The Secret Garden

Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A lonely girl discovers a hidden garden with a mysterious key.

6.4/7 Bookroo experts·4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,194,235 ratings

352 pages· 80,729 words· Est. 11 hour read· 950L

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Bookroo's summary

Mary Lennox, orphaned and alone in her uncle's dreary mansion, discovers a key to a forbidden garden. As she unlocks its secrets, she steps into a magical world that changes everything. What mysteries lie within, and how will they alter her life forever?

From the publisher

After losing her parents, young Mary Lennox is sent from India to live in her uncle’s gloomy mansion on the wild English moors. She is lonely and has no one to play with, but one day she learns of a secret garden somewhere in the grounds that no one is allowed to enter. Then Mary uncovers an old key in a flowerbed – and a gust of magic leads her to the hidden door. Slowly she turns the key and enters a world she could never have imagined.

At a glance

Format
Pages: 352
Words: 80,729
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 950L

Themes & topics

Books about kids stuck at home Books about secrets Books about imagination and play Books about gardening Books about flowers

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Serious Subject Matter

This book contains a few instances of racism. For example, the maid, Martha, makes remarks about "blacks," and Mary is offended Martha expected Mary to be black.

What readers & critics say

Reviews

6.4

out of 7

6.0

“I've heard for years that I needed to read The Secret Garden and finally got around to doing a read-aloud with my wife and little boy. It really is a delightful book. I can imagine that some people dismiss it for suggesting that all of people's problems would go away if they just try thinking positively. Of course, some problems won't, but I think it's a powerful book for teaching the power of positive thinking to children and a great reminder for adults. It's a little cheesy at times, but that's part of what makes it fun--you keep waiting for the hat to drop, for some big crisis, and it never really comes. It's just a feel-good book through and through, and that was surprisingly refreshing. Though there's no big crisis or setback the characters have to work through, I love that it can be an early reader's first foray into some mystery as well.”

Lemony Snickers

Trusted reviewer

The author