Hello, I'm Richard Nicholas Nimz, prospector of the written word. This is easily the oldest book on my blog, and it's an easy example of how tastes have changed over a hundred years. It's one everyone's probably heard of, but probably never read. It's The Secret Garden.
Citation: Burnett, F. H. (1971). The Secret Garden. New York: Dell Publishing Co.
Yes, my copy's older than I am. Library copy of Anastasia Krupnik, you have been beaten.
Summary: Mary Lennox is an insufferable brat whose parents ignore her and whose servants fear her. After her parents die of a cholera outbreak, though, she's sent from India to live with her uncle Archibald Craven at a manor in Yorkshire. There, spurred on by new friends among the staff and the story of a secret garden that's been sealed up for ten years, she begins to become more pleasant, and becomes the key to helping another brat improve.
Impressions: I first saw this story many years ago as a movie, the Hallmark Hall of Fame version from 1987. I don't even remember the last time I saw the movie. As it stands, I've got mixed feelings about this book. Times have changed since this book was written, mainly in the tone of the story. A lot of the book can feel sappily sweet and it expounds the story's central message on the power of positive thinking and going outside a lot. The characters who live five miles away out in the country are viewed as perfect and wise, and that's going to grate on some people. However, this book is still pretty good, in part because it can be very dark at times. The book opens with Mary being abandoned during the cholera outbreak that kills her parents. The brat at the Yorkshire manor likewise has a very sympathetic backstory. With both of them, you want them to have a happy ending. Also, I can't fault the message it's trying to present, although I do acknowledge that positive thinking has its limits, something the book doesn't really delve into. In all, however, it is as Patricia Austin describes it: "This orphan story with a touch of mystery and a bit of magic has charmed readers since its 1911 publication." (2011).
Uses: Due to its extreme age, it could easily be used as part of an exhibit on how to appreciate old, classic books. Due to its focus on gardening, it could also be used to introduce children to the hobby.
Auxiliary Source: Austin, P. (2011, December 15). The Secret Garden. Booklist, 108(8), 64. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA275850925&v=2.1&u=txshracd2679&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=b01f6414857ff095a9e0527d9718b7ca
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