A beautiful spin of the original story.
I loved the story as a kid, I read it so many times until I lost my copy.
The graphics were nice and I found the arrangement of some certain things. It really brought back some really fond childhood memories.
Though I did not remember Mary being this spoilt.
Then the acknowledgement of the original author was beautiful and the discussion of conialism in India was a fine addition.
All in all the graphic artist deserves some serious applause.

The Secret Garden was one of my childhood favourites. I read my treasured copy until the front cover began to separate from the rest of the book and watched the 1993 movie so many times I could recite entire scenes to you. It’s now been several years since I last read the book; a friend borrowed my copy and never returned it and I haven’t been able to bring myself to read a copy that’s not my well loved, decades old one.

I absolutely adored Mariah Marsden’s adaptation of Anne of Green Gables and was looking forward to her next adaptation. Needless to say, I was delighted to learn that she was bringing me the story of contrary Mary Lennox, sweet animal whisperer Dickon and sickly Colin.

This graphic novel adaptation stays true to the spirit of the novel but glosses over some of the details found in the original story. In particular, Mary’s life before she arrives at Misselthwaite Manor is barely touched on (the reasons for this are explained at the end). If you didn’t already know her background, the changes in her throughout the story wouldn’t be as meaningful. This story also ends before you find out what becomes of the three children.

Although I had hoped Brenna Thummler, who illustrated the Anne of Green Gables adaptation, would return for any future adaptations, I did enjoy Hanna Luechtefeld’s style. I especially loved the way the colours fit Mary’s mood. When she first arrives at Misselthwaite Manor the colours are muted. The flashbacks to her life in India take on an orange hue. As the story progresses and life returns to Mary, Colin and the garden, the colours become richer.

Following the story you’ll find information about Frances Hodgson Burnett’s life, details of the various locations found in the story and a glossary.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this eARC copy for review!

I have never actually read The Secret Garden but it has been on my TBR for a really long time. However, sometimes I find that I can really struggle to read a lot of classic books. One of my goals for 2021 is to read more classics and books out of my comfort zone so this was a perfect reason to read this graphic novel.

What really made me choose to want to read this book was the gorgeous cover. The art style throughout the whole book is stunning and it really made it so easy to follow this story.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who either already loves the classics or to those who are trying to learn how to enjoy classics!

I read the book and watched the movie when I was very young . I can hardly remember the plot exactly. But this graphic novels brings back a lot of memories.
From this book I learned what friendship really means. And how important it is.
The Secret Garden is a book about many secrets. Good secrets that in the end it is good to be exposed.
I love how the main characters complimented each other. It was at first a bumpy ride but in the end all of them found each others’ strengths.
This book is suitable for all ages.
Live the illustrations so much. Beautiful in deed

I will start by saying that I have never read the Secret Garden. I have never really been interested in reading about it but this graphic novel makes me want to pick it up. The story was sweet and the artwork was beautiful. It really made me want to go find my own secret garden somewhere. I really enjoyed this cute little story,
Also thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
TW: Grief

This was good, the art was nice and it would've come across beautifully for a young child to read as it is a children's classic in a graphic novel format. I found it just long enough to convey the desired emotions and atmosphere you get from the classic (which I read so long ago as a child that I can barely remember). I found this beautifully made and while not my personal favorite, I can see 10 years old's reading this multiple times and enjoying it a lot.

4/5 stars
Bookarina.

The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden, Hanna Luechtefeld
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
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Description from NetGalley…
Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors with a scowl and a chip on her shoulder. First, there’s Martha Sowerby: the too-cheery maid with bothersome questions who seems out of place in the dreary manor. Then there’s the elusive Uncle Craven, Mary’s only remaining family—whom she’s not permitted to see. And finally, there are the mysteries that seem to haunt the run-down place: rumors of a lost garden with a tragic past, and a midnight wail that echoes across the moors at night. 
 
