Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook112 pages1 hour
Classic Starts®: The Secret Garden
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Following Sterlings spectacularly successful launch of its childrens classic novels (240,000 books in print to date),comes a dazzling new series: Classic Starts. The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the worlds beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve--all at an incomparable price.
The discovery of a neglected garden transforms the life of a sullen and unloved little girl-and everyone around her, too. When the newly orphaned Mary Lennox leaves her native India and arrives at her uncles mansion in Yorkshire, everything seems strange to her. Then Mary hears of a mysterious garden where no one has set foot in 10 years. With the help of some new friends, she plans to uncover its secrets...and make it blossom once again.
The discovery of a neglected garden transforms the life of a sullen and unloved little girl-and everyone around her, too. When the newly orphaned Mary Lennox leaves her native India and arrives at her uncles mansion in Yorkshire, everything seems strange to her. Then Mary hears of a mysterious garden where no one has set foot in 10 years. With the help of some new friends, she plans to uncover its secrets...and make it blossom once again.
Unavailable
Author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English-American author and playwright. She is best known for her incredibly popular novels for children, including Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.
Read more from Frances Hodgson Burnett
Charming Novels of Classic Heroines: Pollyanna, The Secret Garden, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Racketty-Packetty House: 100th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secret Garden (Seasons Edition -- Spring) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Secret Garden: The Original 1911 Unabridged and Complete Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIl Giardino Segreto (The Secret Garden) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Secret Garden: The Original 1911 Unabridged and Complete Edition (A Frances Hodgson Burnett Classics) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Secret Garden Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Classic Starts®
Related ebooks
The Secret Garden: The 100th Anniversary Edition with Tasha Tudor Art and Bonus Materials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic Starts®: The Secret Garden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Garden Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeter Pan Complete Text Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Women & Good Wives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Lion to Guard Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sarah, Plain and Tall: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic Starts®: A Little Princess Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Courage of Sarah Noble Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Strawberry Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alice in Wonderland Complete Text Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Caddie Woodlawn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Box-Car Children: The Original 1924 Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story of King Arthur and His Knights: With linked Table of Contents Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Men Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Women Book Two Complete Text: Little Women Book 2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Treasure Island: Robert Louis Stevenson Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStuart Little Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Little Princess Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Father's Dragon Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Trumpet of the Swan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic Starts®: Heidi Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClassic Starts®: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Black Beauty (Illustrated): Classic of World Literature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic Starts®: Moby-Dick Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnne of Green Gables Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Beauty (Picture Book) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Children's Classics For You
Sideways Stories from Wayside School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wind in the Willows - Illustrated by Arthur Rackham Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stuart Little Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wayside School Is Falling Down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Night Before Christmas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty and the Unicorn's Missing Colors Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Winnie the Pooh: The Classic Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alice In Wonderland: The Original 1865 Unabridged and Complete Edition (Lewis Carroll Classics) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Winnie-the-Pooh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Graveyard Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sarah, Plain and Tall: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little House on the Prairie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little House in the Big Woods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coraline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mr. Popper's Penguins Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silver Chair: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stone Fox Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Battle: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grimm's Fairy Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Have Always Lived in the Castle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Classic Starts®
Rating: 3.85 out of 5 stars
4/5
20 ratings16 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When I was little, two of my favorite books were A Little Princess and The Secret Garden (HarperClassics) by Frances Hodgson Burnett. When I grew up, they were still favorites. So a year ago when I was buying them for my little cousin, and I noticed "Little Lord Fauntleroy", I was astounded. How did I miss such a gem? The story of little Cedric who warms his old grandfather's heart is beautifully written and quite touching. There is also a lesson to be learned, as we watch what Cedric does with his newfound wealth. What would you do if you were suddenly gifted with such a fortune? This story is perfect for anyone who enjoyed "A Little Princess" or "The Secret Garden"!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's soppy and sentimental and idealises childhood in a totally unrealistic manner - and I still love it! Sometimes, it's nice to be able to suspend disbelief and decide that crusty old men can be indeed be won around by childish love, innocence and good manners.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a simple plot similar to Pollyanna only the main character is a boy. I loved this book for its depiction of what a child can be like; how each of us impacts for the better or the worse those we come into daily contact with. My eight year old daughter will love this book. I have added it to her reading selection for the coming school year.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Little Lord Fauntleroy is a set book for my children's lit course, I think. It's the second book I've read by Frances Hodgson Burnett -- although I own A Little Princess too, and plan to read it soon. They all seem to start the same way, describing the child and then having a sudden change in circumstances, especially location (e.g. India to Yorkshire, America to , usually due to the death of a parent. In The Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy, there is some kind of amazing change in circumstance due to love or friendship -- in The Secret Garden, both Mary and Colin are changed, as well as Colin's father; in Little Lord Fauntleroy, the old Earl is changed while Little Lord Fauntleroy himself stays more or less the same throughout.
