  | Secret garden : a graphic novel Author: Marsden, Mariah | |
| Price: $19.08 | ||
Summary:
Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors inhabited by Martha Sowerby, the too-cheery maid with bothersome questions and elusive Uncle Craven, Mary's only remaining family--whom she's not permitted to see. As Mary begins to explore this new world, she finds a lost garden with a tragic past and with some help from unexpected friends she hopes to restore it. In graphic novel format.
| Illustrator: | Luechtefeld, Hanna |
Video Preview:
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 2.40 Points: .5 Quiz: 515157 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/21)
School Library Journal (07/01/21)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2021 Gr 3–6—Marsden and Luechtefeld's graphic novel reimagines Burnett's story of a lonely girl who blossoms while tending to a garden. Recently orphaned 10-year-old Mary Lennox is sent to live with her uncle Craven at gloomy Misselthwaite Manor in the Yorkshire moors. Sour and standoffish, Mary initially rebuffs the kindness of maid Martha Sowerby and wanders the grounds alone. Discovering a long-abandoned, locked-away garden, she decides to revive it, which leads her to both animal charmer (and brother to Martha) Dickon Sowerby and Colin Craven, her sickly cousin whose existence has been concealed from her. As the children transform the garden, happiness again seems possible at Misselthwaite Manor. This pleasant, evenly paced retelling is a good entry point for reluctant readers into classic children's literature. The parallels between the tending of the garden and character development within the story are reflected in the beautiful, hand drawn—style artwork, which gradually brightens from a washed-over neutral palette to lighter. The biggest change to the narrative is the decision to remove mention of India because those parts "don't do justice to the history of British oppression in colonial India." A brief biography of Burnett, a glossary, and a discussion of places and spaces from the original novel are appended. As in the original book, Mary and the other main characters are white. VERDICT A new take on a beloved story that will delight readers young and old. Recommended for all libraries.—Pearl Derlaga, York County P.L., VA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
