I’ve honestly never read The Secret Garden, but I was curious about this middle grade graphic novel. The illustrations are bright and colorful. This story deals with grief and anxiety in a great way for this age group. All in all, a beautiful story.

To say I adored this retelling would be putting it lightly. The Secret Garden has been a favorite story of mine for a long time, and this updated version retails all the joy, heartache, mystery, and love of the original, while giving it a modern twist. Our updated Mary is living a life of detached luxury before her parents are killed in a tragic accident and she’s moved to New York City to live with her mysterious uncle Archie. Instead of Archie, she meets the people who surround his life – his housekeeper, his cook, the mysterious Ben and Dickon, and eventually her cousin, Colin. Together, they discover the garden on the roof, abandoned since the death of Archie’s husband, a relic of a time of love and hope that doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

Author Ivy Noelle Weir updated this story with more than just a location, eliminating some of the darker parts of the original story, giving Archie a husband instead of a wife, and Colin now has anxiety instead of his hunched back and other illnesses. All of these changes help streamline the story and make it more accessible to younger readers – the people who are the target audience for this book. The illustrations are simple but vibrant, and it’s a truly beautiful way to tell the story of a forgotten garden brought back by love.

4.5/5 stars!

After her parents died suddenly in a car accident, Mary Lennox moved to New York to live at her uncle’s home. Her uncle has traveled constantly for work since his husband died, so Mary is left with his housekeeper and neighbour. While she’s exploring the house, Mary discovers a hidden garden that used to be tended to by her uncle’s husband. She also finds her uncle’s son, Colin, who is kept away in his room because he suffers from anxiety and panic disorder. Along with her other new friend Dickon, Mary helps rebuild the garden and learn how to grieve.

I haven’t read The Secret Garden since I was a kid, so I don’t remember the story very well. I’m sure a lot was changed in this adaptation to make it modern. Mary came from a high tech home in Silicon Valley, and she had to get used to life in New York. One thing I didn’t understand was why she didn’t start school right away since she moved there in the winter. Her uncle mentioned her starting school in the fall, and once Mary said something about online school, but it was strange that she would have been out of school for so long.

I appreciated the representation of anxiety and panic disorder in this book. Colin was kept away from the rest of the house because he was so anxious. The anxiety started after his father died. It was difficult for others to understand his feelings at first, because the doctors said there wasn’t anything physically wrong with him, though he felt pain in his chest when he experienced anxiety. Luckily, Mary figured out a way to help Colin manage his anxiety and live a fuller life.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street is a great, modern adaptation.

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is kind of a retelling for the Secret Garden but in a graphic novel form and brought to our times.
It tackled serious issues such as anxiety and depression very good and managed to get through positive messages.
I also loved the illustrations

This was so beyond adorable!!! I love any book that is set in Manhattan and classic retellings are my favorite things to read! I loved the graphics, they were so great. The characters are amazing and I loved the relationships that develop in the book. i think the book did a great job of explaining grief and anxiety to young readers.

First off I want to thank TBR Tours & Beyond for allowing me a spot on the tour and to the Publishers for sending me a Netgalley Arc so that I can read and review.

I admit I never have read The Secret Garden as I been put off by the reviews I have seen but when when this Tour was announced I jumped at the chance. This retelling we see Mary transported from Silicon Valley to New York to start a new life and little did she know how this city could change her outlook. There is so much to love about this Graphic Novel we have main characters who are not only POC but an adult is LGBQT which is really great to see in a Middle Grade. But the main reason why I wanted to read this book was that the topics of grief and anxiety throughout and I was interested how Ivy Noelle Weir would write about such and found that she treated these with such tenderness that she made me sob not once but quite a few times. Now there is one more character of the book and that is New York itself. I loved the way Ivy interwove it throughout the story that it was actually living and breathing but put together with the illustrations of Amber Padilla which were breath taking. I now want to go to New York. For all these reasons I have no doubt in my mind that The Secret Garden on 81st Street should be awarded 4 stars.