I'm sure I would have liked it more when I was younger. I suspect when I go back to The Secret Garden, I'll still find some of the old magic in it. But I'm a little too grown up and cynical for the simplicity of the journey through this book. It's interesting, though, to think about what kind of children's book it is, what kind of things the author had in mind. Sentimentality, evidently, and a story that can interest a child in it, but still moralising throughout -- it's not as overt as some books for children, but it's there. "Literature should improve your mind" kinda thinking. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I am always at something of a loss to explain my abiding love for Little Lord Fauntleroy, which must be included, along with The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, among the author's better known works. Extremely sentimental, with a somewhat more moralistic tone than that found in Burnett's other two classics, it features a child protagonist so angelically good that children everywhere might be forgiven for hating him.But despite its Victorian trappings - complete with English aristocrats, estranged and disinherited sons, long-lost (not to mention fake) heirs, and the inevitable triumph of the moral and "well-bred" over the deceitful and vulgar - Little Lord Fauntleroy is at heart a satisfying tale of family reconciliation, and the transformative power of love. Cedric Errol, the cheerful, good-hearted young hero of the tale, is able to bridge the differences, not just between the generations, but between the nations.Burnett herself was something of a bridge, born and raised in England, but living most of her adult life in America, and her familiarity with both cultures must have stood her in good stead while writing this tale of a crusty English aristocrat and his American heir. This may also account, in part, for my pleasure in the story, for at a time when few English children's authors had anything good to say about Americans (if they had anything to say at all), Burnett created a lovable character whose virtues - from the ease with which he converses with adults, to his democratic kindness and concern for all - were distinctly alien to British notions of childhood.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Today I picked up a very cheap copy at a book stall. I didn't mean to go and re-read it right now, but it seems I'm doing it =) Not as good as I remembered, but still not bad.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A character that I've constantly seen referenced but had never read. It is definitely a product of its time; slow to start and with an extremely dry wit that still caused my family to laugh out loud on several occasions (we read it aloud in the car). One of the funniest lines wasn't in the novel proper but in the authors biography "Her (Burnett's) adult novels are of a sentimental vein which is now thoroughly out of fashion."
The language is a bit repetitive - the Earl's smile is almost always 'grim', and an alarming number of things are either 'gay' or 'queer'. This, combined with the earnestness that the lines are delivered with lead to my constantly appending the phrase "He said with a leering wink" to the end of sentences. At least until the children caught on and the 10-year old asked "What's a leering wink?" Regardless, doing so makes the book exponentially funnier, if a bit off-putting since the titular character is 7 years old. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The third son of the Earl of Dorincourt, Cedric Errol, is disowned by his widower father because he marries an American. The couple have a child; Cedric Sr. dies in an influenza epidemic; both of the Earl’s older sons die – and, guess what? – the American boy Cedric inherits the title. His grandfather has him brought to England to groom him for the position.Cedric is a paragon of beauty and virtue but, even though I tried, I couldn’t dislike him. “He was always lovable because he was simple and loving. To be so is like being born a king.”What a wonderful children’s story this is – and I’m so very sorry that I missed it a s a child. 4½ starsRead this if: you have a child to share it with (oh, do introduce him or her to Cedric!); you’d like a child’s view of the world of Downton Abbey; or if you value classics.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Lord Fauntleroy is a sweet tale about a father-less, American boy named Cedric who finds himself the heir to an English earldom. The story is sorta in the vein of other classic books, like Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Pollyanna, and Rebecca of Sunnybrooke farm, in which a sweet, innocent child generally makes people happy. By the end of the story grumpy people are made kind and ungrumpy. I guess you'd say Little Lord Fauntleroy is the male character take on that storyline. Also, Little Lord Fauntleroy (Cedric) is the anti-Tom Sawyer, because Fauntleroy is the perfect, gentleman child.
Four stars because the plot is pretty straight-forward. No shocks or surprises. However, the story is very enduring. Just a sweet, comforting little read about a cute little boy doing nice things.