As Mary begins to explore this new world alongside her ragtag companions—a cocky robin redbreast, a sour-faced gardener, and a boy who can talk to animals—she learns that even the loneliest of hearts can grow roots in rocky soil.
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Thank you to @netgalley @andrewsmcmeel for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Pretty illustrations. The Secret Garden is one of my favourite books of all time. So, any edition I find, I try to read. This abridged, illustrated edition was lovely. It’s a great way to introduce young readers to this book and to great classics. I really like the colour palettes of this graphic novel. And a great bonus at the back of the book was information about the life of Frances Hodgson Burnett and the “Places and Spaces in The Secret Garden.”

This is a very simple version of the Secret Garden. Now I haven't read the Secret Garden in 30 years so it was a nice reminder. I still enjoyed the story, I appreciated the notes at the end of the book about how they changed the story and why and the research about the author. I can see this being a big hit with my younger students. I will be buy it for my library! While the lack of information takes a little from the book it is still really good and a heartwarming book.

The Secret Garden is a graphic novel adaptation of the original turn-of-the-century classic book by the same name. I liked the art and the overall concept, but ultimately felt like the adaptation didn't bring anything new to the table in the scope of the book. The original book has a magical-like quality to it in the build up to the garden, and I think that gets a little lost in the condensed version here. However, this adaptation could be helpful for young readers or someone who wants to ease themselves into classics, and isn't completely devoid of merit. The illustrations themselves are nice!

I did appreciate the author's note at the end where they explained about France Burnett's life and how and why the Secret Garden was originally inspired. I also appreciate that they mention the colonization of India in its context to the original book.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The was a cute version of the original rendition. It is such a sweet story that takes you into a magical world. Great for a middle grade read.

I loved The Secret Garden when I was growing up. I know I read it several times. I felt like I was there in that huge mansion, lonely and sad, looking for some kind of happiness. While the illustrations were truly magical and beautiful, j felt the story part of this graphic novel was missing something. Maybe I’m unjustly comparing my love of the original work I had at the age of 10 with the dulled vision and imagination of a 40 year old but something was missing for me overall.

If you’ve never read The Secret Garden before I think you’d love this version more then someone like me who’s read and loved the original book version.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC I received.

A graphic novel adaptation of the classic story of Mary, an orphan girl who is sent to live with her uncle, and finds her bitterness and sadness turned into hope and kindness by her interactions with a housemaid, the housemaid’s brother, a locked garden, and a relative she isn’t supposed to know exists. All are changed for the better by their time together in the garden.

Having loved what Marsden did with her Anne of Green Gables graphic novel adaptation, I had high hopes for this. And they proved warranted. I really liked this a whole lot better than the original as it makes some of the melodrama more succinct, and still conveys the full power of the message of the story. The art style really fits, and many will appreciate that Marsden and others involved in the creation of this graphic novel chose to cut out the India aspect of the original and some racist sentiments (Marsden talks about this in the back of this book). There’s also a brief bio of Frances Hodges Burnett’s life in the back of the book that was interesting to read. It helps enlighten readers about some of the inspiration for the original author and her most famous stories. Highly recommended to graphic novel fans, and those who want to read the classics but may not have the high reading level or patience for the full novel.

Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. The deaths of Mary’s parents and aunt in the past are mentioned, but not shown. No violence.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a pre-published version of this book from NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to provide a sincere and honest review.

This is a wonderful rendition of Frances Hodgson Burnett's book. Marsden and Luechtefeld have created a version of the classic story that is so beautiful, and so easy to understand, that even young readers will want to read this book. Although this is an old story, the illustrations allow the reader to assume that this is a modern tale. Adult readers interested in modern retellings of classic literature will also find this book a necessary collector's item.

This was so lovely. The Secret Garden is one of my favourite books of all time, and this is such a beautiful adaptation. The artwork is ethereal and gorgeous, and has a beautiful way of eliciting the emotions that the characters feel, especially Mary. While it would also serve as a great introduction to Burnett's story, I think those who would most get joy out of reading this are those who are already in love with the story. It's familiar and comforting, but also is a fresh new way to experience the book we love with our whole hearts. I also especially loved the changes the author chose to make to the story, in particular the elimination of Mary's time in British India. It doesn't change the heart of the story at all, and they provide a thorough explanation (in a way that children may understand) why it is not crucial to Mary's story and why it was removed due to the harmful aspects of India's colonisation. Well done.

