since I was young. If I read it for the first time now, I probably wouldn't care for it much; Sara is practically a paragon, Miss Minchin is a little over-the-top, and many of the minor characters are rather one-dimensional. But it's still a lovely book that I enjoy just as much every time I read it.

[jrw114 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this book. Even as an adult, I can appreciate it more than a child. Fun to dip back into this book.

[joririchardson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the absolute perfect little-girl princess read. While today the "princess" idea targeted at tweens is a bratty sorority girl who gets everything she wants, this character is the exact opposite. The book is very well written, charming, and beautiful. Younger readers will love it, but most likely find themselves unable to get through it alone (the book is about 300 pages and written a bit fancily). It's a perfect read-aloud or first "big read" for a young girl.Every little girl should read this book growing up!

[abigayl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The imagination of Sarah, the princess, is what makes this book so amazing. Even though her life has been completely turned upside down, Sarah uses her imagination and the idea of 'What if she really were a princess' to keep her going through hard times. It's an incredible story with a main character that all girls can look up to. I would recommend this book to any girl, young and old.

[Marcia Swiger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reading books from this time period the authors are instilling perseverance in adversity, imagination, family into their young readers- important and necessary for a kind society, that will look beyond themselves and immediate gratification.

[ariadnearanea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As you may expect from any book written for children in the nineteenth century, A Little Princess is a little bit twee and a little bit sentimental - and it has the unlikely kind of fairy-tale ending that would make Dickens himself feel proud. Still, it is well-written and charming in its way, and very likeable.(Incidentally, the reason I picked up this book is that Jacqueline Wilson mentions it in her own novel, Cookie. It's probably not stretching things too far to say that Frances Hodgson Burnett was the Jacqueline Wilson of her day - at least insofar as they both write about girls surviving under difficult circumstances.)