A Little Princess: What Makes a Real Princess?

Long time no see. Let's not get there. *sob internally*

I have long wanted to review a book I read some months ago. It's another book by ‎Frances Hodgson Burnett. After my experience with her other children book, I expected a lot from A Little Princess - and the author surely delivers.

A Little Princess is about a girl named Sara Crewe. She was left at the boarding school of Miss Minchin by her beloved father. Thanks to her father's riches, her clever mind and lovely personality, her life in the boarding school was amazing. She was allowed to have a personal luxurious room, a maid, and a horse. She befriended many people, among them Ermengarde, Lottie, and Becky. She was hailed as a Princess and school, which she accepted gladly.

But her father's sudden death and business failures turned her life upside down. The Headmistress, who had long envied her and resented her, abused her - turning her into an unpaid maid and teacher-assistant. She was often left half-starved and cold in the attic, now serving as her room. Being all poor and lonely now, could she still be a princess? What makes a princess?

It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.

This book really brings me back to my childhood. I feel as if I were 7, and I can enjoy everything that Sara does and says in the book. Although written for kids, I am not ashamed to say that this book brought me to tears. Sara's struggle to stay strong, noble and kind under most trying circumstances really moves me. But do not think that she will be a Mary Sue - all kind and naive. On the contrary, Sara's personality is really believable.

The only downside that I can say of this book is its portrayal of foreigners. Some people may find it hard to let their kids read a book that describes people from India only as pagans and servants. But apart from that, I have nothing to complain.

Have you read A Little Princess? I would love to know your opinion on this book.

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.