Thank you for the publisher and for NetGalley for the free ebook!
This was a cute, short graphic novel of The Secret Garden. I actually wanted to read the real story long time ago, and this book helped me to understand what its about and I liked it. So I think soon I will pick it up. The illustrations are nice, if you like more child-like drawings this is for you. I am more like a comic book type of illustration fan, but I think its perfect for middle graders.

A wonderful adaptation of the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The art enhances the classic story of spoiled,. mean, terrible, neglected rich girl Mary Lennox and her snotty, sickly cousin and the healing power of going outside in the garden, playing in the dirt, being nature. If you enjoyed the original book or the 1992 film you will not be disappointed in the graphic novel. Great for kids and adults.

Mary Lennox is not an easy-going child. She has high expectations of the adults around her even though she has just been taken in by her uncle following the death of her parents. The giant estate is mysterious and the servants friendly. There is an odd wailing at night that she is warned to stay away from, but she is determined to find the source, much like she is determined to find her way into the locked garden on the estate.

The Secret Garden, the 1987 Hallmark movie, was one of my favorite movies to watch over and over again as a child. The mystery, the beautiful countryside, the grouchy girl who grows pleasant, and the ailing boy who just needed someone to love him were the perfect combination for my imagination. I did read the book at some point, but the movie is what truly captured my heart. This graphic novel captured it again. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story holds the same intrigue for me. I can see, however, that for readers new to the story, there may be too many gaps they can't fill in on their own the way I can.

I recommend this book for graphic novel lovers and fans of The Secret Garden!

This is a lovely comic adaptation of The Secret Garden. I especially appreciated the "movement" from panel to panel, giving a sense of restfulness and space to the outdoors in the story. The illustrations were beautiful and evocative of the English countryside in a way that pulls the reader in. I also loved that the creators included notes on why they made certain editing choices in this adaptation along with more information about colonization. I would be most likely to recommend this to 1st-7th graders, depending on their individual reading and interest levels.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a graphic novel version of this story. Here are my pros and cons for The Secret Garden:

Pros
1. This is a great introduction to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The graphic novel format may appeal to children who aren’t interested in reading novels yet.
2. The story is heavy on illustrations and light on words, which may be attractive to reluctant readers (see Con 3).
3. There is a glossary at the end of the book!!

Cons
1. The imagery is nice and appropriate for a graphic novel. However, I wish the faces had been illustrated more realistically. Single lines and dots were used to depict facial features and expressions and it made the characters feel cartoonish. I understand this is a graphic novel, but the rest of the imagery is so nice that the simplistic humans felt a bit distracting to me. Note, however, that the targeted age group probably won’t mind or even notice this.
2. Since I have read the original novel, I feel like this graphic novel format loses a lot of the depth and detail of the original story. However, the general story is still there, and it is clear what is happening on a basic level.
3. There were surprisingly few words in this graphic novel, so occasionally the reader must pay attention to the illustrations to make interpretations about what is going on. This isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but young readers may miss some detail if they aren’t paying attention.

Summary
While I think this graphic novel version is missing the depth and detail you get from the original story, I do believe it is a good introduction of this classic to children, particularly reluctant readers. Hopefully it inspires them to read the full story, too.

I also think this would be a nice gift book for fans of the original story or for those who enjoy collecting multiple editions of favorite books.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a free eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is a charming retelling of the classic story, reworked into a graphic novel for the younger reader. As the Secret Garden was a favourite of mine when I was little, I was eager to see the new format.

The bare bones of the story remain intact: Mary, a spoiled child is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with an distant, widower uncle after the death of her parents. In her loneliness, she befriends the servants and explores the grounds, discovering both a secret garden and her hitherto unknown, hypochondriac cousin, Colin. The children's tending of the garden heals their own emotional wounds, and that of Colin's father (Mary's uncle).

It is a charming story, with a depth to it I never noticed previously. Younger readers will benefit from this introduction into the classic. The illustrations were sweet and whimsical, with excellent use of colour to enhance the mood of the scenes

For myself, though, I found the graphic novel format lacking some of the magic that one would otherwise find when losing oneself in a regular novel.

**Many thanks to Netgalley and
Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**