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The Secret Garden
For generations, readers have enjoyed classic literature. They have delighted in the romance of Jane Austen, thrilled at the adventures of Jules Verne, and pondered the lessons of Aesop. Introduce young readers to these familiar volumes with Great Illustrated Classics. In this series, literary masterworks have been adapted for young scholars. Large, easy-to-read type and charming pen-and-ink drawings enhance the text. Students are sure to enjoy becoming acquainted with traditional literature through these well-loved classics.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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1091 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 4, 2021
Even though this is not the full version of the book it was enough for me to know that I do want to read the full version and get to know the characters better and their stories. I really enjoyed this a lot and now I wonder why I haven't read it before. :)
January 25, 2024
The Secret Garden is a book I read often as a little girl. It seemed to me that I was in this garden, together with the main character. Now as an adult, I see how perfect this book is. Just open it to disappear into the world of dreams
May 20, 2020
always loved it still do, book to movie challange
June 20, 2024
This book has to be one of the best books I have ever read I read it around 9 months ago and I still think about the characters it’s a wonderful book and I don’t re read books a lot but I am considering it on this one.
March 19, 2022
Minu üks lapsepõlve lemmikutest! Ja see meeldis mulle endiselt ☺️
Raamat, kus on sõprust, ilusat loodust, saladusi ja lootust, et asjad saavad alati paremaks minna. Lugesin illustreeritud versiooni ja mulle väga meeldisid ka need pildid - nii kaunid ja elavad! ❤️
Raamat, kus on sõprust, ilusat loodust, saladusi ja lootust, et asjad saavad alati paremaks minna. Lugesin illustreeritud versiooni ja mulle väga meeldisid ka need pildid - nii kaunid ja elavad! ❤️
December 28, 2020
Hav loved it
February 24, 2025
I have a 7 year old who is starting to read on her own. We first started with the original classic read aloud but it was still too hard for her to understand. (I was reading it )We switched to this mid book and she loved this adaption! She was able to read in her own but was still struggling; we ended up reading as her bedtime story and her comprehension skyrocketed. Great adaptation!
December 21, 2011
I adore this book.
It's on my "enchanting" bookshelf, which means that it certainly does mean a lot to me.
I remember that as a little girl I always wanted to read it. I would see it at the bookstore, and ask my father for it, and he would say, "No, sugar-pickle, you only want it for the key-necklace that it comes with-you won't read it," while I had full intentions to read it!
Eventually, years later, I remember seeing it at a smaller book store or maybe a department store, and it was the "Great Illustrated Classics" edition, which came with no necklace. This time my father did give it to me!
I don't remember much about the first time I read it, but I do remember how much it meant to me when I read it this last year.
I remember, going into it, that I thought it was about magic and fairies, but it was not. It was so much better!
It's a very touching book, one that makes you want to live life rather than waste it away indoors, which is what one character had been doing!
As my copy is large print, it does strain my eyes to read it, but I love it so much I will always read it on a rainy day or a day when I need a bit of enchantment in it, as it is a very quick read.
Another thing I love about it is the main character, Mary Lennox, starts out as a very spoiled brat, but grows throughout the story. Those are always my favorite characters.
The writing is very wonderful, and as they say more about the book than I ever could, I'll include some of my favorite quotes here.
That scene just always touches me-I find it so sweet, in the writing and the phrasing, how the little girl bonds.
This part has a very large truth to it-even now. So often I hear people complaining about there being nothing to eat when they have a buffet of seemingly endless food in front of them. They have no idea what they have, mainly because they have never been truly hungry before in their life.
I love this book so much-I really think every girl should read it.
It's on my "enchanting" bookshelf, which means that it certainly does mean a lot to me.
I remember that as a little girl I always wanted to read it. I would see it at the bookstore, and ask my father for it, and he would say, "No, sugar-pickle, you only want it for the key-necklace that it comes with-you won't read it," while I had full intentions to read it!
Eventually, years later, I remember seeing it at a smaller book store or maybe a department store, and it was the "Great Illustrated Classics" edition, which came with no necklace. This time my father did give it to me!
I don't remember much about the first time I read it, but I do remember how much it meant to me when I read it this last year.
I remember, going into it, that I thought it was about magic and fairies, but it was not. It was so much better!
It's a very touching book, one that makes you want to live life rather than waste it away indoors, which is what one character had been doing!