I received an arc of The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir with illustrations by Amber Padilla as part of book tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir is a cute, modern retelling of the classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I read the original as a child and I was fan of the movie too. So I’m familiar with the story. Most names and the general essence of the original story remain the same, but there are refreshing changes that make this graphic novel its own unique story about grief, family and healing.

In this new version, there is added diversity and some names given to Colin’s issues that were left as mysterious health issues in the original. Mary is a child who was basically babysat by electronics. It’s difficult for her to understand family and friendships because she has been so immersed in technology as a substitute for everything. Dickon is still a chill kid with a green thumb who becomes Mary’s friend. Colin is still a recluse, but he now has a diagnosis called a panic disorder connected to his dad, Masahiro’s sudden death. Colin also has two dads, one of them being Mary’s uncle Archie.

Dealing With Grief
I liked how the book addresses several different ways the characters are handling their grief. Each one processes and reacts differently to the death of a loved one. Each character has an understanding of what they feel, but during the story they are on a journey of healing and trying to accept those feelings while being open to the next stage in the grief process.

I think both adults and children will love this book. As an educator, I can see benefits to kids who have suffered the loss of a parent of loved one reading this as a means of exploring their own grief and finding comfort in the process. But most importantly knowing that they will heal. It would be a nice buddy read with a parent and child too.

NYC For The Win!
This is also a neat book to read with a child who has just moved to New York City or will be doing a visit or extended stay. Mary is pushed to explore her surroundings in the city from Central Park to museums to the local bodega. I thought it was a nice touch.

Artwork
Loved it! I really loved the artwork in this graphic novel. I thought there was a nice diverseness to how the characters were drawn from race to body type to hair styles.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars!

Confession time: I’ve never read the original Secret Garden and to be honest, I’m not sure I ever will! Of course, I had a vague idea about the story though I still can’t say how “accurate” this retelling is. That said, I adored this touching graphic novel that deals with heavy but important topics such as loss and grief, and also has great anxiety representation. This modern retelling is a simple but charming story filled with diverse characters, so much emotion and even had me shedding a happy tear or two by the end (who's surprised by this? nobody)!

I really enjoyed the art style! There is a lot of text at times but it was never unreadable and didn’t make the page feel overcrowded. I enjoyed how the story started with darker and more subdued colours that slowly changed to brighter tones alongside the seasons, Mary’s character growth, and the blooming of the secret garden! The illustrations did a wonderful job of capturing even the most minute character expressions and combined with the other little details about New York life (the food! the museums! the park and all the people!) it made for a very delightful read.

Mary starts off the story as a somewhat spoiled young girl who's used to doing everything on her own but I really enjoyed how she developed! She grew up a lonely child in Silicon Valley, surrounded by video games and zero friends in real life. Despite the massive life changes she experiences, she has a “keep on moving forward” attitude that I admired, and it was a joy to see her slowly start to experience the things that she never had before—adults who “cared for her” (more on that later), friendships, excitement for life and passion for something aside from gaming. Dickon was such a cheerful and understanding presence in this story! Colin was a sweet, misunderstood and lonely child who has extreme anxiety as a result of losing his dad. I really felt for this little boy 💔 Together they made for an unlikely but adorable trio but it was sweet how they brought out the best in each other! I’m glad that Mary found her place and family members who would love, accept and care for her in the end.

