Plot: Bratty Mary Lennox finds herself shipped to her uncle's manor after her parents die in colonial India. She does not fit into the manor's household, but she did not fit in well in India, either. Still, she enjoys exploring the garden, especially after she hears about a garden hidden and locked away. With the help of an energetic robin, she discovers the garden, which brings her and the other unwanted members of the manor together. They rebuild the garden and manage to solve the mystery behind the garden's original disappearance.
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Genre: Fiction
Similar Titles: The Little Princess, Ann of Green Gables, Little Women
Personal Thoughts: Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present the rarely-seen school book with a happy ending. Seriously, nearly every required reading novel from fifth grade onwards seems to end with the character losing a pet, mother, father, and/or friend. Then people wonder why kids suddenly stop reading. Okay, the rant is now done.
Anyway, the book manages to offer a mystery without the usual spies, skeletons, or murders. Instead, it presents a realistic look at manor life in the Victorian era from the perspective of a child. The characters are flawed, but endearingly so. Tragedies occur, but they do not remain crippling, figuratively or otherwise. The ending manages to be happy, but not sappy. This was one of the few books I enjoyed from my tween school years. As a side note, the story provided a basis for at least two films and a musical.
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