As my copy is large print, it does strain my eyes to read it, but I love it so much I will always read it on a rainy day or a day when I need a bit of enchantment in it, as it is a very quick read.
Another thing I love about it is the main character, Mary Lennox, starts out as a very spoiled brat, but grows throughout the story. Those are always my favorite characters.
The writing is very wonderful, and as they say more about the book than I ever could, I'll include some of my favorite quotes here.
"I don't have any friends at all," admitted Mary. "I never had anyone who liked me."
"Then you and I are very much alike," said Ben, sighing. "We both frown most of the time and probably have nasty tempers too."
That scene just always touches me-I find it so sweet, in the writing and the phrasing, how the little girl bonds.
"Don't want it!" exclaimed Martha in horror. "You can't let good food go to waste! Why, if my brothers and sisters were here, they'd have these plates empty in minutes."
"Why?"
"Why? Because in all their lives, they've never known what it was to have their stomachs filled with food, that's why!"
"I've never known what it's like to be hungry," said Mary coldly and indifferently.
This part has a very large truth to it-even now. So often I hear people complaining about there being nothing to eat when they have a buffet of seemingly endless food in front of them. They have no idea what they have, mainly because they have never been truly hungry before in their life.
I love this book so much-I really think every girl should read it.
February 5, 2015
Worst piece of literary fiction I read when i was younger. Its the first and only book I've legitimately fell asleep to while reading. This is an impressive accomplishment of its own due to the fact I'm not that avid of a reader. Reading was never and still is not a large part of my life. However, when I'm forced to read a book for a school, are recommended to read a book by friend, or any other sort of influence...I still put in a decent amount of time and focus to get through it. There are books I adore and there are books I wish I had passed own. However, Secret Garden stands alone at the bottom of the heap. Deep in a dark abyss of cynicism and loathing. To those who may ask...no, ive never finished the book. Will I ever finish the book? The answer is a defiant, no. I dont care what else happened in those hundred or so other pages. I dont' care what adventure this girl finds in her mystical flora. I don't care at all. Secret Garden is an overrated piece of garbage that has "stood the test of time" due to no one willing to call it out on how mediocre it is.
April 3, 2011
it's a GREAT book!
September 3, 2016
I loved this so much. It really took me by surprise.
November 17, 2023
While i agree with the idea that mental health and physical health are connected and that getting out into nature can improve your mental health...the idea that one visit to a garden immediately permanently changes your outlook and suddenly changes all your ideas and starts improving your health right away...is cheesy and kind of silly.
For most of the book I didn't find any of the characters particularly interesting and some were downright unlikeable.
Also a little too much pseudo new age spirituality to it for my taste, the whole positive thinking causes magic to happen thing. I don't know if it was editing to this version but it seemed like the writer was taking great pains to show the influence of God but without mentioning or including God at all so it was all vaguely spiritual "magic. and maybe ghosts." Ironically or not the concept reminds me of repackaged satanism self help books like "the secret" which reinvented the luciferian concept of visualizing your desires to make them a reality. Here it just has a naturalist twist on it. It's a lot of dark concepts that are just given a positive uplifting coating. That being said it had its moments and there were parts of it that I enjoyed, the childlike wonder of exploring and showing people develop from awful spoiled brats into decent caring people was nice. Overall it was ok but I likely wont be adding the full version to my reading list anytime soon.
For most of the book I didn't find any of the characters particularly interesting and some were downright unlikeable.
Also a little too much pseudo new age spirituality to it for my taste, the whole positive thinking causes magic to happen thing. I don't know if it was editing to this version but it seemed like the writer was taking great pains to show the influence of God but without mentioning or including God at all so it was all vaguely spiritual "magic. and maybe ghosts." Ironically or not the concept reminds me of repackaged satanism self help books like "the secret" which reinvented the luciferian concept of visualizing your desires to make them a reality. Here it just has a naturalist twist on it. It's a lot of dark concepts that are just given a positive uplifting coating. That being said it had its moments and there were parts of it that I enjoyed, the childlike wonder of exploring and showing people develop from awful spoiled brats into decent caring people was nice. Overall it was ok but I likely wont be adding the full version to my reading list anytime soon.