Back to the adults of this story: not gonna lie, I was kind of miffed with almost all of them! Not only was there a strong case of “missing adult” syndrome here, they were also extremely secretive and neglectful. It didn’t heavily impact my feelings about the story, but I was pretty baffled that they let a child explore NYC by herself despite never having been there before? And also the fact that they essentially left her alone to deal with the loss of her parents? I was not a fan of Mrs Medlock despite her “good intentions”. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Although I think all audiences no matter the age will enjoy this graphic novel, I liked how the messages were kept straightforward and easy to grasp for the targeted younger audience. I especially liked how the different ways grief manifests was shown and the ways people cope with loss were highlighted—some people block it out like Maria, some people shut down every reminder of the person(s) they’ve lost like Uncle Archie, while others experience such shock that it badly triggers their mental health, such as with Colin. I thought the anxiety representation was also handled perfectly. The way Colin’s anxiety attacks were shown and explained was done very empathetically and clearly too! I liked that we hear from Colin’s perspective what he’s experiencing but that we also get a more ‘clinical’ explanation from his therapist.

Overall, I really enjoyed this modern retelling of The Secret Garden. The illustrations combined with this heartwarming and emotional story made for a surprisingly impactful read and I'm very glad that I got the chance to check it out!

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is one of my very, very favourite books. So far, I have already read one other Graphic novel adaption that came out this year. I’ll let you know that while I really love The Secret Garden – or probably especially because of that – I’m very curious about adaptations and am very picky about it.

The story of The Secret Garden on 81st Street is a reimagening of the classic story in a modern way. It tells the story of Mary, who, after the death of her parents, moves across the country from LA to New York to live with her uncle. Her new homes hides a lot of secrets and the more Mary explores the more mysteries she unearths.

Since the original story has been uprooted and planted into a modern setting, it’s clear that some of the plot and the characters had to change to fit its new bed, so to speak. It made sense to me at some points – for example, Ben Waterstaff is not a grumpy old gardener but the owner of a bodega around the corner who also sells flower seeds and bulbs or Modern Colin suffers from bad anxiety attacks instead of muscle atrophy. Especially the anxiety attacks Colin suffers from were really well implemented and very well explained to a young audience. And I absolutely loved the idea of a secret rooftop garden.

Unfortunately there were also things that didn’t make much sense to me. For example about Mary’s character. The whole point of the original book were that both Mary and Colin had really bad characters. They were spoiled and mean and only their growing bond as cousins (or more like siblings) and friends and their work in the secret garden helped them overcome their selfishness. In this adaptation there doesn’t seem anything to be wrong with Mary characterwise. She is not spoiled or snotty or mean and that confused me a little because I could not really figure out what her character development should be. Colin was just a boy who had anxieties. His outbursts were not a characterflaw, he was just scared.
Furthermore, I found no logic reason, why Mary and Colin of this modern adaptation should not know about each other. I’m sorry to say but that was just a little stupid and unbelievable.

Otherwise, I quite enjoyed the new story with the modern twist. I quite liked the art too. There were lots of great lessons for young readers hidden in this graphic novel and I think that a young reader might quite enjoy this read, like the pictures and learn a thing or two about grief, anxiety, trying new things, friendship and family.

The Secret Garden was one of my favourite books and films growing up, and I still revisit them both at least once a year, so I leapt at the chance to read this one and see this tale brought to life in a new time and setting, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street was an absolute delight to read.

This is a charming, impactful retelling of a classic. The heart of the original story is still there, and if you’re familiar with the original then there will be familiar elements to the story, a well-remember rhythm. However, at the same time that heart is like a seed that has been nurtured and watered and coaxed into new life – a bit like the garden itself, to create a refreshing and important tale.

The setting itself couldn’t be more different, there are no bleak Yorkshire moors here, instead, we’re in the heart of New York with everything that entails. We still get that feeling of Mary finding herself in a new world, and all the wonder that comes with that – I loved her exploration of the different foods available, as well as the museums and park. It is doubly impactful, as this is a child who previously had been caught within a lifestyle that revolved around technology and gaming, so it wasn’t just about exploring a new city – but a whole world, and through fresh eyes and Noelle and Padilla manage to capture that perfectly with that sense of wonder, and the uncertainty that comes with embracing something new and strange. The art does a fantastic job of setting the scene as well, bringing the city to life with the same vibrancy and empathy as the quieter moments, and the garden itself.