On a personal note, while I enjoyed the story, I hate the title. The name Fauntleroy reminds me of Ben Stiller's character in "Meet the Parents" or Prince Humperdinck from "The Princess Bride." I wish Burnett had titled it "something something Cedric" for the character's real name. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is a book about virtue. It would be a fun read aloud for the grands.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The story is about a boy called Cedric, who lives with his mother in a fairly run-down New York neighbourhood in the late 1800s. He is a lovable child, who has a knack of making friends with people of all ages: from the local grocer to a bootblack who struggles to make ends meet. One day, a lawyer arrives from the UK, giving some news that changes their lives forever. Much of the book describes Cedric's gradual adaptation to a very different kind of life, and also the thawing of a crusty old man. It’s a children’s book, which paints a good picture of the contrast between aristocratic homes in England and the poorer parts of New York. The author was clearly comfortable in both cultures, and shows how different the two countries were, even 130 years ago. Well worth reading for anyone - child or adult - who likes this era of fiction. I re-read it in about three hours, and it made an excellent distraction from an otherwise rather boring flight.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett; (5*)This was a sweet little story that speaks of the power of kindness, generosity and friendship. Cedric, our Little Lord Fauntleroy, is such an endearing character, so wise for such a young child. He is a perfect little angel of a lad. He's handsome, kind and caring. The reader cannot help but to adore this little guy. When he came into his fortune he was told by his grandfather's 'man' that he could have anything he wanted. Most little boys would want a race car or a spaceship or something else totally selfish but not our little guy. He only wanted money to help the poor and the needy. The Earl, his grandfather, was your stereotypical stone faced, heartless lord who has never loved anyone but himself and his now deceased younger son. But then he meets this grandson who is impossible not to adore. Cedric's innocent love for his grandfather breaks open the veneer of his stony old heart and makes an impact on the old soul, changing his life and consequently the lives of those who live under him.Another wonderful story by this gifted and beloved author.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cedric is a good boy,and live with his mother.But his grandfather Earl don't like his mother because she is American.Cedric lives with his grandfather who is cool.But he become gentleman because of Cedric..It is very heartful story.Story is a little long but very interesting.Cedric is so good boy.And Earl become good,so it is please for me.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5A 'handsome little boy' with 'golden curls' is the son of a exiled Captain and an American woman, who has been living in reduced circumstances, when he discovers that he is, in fact, Lord Fauntleroy, and will one day be Earl of Darincourt in place of his grandfather.So he must go to England, where the grumpy and bitter old man waits, and leave behind all his 'common' friends. But before he does, he solves all their problems.And so the sickly sweetness begins. The boy is obviously perfect, not scarred by either the loss of his father or having played with the lower classes of New York, and at the same time can't possibly be spoilt by the money and decadence afforded to him. The Earl keeps his mother 'Dearest' from him, and yet he is still happy. He charms all who meet him. The mother is perfect as well. And the Earl? Well, surely he has to become perfect in the halo of this 'handsome little face'.I only made it through this because it was the only audiobook I had at the moment, and I needed some sound! There are about a thousand too many mentions of Cedric's 'strong, lithe, graceful little body' and 'lordly little red legs', not to mention his mother's 'sweet young voice'. It was so bad that if I'd rolled my eyes every time I heard some phrase like this, I would have appeared drunk very quickly. This book's descriptions must be a paedophile's ideal. The basic plot is highly predictable, the characters one dimensional (apart from the Earl, who at least starts off being interestingly bitter and miserable) and at the end I wanted to throttle the whole lot of them.Perhaps I am just a cynic. In fact, I know I am. And this pushed me nearly over the edge.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary: Cedric Errol was for the most part a normal seven-year-old boy. His British father died when he was young, but his American mother and he live a happy, comfortable life together. One day, a lawyer arrives from Britain with some startling news: Cedric's uncles (whom he's never met) are dead, which leaves Cedric as Lord Fauntleroy, and standing to inherit an Earldom. His grandfather, the current Earl, is a nasty, cantankerous, selfish old man, who is still upset about Cedric's father marrying an American. The Earl sends for Cedric to come live with him in England, not for the boy's benefit, but for his own sense of pride. Cedric has been brought up to be unfailingly good, kind, and trusting, but how will such an innocent fare when given the privilege and power of nobility?Review: Well, color me misinformed. For some reason I had in my head that to be called "a little Lord Fauntleroy" was a disparagement, meaning you were acting like a spoiled brat. Turns out, the reality is pretty much the exact opposite. Cedric is almost preternaturally wonderful: kind, cheerful, giving, attractive, selfless, strong, trusting, and only ever seeing the best in people. He's essentially a male version of Sara Crewe from A Little Princess, but even more wonderful; even Sara was allowed one fit of temper. Cedric's extreme naiveté actually makes it somewhat hard to believe him as seven-year-old; in some places, four or five would have seemed to be a better fit. Regardless, this book - and Cedric himself - did charm me. Similarly to A Little Princess, the story is mostly one of the magic that being a good person can work in the world, and as morals go, that's not a bad one. My only real complaint is that Burnett transcribed her dialogue pretty literally, and gave all of her servants and rural people such thick country accents that some of their lines were almost unreadable. Apart from that, though, it's a sweet little story, predictable as all get out, of course, but not overly facile in its resolutions. Not quite as engaging as A Little Princess or The Secret Garden, but a charming little book all the same. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Best for fans of Burnett's other books, or British children's lit in general.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of my favourite children's books ever. Fauntleroy is a young, American boy whose gentle mother allows him to be taken from her when he becomes the heir to a massive English fortune. His delightful, loving personality wins over his incredibly cranky grandfather and eventually reunites his family.