The Secret Garden: Kids and Magic

I got this book from a newly-made literacy club (yes, we learn how to read) and it's a sort of assignment to read this book first. I'm quite okay with the idea of reading the book, since it's classic – sort of – and it's children literature. So, instead of reading each chapter each day, in which I hardly have the time and patience to do, I read them all when I have the time (sorry). No harm done, I hope.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a piece about family, children, friendship and nature. In the first chapter of the book, we meet the heroine, Mistress Mary, a spoiled child who used to have anything she wanted given her by her Indian servants. One day, the house where she lived was infected by cholera, in which all her family died and all her servants either died or fled. She was found by her father's colleagues and taken to her uncle's house, Misselthwaite Manor. There she actually had to learn her manner.

In that house, she couldn't expect everyone to do according to her liking. Instead, she had to learn to take care of herself. With no one to attend to her, she explored the garden of the Manor, hoping to find the secret garden everyone's talking about. She made friends with a red-breast robin, who at last showed her the key to the garden and the garden itself.

The garden, Dickon – a local boy, and Ben – a gardener, helped Mary to be a better child – compassionate, loving and unselfish – and it also helped Mary's cousin, Colin, to improve both physically and emotionally. Well, they even believe that there's Magic in the garden.

I truly love how the book is very easy but at the same time deep. I would recommend this book for kids from 7 y.o. It will help them to appreciate nature, to be considerate of others, and to be diligent.