April 19, 2021
Mary Lennox lives in India and is spoiled with servants. When both of her parents die soldiers find her and she is sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven in Yorkshire. Since Mary has been spoiled all her life she is not a very tolerable child. She soon finds the secret garden that was her Uncle Cravens wife that he locked up after she passed away ten years ago. Mary and a friend she meets named Dickon work on the garden to restore it to its original beauty. Another friend she eventually comes across is Colin Craven the son of Archibald Craven. Colin has been bedridden since birth and is stuck up in his room because his father can not stand to look at him because it reminds him of his late wife. The three friends spend their summer in the garden and Colin slowing is recovering. In the end Colin and his father see each other and continue a healthy relationship. The character development in this book is great. Mary being able to spend time in the garden and make friends was a great way for her to cope with her trauma as well as help Colin with his trauma. I gave this book five stars because I thought it was a good story. I really enjoy books that tell stories about peoples life's and this book does exactly that. There is a lot of adventure and I loved seeing how Mary grew over time into a much better person then she was at the beginning of the book.
June 9, 2018
I re-read this book recently, it's a wonderful, heartfelt story, early work on the power of positive thinking as two young cousins overcome childhood tragedies. I didn't see the library edition I read, but it was unabridged. I unfortunately found the original full-length to be rather overwritten, I'd recommend an abridged version, I must've read that one before and you won't miss anything. Some scenes just go on and on.
January 13, 2025
Atsimenu, vaikystėje, paklausta, kokia mano mėgstamiausia knyga, daug metų įvardindavau būtent šią. Buvo nuostabu po daug metų pasiimti ją į rankas ir pasinerti į savo vaikystės nostalgiškus prisiminimus, o taip pat ir dar kartą išgyventi šią jautrią, gražią istoriją apie tikruosius gyvenimo Stebuklus.
"Paslapatingas sodas" - dabar jau viena iš mano mėgstamiausių ne tik vaikystės, bet apskritai - knygų.
"Paslapatingas sodas" - dabar jau viena iš mano mėgstamiausių ne tik vaikystės, bet apskritai - knygų.
April 23, 2024
I read this book with a couple of 3rd grade classes. It's a classic that most people know the story of.
Mary goes to live with her reclusive uncle after her parents' death.
Left to entertain herself, Mary wanders the grounds and comes across a secret garden. Mary works with a neighbor boy to make this garden come back to life.
Mary goes to live with her reclusive uncle after her parents' death.
Left to entertain herself, Mary wanders the grounds and comes across a secret garden. Mary works with a neighbor boy to make this garden come back to life.
October 3, 2025
Favorite Childhood Story
I was the same age as Mary Lennox when I finally took this book off the shelf and began reading it. I have read it countless times since.
It is a nice abridged version that is perfect for those reading it for the first time. The pictures are beautiful and make reading a joy. You can't help but feel happy as you watch Mary come to life along with the garden.
I was the same age as Mary Lennox when I finally took this book off the shelf and began reading it. I have read it countless times since.
It is a nice abridged version that is perfect for those reading it for the first time. The pictures are beautiful and make reading a joy. You can't help but feel happy as you watch Mary come to life along with the garden.
September 8, 2020
This book is nothing like it seems. I watched the movie at a young age, the newer one. Eventually I found out there was an older movie (so good), and a book! I love this story so much. It is beautifully written.
June 28, 2023
I've had this book for most of my life and despite reading it several times before now, I only just realize that this is an abridged version. The story isn't too different, according to wikipedia, so I guess it's fine. Anyway, it's a nice story. I can see why it's considered a classic.
November 21, 2017
This book was amazing. After I finished it once I decided to reread it a few more times.
January 8, 2018
Една от най-любимите ми детски книжки :)
December 12, 2018
I remember loving this book during my school days.
May 30, 2019
This is a classic story, but with simplified narrative, it does not have the magic of the original. I strongly recommend the original instead.
Read
October 25, 2019I loved this book,I would read it again any day.Each day I always was excited to read more of the book.
December 12, 2019
Wonderful to revisit a childhood favorite.
December 27, 2019
I really liked Mary
May 3, 2020
I adore this book, i love the plot and character development. it makes my heart happy.
May 18, 2020
Quick fun read with my 5 year old.
June 6, 2020
This was a beloved staple throughout my childhood.
July 9, 2020
ive read it so many times and its shorter than what i remember but its still good?? -amy
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews