This was such a cute retelling/reimagining of the classic story. I think what really stood out to me was the art. The cover is not even a HINT at the beauty inside. Seriously, this art will blow you away.

We all know the classic story, but this adaptation made it feel fresh and new, modernized but at the same time paying good homage to the original.

Thank you for the e-galley!

This was cute! I have such vivid memories of watching The Secret Garden film probably twenty years ago so I couldn't resist this. The art style is gorgeous, especially the nature and flower scenes - they really stood out and will look even more amazing in print. I also really appreciated the history and the glossary in the back! A great and informative read especially for younger readers.

3.5 "nostalgic, stress easing, hope instilling" stars !!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and illustrator and Andrews McCeel publishing for an e-copy.

I had a variety of minor stressors today (that added up) and I was feeling tense and mildly anxious. Aside from my meditation and walking I needed a little more. So I opened up my favorite Portuguese Rose and was perusing Netgalley when lo and behold......

This adaptation appeared.

As a young boy from the ages of five to eight I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett at least three times a year. At five I may have had it read to me once or twice but I started reading very young. It quickly became one my very favorites and it was both magical and comforting to me.

This graphic novel/picture book is an adaptation by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Hanna Luechtefeld. The adaptation was sweetly done but a bit lacking and I would rate it three stars. The illustrations were lovely and varied and I can see it appealing to young children. I would rate the illustrations an excellent four stars. In the end there is some really interesting background on the book and author as well as a glossary.

I feel this would appeal as a read-along to the younger children or older children that avoid novels.
I would hope this good book would be enough incentive for the child to then go on to the Classic.

The Secret Garden is one of my favourite children’s books. I love the entire story (except for one part; more on that later) and all the characters, Dickon and Martha being my special favourites. So seeing the graphic version of this novel is a nostalgic experience.

You might already know the original story. Mary’s parents, who live in colonial India, die suddenly of cholera and she is shipped off to one of her distance uncles in England. While initially a spoiled brat, she is soon set right by the friendly maid Martha. Under her loving tutelage, Mary learns to enjoy the outdoors, find new friends and even love herself. The secret garden she discovers on the grounds is central to this changeover.

The book is quite charming and cute. It moves very quickly as there are many pages with only graphics and not much dialogue. Unfortunately, the story gets a few abrupt jumps at times and I can’t help feeling that chaptered sections would have worked better in explaining the sudden scene shifts.

While the illustrations of the garden and house are excellent, the children could have drawn in a cuter way. The book will still be appealing to all its readers because the story is en evergreen one that speaks of nature and its enjoyment. I hope this graphic novel spurs the children to read the classic book too.

What I have always hated in the original story is the colonial setting. While I am sometimes forgiving of the classic authors for being so racist and stereotyped in their thinking about “the natives”, I found it hurtful that the author Frances Hodgson Burnett had never even visited India and merely used whatever she had heard to create a picture of the Indian under British rule. So here comes the great news: the graphic version does away entirely with the Indian part of the story and begins with Mary travelling to her uncle’s house. The note by the author at the end of the book states that the Indian part has been skipped out as “it doesn’t do justice to the history of British oppression in colonial India.” Heck, yeah! I am usually against significant parts of the story being left out in the graphic version, but in this case, I wholeheartedly support this decision and am grateful to whoever took that creative call. A big THANK YOU. A extra half star to the book for this decision and the honest note mentioning the same. <3 I would have gone with 3.75 stars for the book but now I go with 4.25.

Thank you, NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

CW- death of family member, grief
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This graphic novel adaption of The Secret Garden was adorable! I loved the art style, and I feel as though many of the important parts of the book were still there. It would be a perfect way to introduce young readers to the classic.
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Again, the art style is just so wonderful! It is worth it to pick up this book just because of it! It is very whimsical and almost dreamy.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a cute, hearwarming story with adorable illustrations. Fantastic! I can't wait to see more by these authors.

A beautiful, highly simplistic version of a classic.
This is a great introduction to classic stories - the illustrations are really easy to follow and so gorgeous! It really enhances the beauty and magic of the Garden!
As it’s a graphic novel, a lot of details from the original book are missed or omitted, but a lot of the author’s decisions are explained in a note at the end. There is a glossary which will help young readers understand words they may not have come across before.
Overall, this is a wonderful graphic novel which opens up Classics to more readers!

The thing I most adored about this graphic novel is that it matched the scenic and gorgeous landscapes that I always imagined when thinking of the original text. Definitely, something that Burnett would be proud of.

I loved the secret garden, and the illustrations in this graphic novel were FANTASTIC! I loved having the pictures to go along with it, because when you read this book you imagine what it looks like.

A wonderful graphic novel describing a famous fable. Artwork is excellent with brave use of space and interplay of colours is eye-catching. Panels on pages are innovative.
It was a wonderful read. Itvis easy on the eyes with big fonts. It is soothing to glide through pages. I don't like long and congesed captions. So naturally it was a simple read.

“The Secret Garden” by F. H. Burnett is one of my most beloved children’s books of all time, so I couldn’t skip this graphic novel. The adaptation was written by Mariah Marsden whose other book “Anne of Green Gables” I loved very much and I sometimes dive into when in need to cheer up. “The Secret Garden” was no less enjoyable.
The illustrations by Hanna Luechtefeld are simply enchanting. Performed in muted gentle colours, they created a cozy, magical atmosphere, a world you would want to get lost in. They were so heartwarming and touching, I couldn’t tear myself away from the pages.
The story itself is so popular, that everyone is familiar with it more or less: through the book or an old movie adaptation (which was my favourite to watch as a child). I believe Marsden’s version did the novel justice. The nature is basically called “magic“ in the adaptation and looks like it too. The picturesque scenery of moors, wild flowers, trusting animals are so alive and breathing, it made me smile.
I guess more pages could be dedicated to developing the characters’ relationships and to the importance of making friends. The other thing I’d change in this graphic adaptation is its length, I wish it was much longer. On the other hand, it’s the right number of pages to keep kids engaged in the story.
I hope the additional information at the end of the book will strike a spark of curiosity in young readers’ minds and they will be interested in reading the novel itself or just spending some time outdoors in the company of birds and plants.

The Secret Garden is one of those stories which has beautiful moments and dark moments. The drawing style emphasizes the lighter side, but makes it work and effectively communicates it to younger readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A lovely graphic novel based on the much-loved classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett. One of my favourite books as a child, I remember my feeling of awe as I read about the magical secret garden, tucked away behind four walls and forever locked with a secret key. I could smell and see the garden in my mind’s eye; the twisty, twiny weeded paths hidden behind the high stone walls, gradually blooming under the loving care of a special little girl and her helpers, into a magical fairy kingdom teeming with wonder and colour. Along the way, touching everyone in its path with its message of pure magic, the theme was clear - there is always a reason to hope, the possibility of re-birth, the comfort and heart-soaring promise of spring, and the dawning and power of transformation and a new day.

As a child, I loved grumpy Miss Mary, (portrayed beautifully here with her golden hair and sullen mouth), recognizing her as an orphan with a terrible past, heroically struggling to find her footing. And Dickon, the wild boy, tamer of animals, speaker to birds is captured perfectly with simple strokes and his cuddly menagerie of furry and feathered friends. And finally there is cousin Colin; spoiled, bed-ridden, terrifying ill of a wasting disease, (what we now know as tuberculosis) with little chance of survival. Hard to like, initially, Colin’s plight is fearful to any child, and in this rendition, the author and illustrator manage to capture his journey to hope lyrically and with great charm.

Although nothing can touch the magic for me of the original classic, this graphic novel is a book to treasure deeply for its beauty and simplicity, making this wonderful story accessible now to even younger readers, who will no doubt delight in the pictures, get lost in the story, and carry away a sense of wonder and delight from the experience.

On a final note, adults will enjoy it too - the illustrations are beautiful - wistful, ethereal, and muted in shades of teal, burnished pink and gold. (And don’t we all need another message of hope in this always challenging world.)

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance review copy of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This was an awesome adaptation of the classic story! I am a fan of the original, of course, and I love seeing any new version of this! This was no exception. The story is one that we know, but the art is what really brought it to life! It was beautiful. The style of the art really fit the story, and I just loved it! I can’t wait to see it in person! If you love The Secret Garden, you will love this!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I've never read the original Secret Garden, but this graphic novel adaptation is so good it makes me want to. The piece is a beautiful exploration of friendship, nature, magic, and grief, told in exquisite hand-done done drawings that are so detailed and atmospheric. The graphic novel format allows the storytellers to zoom and focus the story on moments and details in a way that is so enticing. The book feels like a Victorian storybook with a fresh twist.

I found the story itself to be lacking to parts, especially when Mary Lennox didn't feel like a fully formed character and the story of Colin relied on ableist tropes. However, this is the fault of a century-old source text, and not the beautiful adaptation.

The storytellers chose to leave out the backstory of British colonialism in India, but do address it in a section in the back of the book on “Places and Spaces in The Secret Garden.” Also included in the back of the book is an overview on the life of the original author of The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett, and a glossary of terms including flora and fauna, all of which I found to be enriching supplements to the graphic novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

This is a beautiful way to introduce this classic to young readers! I loved the illustrations. There’s a beautiful contrast between the gloomy gothic feeling of the first part of the book, with the color and light of the garden.

I found this book charming and the artwork really helped tell the story in a way that young readers can appreciate it. Most have never even heard of land often called "the moors" let alone seen them. The artwork in this book helps them to get a glimpse of the land, being able to picture something helps to immerse themselves in the story. I also appreciated how the book has times where the artwork does the storytelling, there was not a need to use text to cover some of the art, it was enough on its own.

I think this is a great book that can introduce children to some of the classics their parents grew up on.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the chance to read this lovely book!

I am not familiar with this classic but reading this book was so much fun. The illustrations is absolutely beautiful especially all of the flowers and the garden. This is such a fun and memorable read about surrounding by good company and the gorgeous surrounding of making the secret garden alive again. I would recommend other readers to read this graphic novel for those familiar and unfamiliar with this tale.

I was granted eARC access to The Secret Garden graphic novel adaptation by Mariah Marsden and Hannah Luechtefeld through NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

This graphic novel adaptation is all the important beats and dialogue of the original classic children's tale trimmed down to fit into 192 illustrated pages. This is a great option for younger readers, less confident readers, and less interested readers who still want or need to read The Secret Garden. It's both more entertaining and more accessible than reading the original text without losing anything that made the original what it is.

The art style reminds me of Madeline, but with epically expressive and hilarious facial expressions and a livelier colour palette, and I love it!

I loved this graphic novel depiction of The Secret Garden. I have yet to read the original work but have watched the movie countless times and this piece of art really captured all of the feelings the movie gives me. I think this is the perfect GN to start off Spring, it's so bright and full of greens and florals that I felt like I wanted to be in the book! I also think that this was the perfect length and depth for a children's GN, it covered all of the plot without hitting some of the darker parts too deeply that might have been hard visually for children. I also enjoyed the fact that the authors use the end of the book to talk about why they decided to not include pieces of the story and to ask questions and talk about the story and the plants within it! I think the style of the art and the colors perfectly captured the vibes of the original story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and, Andrews McMeel Publishing for my ARC!

Growing up I absolutely adored the Secret Garden. When I had the chance to read this via NetGalley I was very happy. This book is very colourful, and I can imagine a lot of kids reading this will enjoy finding the Secret Garden in this book. This book also includes an added glossary, which is handy for any terms or words one may not know.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ebook.

The Secret Garden is the second adaptation of a classic by Mariah Marsden that I read and I have to tell you that I fell in love with this book as I did with her Anne of Green Gables adaptation. What a delight this book was! I've always liked The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and this book really brings out the best things from the original - Mary's transformation over the book, the mysterious secret garden, Dickon - and it was all possible because of the style of illustration. Don't you just love those mini panels on all the pages?

I am going to buy this and all of Marsden's future adaptations (I really hope there will be more) for my daughter.

The secret garden was one of my favourite books growing up. I think it was one of the first ever chapters books I read. To see it as a graphic novel was so heartwarming and amazing. the art is absolutely incredible and a true masterpiece.

An adorable comic to introduce your younger reader to this classic. The origin of all grumpy girls opens up to the world in style. The illustrations are gorgeously cute and the adaptation kept the whole spirit of the work. A very nice addition to any girl's bookshelf.

The Secret Garden is one of my all-time favorite books, up there with Anne of Green Gables. I wasn’t sure if a graphic novel version would stand up to the original classic, but this book was as charming and enchanting as the original. The beautiful drawings told this lovely story in such a simple and beautiful way. I definitely felt all the warm fuzzies I felt reading the original. I would 100% buy this book for my shelf of children’s literature for my own kids.

I really enjoyed this. It is a great way of telling the original story. Although I know the story, I dont think I have read the book. I saw a dramatisation of this many years ago and reading this version has nudged me to read the original.

I thought the artwork was quite simple but that simplicity enabled the story to be told with the appropriate amount of text. I don't like my graphic novels to have a lot of prose. I like to be able to look at the artwork and hear the story through the pictures and this book manages to do this quite well.

I think this book will encourage both younger and older audiences to read the original. I fully intend to.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to an eARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The secret garden will always be a story close to my heart as I used to watch the movie on repeat with my Nana when I was little and this beautiful graphic novel really did justice on the story! The story was easy to follow and the illustrations were just beautiful. The depiction of nature was amazing and the illustrations really bought the characters and the garden to life!

I would definitely recommend this if you’re a fan of the secret garden and are looking for some beautiful illustrations to go along with it!

The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books when I was a kid and also the 1993 film was one of my all-time favorite movies. I adored this story with all my heart at one time and it's been quite some time since I have experienced it.

I have to say that this graphic novel version was absolutely beautiful. The illustrations were incredible, especially of the garden. The full two-page spreads are stunning. As an adaptation, it was really good from what I can remember of the story. I definitely will be picking up this book again soon.

I highly recommend this graphic novel for fans of this beautiful story and also to those that are new to the story. It was a great representation of a story that I have such fond memories of. I will definitely be picking up my own copy of this beauty.

*Thank you to Netgalley for my Advance Reader's Copy of this beautiful book. All opinions are my own*

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Secret Garden by Mariah Marsden and Hanna Luechtefeld is a stunning and charming adaptation of the original Victorian children's book. I recommend it for all fans of the "younger" Studio Ghibli movies like The Secret Life of Arietty or Kiki's Delivery Service. It would make a nice addition to any children's graphic novel collection.

I remember reading The Secret Garden when I was a child. I remember being enchanted by the three main characters and the development of friendship between them. Here, the graphic novel expounds on all of the magic and fantasy that is present in the original story. The "secret garden" itself is given lush, beautiful colors with clear attention given to the plant life in the garden. The scenes in the garden and in Misselthwaite Manor look like a visual masterpiece and perfectly depict the slightly gothic atmosphere of Victorian England.

The characters themselves are what impressed on my mind when I was reading the original story, and here, they are brought to life by the illustrator. The character's expressions are charming and funny, similar to other children's graphic novels like The Babysitter's Club graphic novels. The story of how the three children discover each other and help each other to grow emotionally and spiritually is preserved and enhanced in this graphic novel. Overall, I highly recommend The Secret Garden to all children looking for a graphic novel. If your child is interested in a feel-good story set in Victorian England, you won't regret checking out this book.

I'm overwhelmed! This book is just so so good!
I love classics' adaptations into graphic novels, maybe because the reading experience is even more immersive.
Mary's successful attempts to bring the secret garden to live again, asking help from her friends, has made my heart melt. The way her pure heart affects the lives of those around her is moving.
This is a book I want to suggest to everyone: children and adults.

I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Garden was one of my favourite classic stories growing up, so I was excited to read this graphic novel adaptation. I thought it stayed true to the spirit of the original work (although in a somewhat condensed format.) Some of the darker parts of the novel were glossed over, but a note was provided at the end about the colonisation of India, which I think is important to acknowledge.

I loved the art style, and it reminded me a lot of Madeline. I also liked how the colours were used to convey the atmosphere. Colin's room and Misslethwaite Manor, for example, were rendered in muted tones, and it contrasted with the brightness of The Garden when it was in full bloom.

I think this is a lovely adaptation, and certainly suitable for quite a young readership.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC for an honest review.

I loved this graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden. I think that Mariah Masden did a great job making this classic into a graphic novel for all to enjoy. The Secret Garden has always been one of my favorites and it is great to see it come to live in art form. I loved the art style of the novel as well and it followed the story pretty well with a few changes here and there, but they were not major.

Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate called the Misselthwaite Manor where her Uncle Craven lives on the Yorkshire moor. She’s shown to her room but she doesn’t like her new home even though the housekeeper Martha, has convinced her she’ll get used to it.

Martha tries to get Mary to do some chores in the house, but she can’t sew or knit 🧶. Mary, however, can read. Unfortunately the lady of the house, Mrs. Medlock keeps the library locked.

As she settles into her new home, Mary explores the estate grounds, makes friends with Dickon, a robin, and the gardener, Ben Weatherstaff. An interesting graphic novel. Would recommend.

Thank you to Mariah Marsden, Hanna Luechtefeld, NetGalley, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC of this book.

Mary is an orphan except her uncle has been found. She is going to live in his home. Mary doesn’t understand why she can’t see her uncle or check out the other rooms in the house. Eventually she goes outside to look at the gardens. One day she discovers a locked garden door. When she goes to ask the maid about it, the maid tells her no one can talk or go into that garden. The key has been thrown away. Mary does find the key and goes into the garden. It is an abandoned garden and gone wild. She decides to work on it. She meets a boy who can talk to animals when she leaves the garden. Later, she meets him again as her servant writes to her brother to buy and bring the seeds. Where will Mary grow the seeds? One night she hears a mysterious sound which the servant is answering Mary’s questing by telling her it’s the wind. She doesn’t believe it. Will she find out what makes the noise?

I read “The Secret Garden” that is the original book. I must say that while it is a delightful graphic novel, I think that some of the magic of the abbreviated story is missing. I love the colors and drawings of the graphic novel illustrations. They are done so perfectly for this story. I enjoyed the story.

I received an eARC of this title in return for an honest review.

I loved this adaptation of The Secret Garden. I thought it was accessible to its audience with all the notes afterwards. It’s a great way to introduce children to different words and biographies.

The story itself was very much written for children which is its intended audience. The story was watered down enough to keep the reader interested, but kept all the important aspects of the story.

I loved the artwork. I think it would even look better in print with the panels and full page art.

This was such a lovely read!
I don’t remember much from the original The Secret Garden, but this graphic novel can definitely be read and enjoyed by people who never read the original story.
The illustrations were absolutely beautiful and I absolutely recommend reading this!

What a lovely graphic novel version of The Secret Garden! I appreciate that the story was paired-down and streamlined and would make a good introduction to the work for an early reader. The illustrations were simple yet expressive and I enjoyed the full-page illustrations of the garden and grounds. I appreciated some of the choices the illustrator took with framing characters; adult characters were sometimes shown from a child's perspective. The book starts with a muted color palette that gives way way to more colors as the garden and characters come to life. After the story, the book includes an age-appropriate explanation of colonialism in India and pandemic that felt timely. In all, I look forward to purchasing a hard copy of this book to add to my library.

I loved revisiting this childhood favorite through a new genre. The imagery was beautiful and really added to the story. It's been so long since I last read The Secret Garden and I loved how the story felt like both an old friend and a new tale altogether. I cannot wait to share this with my nephew!

My initial thought was that the cover of The Secret Garden graphic novel was very pretty but once I looked inside, WOW! The illustrations throughout are even more stunning! With so much artistic detail, it shows that this graphic novel was a labour of love. This graphic novel follows the original story fairly closely but with a few modern changes that I really appreciated. I loved the additional information at the end, particularly the reasons why the author and illustrator made the changes they did.

I would highly recommend this graphic novel for all ages of The Secret Garden fans! I would also recommend the Anne of Green Gables graphic novel that was adapted by Mariah Marsden too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I want to thank Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I haven't read the original book of The Secret Garden until i've tried this graphic novel. But it didn't stop me from falling in love with this book. I love the art style and it really suits to the theme of the story. If a child or early teenagers read this graphic novel I think they will also fall in love with the illustrations and everything. This book feels like giving me a warm embrace as I read further into the story. It makes my heart warm and I loved that.

This book talks about the little things in life that most people just overlooked and it made me appreciate those little things. It has message that is telling me that even just growing a flower, it is still magic.

As for Mary, the main character, I liked her defiance and stubborness, and I must tell you that it's not annoying. It's actually makes her character adorable to read. She is also curious and brave despite being an orphan. Over the cast of characters, I love each of their character developments. It's a little fast but still understandable since this is a graphic novel.

Overall, I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I totally recommend this to readers of all ages. And I feel like this is the perfect book for children who you would like to get into reading. But even though you're an adult (like me) it still enjoyable to read and helps you find magic even in the little things.

Super cute illustrations and an abridged story make this adaptation ideal for middle grade readers and anyone interested in Burnett's classic novel.

Recommended for: middle grade+ readers

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Garden is such a magical classic. The illustrations in this version are magnificent. They paint a picture better than my imagination ever could. So grateful for the chance to re-experience this classic in a new light.

The classic novel of The Secret Novel turned into a stunning, beautiful graphic novel. The art style was simple but beautiful. It was very fast-paced leaving details out from the actual novel, however, the idea was still there.

This was lovely! I haven't read the Secret Garden in awhile, and reading this graphic novel makes me feel a tad nostalgic. I also really enjoy the art- I love how the illustrator depicts the flora and fauna. It's so beautiful!

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

4.5 // This book was adorable! The setting was ethereal, the art was gorgeous and fitting for the story, and of course the story of the Secret Garden was captivating, This book can easily be enjoyed by all age groups, however it particularly succeeds in making a classic with older English more palatable to younger audiences. I recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, and atmospheric read!

I'm going to preface this review with the fact that I have never read The Secret Garden prior to this graphic novel and I think this is a great way to introduce people to the story.

This was such a quick, easy read filled with illustrations that whisk you away from reality. At first, I wasn't sure about the dreary illustrations toward the beginning of the novel but after seeing the colorful garden I realized it was intentional and very well done. As someone who is still relatively new to the graphic novel genre there were some pages with so many panels that I was unsure of the reading order but I think that says more about me than the book itself.

If you're looking for a whimsical, nostalgic graphic novel this is for you.

The Secret Garden was one of the first classic novels I read when I was younger and is definitely one of my favorites. This graphic novel isn't as detailed as the book itself but I feel like it really manages to capture the main characters well. However, I wish there was more of Mary's uncle and of Dickon. It not having as much details impacted the story telling in some areas, in particular Mary's backstory, but I assume it was glossed over a bit because it is kind of sad and dark and this is a children's graphic novel. I wish more plotlines had also been explored. This was a very comforting and heart warming short read and I really enjoyed the way it brought me back to my childhood. The art is simply gorgeous and I love the colors.

The Secret Garden was a huge favourite of mine as a child.
I loved the idea of a garden that no one else could enter with gorgeous flowers and such mystery! It was also one of the first books I can remember having a child in a wheelchair. I have a cousin with cerebral palsy whose been confined to a wheelchair almost all his life I found this to be a very important point to note in my teenage years (my cousin is almost 10 years younger than me). This is one of those books like: Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and others where I tread carefully with re-tellings or new formats as they hold a special place in my heart from when I was young. However I will admit that one of my own nieces (currently 8 yrs old) loves reading but tells me that graphic novels are "the best". As a comic collector I don’t disagree with her. And yet oddly, I feel like classics should be classics and remain in novel format most days. But in the interest of possibly having my niece and her sister's favourite medium to share The Secret Garden story I gave this adaptation a shot.

True to the original story, the sentiment is, that being outdoors, amongst gorgeous lowers, sunshine, birds and wildlife can only be positive. Additionally the bonds of friendship and how important it can be to be friendly to everyone; regardless of their station in life or if they ‘report’ to you. This is an important lesson for children (and everyone) to learn and be reminded of. I always remember my father telling me that ‘you never know who your next boss will be’; so try not to alienate anyone. Personally I’m not always very good at it (lol); and so it’s a good reminder.

The artwork is very simple and cute. It felt like it gave it the ‘older’ feel that this story has always held for me. I like that it’s clearly the same time period (as witnessed by the clothing and wheelchair). The copy of this story I kept from my childhood was actually highly illustrated on glossy paper. Similar to the graphic novel the colours in the home were muted; but within the garden (and most of outdoors) were vibrant. I also liked how many of the lines used in this format are the exact same as the novel. Making this a vey true to the book adaptation.
An excellent option to bring the younger generation into a story that still has a core message relevant today.

<I>Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.</I>

I received a free digital ARC of this book through NetGalley. This book is a great way to get kids connected with classics. I hope she continues to adapt children’s classics into graphic novels. I’m really hoping she does Little Women.

This was one of my absolute favorite stories growing up. I saw, and loved, every movie version made. To see it reimagined in this way is beautiful, and dare I say magical. The illustrations are gorgeous and everyone should read it.