The Secret Garden

July 14, 2003
Soothing and mellifluous, native Briton Bailey's voice proves an excellent instrument for polishing up a new edition of Burnett's story. Bratty and spoiled Mary Lennox is orphaned when her parents fall victim to a cholera outbreak in India. As a result, Mary becomes the ward of an uncle in England she has never met. As she hesitantly tries to carve a new life for herself at imposing and secluded Misselthwaite Manor, Mary befriends a high-spirited boy named Dickon and investigates a secret garden on the Manor grounds. She also discovers a sickly young cousin, Colin, who has been shut away in a hidden Manor room. Together Mary and Dickon help Colin blossom, and in the process Mary finds her identity and melts the heart of her emotionally distant uncle. Bailey makes fluid transitions between the voices and accents of various characters, from terse Mrs. Medlock and surly groundskeeper Ben to chipper housemaid Martha. And most enjoyably, she gives Mary a believably childlike voice. A brief biography of the author is included in an introduction. Ages 6-12.

cheetahluver - The Secret Garden is a well-paced book that is full of mystery and surprise. It is about a young girl named Mary who goes to England, and stays in a manor. At first, Mary is a disagreeable and ugly child, but soon the moor starts to change her looks and personalities. She makes new friends- animals and people alike- and soon discovers a secret garden that has been locked up for a long, long time. She also discovers her hidden cousin- a sick boy named Colin that lives in the same manor! Together, both Mary and Colin experience changes- mentally and physically- as the secret garden shapes the two children's lives.