That emotion and empathy is prevalent throughout the entire book, and The Secret Garden on 81st Street is a wonderful exploration of human connections that will hit home as much for adults as for children. We have Mary learning to connect not just with the world, but with people, after a lonely childhood ending in the loss of her parents. We have the people still reeling from Mashiro’s death and everything that was lost in the aftermath. This is a story of self-discovery and connection, but also a tale of grief – and how everyone grieves differently, from those that bury it deep, to those who run from it, and those with whom it manifests as anxiety. It’s a difficult topic, but one that is approached with sensitivity and care, the language is clear and purposeful and easy to read for middle-grade readers, and the meaning shines through clearly. I loved the emphasis on how people grieve differently, and Noelle and Padilla have a talent for capturing that anguish without losing the charm of the rest of the story. I also appreciated how anxiety was explained and shown, and from both sides – that of the person with anxiety, and those around them. It was a very open approach, the need for therapy was openly talked about and accepted.

The art style is beautiful – simple but sophisticated, and there are so many little quirks and details to delight in and complements the writing perfectly. This was a delightful and utterly charming book, and it has made me fall in love with this story all over again in a completely different way. The emotion and heart of this story mean that it will appeal to readers of all ages, while being beautifully geared towards its target audience, and this book is one you absolutely need to share with the younger readers in your life (and grab a copy for yourself too while you’re at it).

I thought this was a going to be a nice cute read – I wasn’t wrong, but it was also so much more. I haven never read the original The Secret Garden, but I don’t think you needed to in order to enjoy the story. I found the characters cute and I could see myself enjoying their story as a younger child.

I think this is a perfect read for a younger audience who many be dealing with a lot of grief or anxiety. I found Weir did a great job at explaining how anxiety and panic attacks can feel. She also did a great job at explaining grief and how every person experiences grief differently. I think this is an important message for this age group – most haven’t experience loss and may not know how to handle their first loss; or they may not understand why another person is dealing with grief differently than them. Both of these are important messages to include in more middle grade material.

I enjoyed the different aspects of gardening in the book. Little tidbits were scattered throughout, plus we learned while Mary learned – although it does not go into great depth, I think it could spike gardening interest in a younger reader – for example, showing the ugly bulb a Lily starts from along with the beautiful flower.

Overall, I thought this was a great graphic novel. It touched on harder subjects and I found myself emotional at times, but the message in the end makes this a great read for the middle grade audience (and others experiencing grief or anxiety).

I received this book from the publisher/tour organiser TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange of an honest review.

My review is all GIFs as that is what I signed up for. XD I will post a link to my Blog when the blog tour stops at my blog on the 18th.

This was a wonderful retelling of The Secret Garden. This time a girl in the now-time who loses her parents due to an accident and starts to live with her uncle. I just love seeing her explore New York (I want to go there now), I loved seeing her find a new place to love and it was great to see her cope with her loss, discover that life is continuing. Because yes, she is saying she doesn't miss them.. but we the reader can clearly see she is shaken and feeling alone. I loved it when she discovered the garden and started planning and made her first friend. Then a secret was revealed and a second friend made its way into her life. I just loved the gardening, I loved the talk about mental health and about loss and mourning. There are a lot of times I teared up because it was getting emotional. There is also an adorable kitty, I know, I just got to mention it. XD
The art was really pretty and I loved it so. All in all, recommended. Great characters, great way the mental health and loss is handled, friendship is perfect, and I love gardening so yas.

I really adored this retelling. I have always loved the secret garden movie and i loved how this book twisted it so it was modern but also set in nyc. I also loved tackled both anxiety and depression, I loved how this book focused on trio of main characters and this book just put a smile on my face. I really also enjoyed the art style (My arc was not fully done) but the parts i saw is my favorite type of art style. It was such a great and quick read and such a fun one!! If you enjoyed the movie as a kid, def check this one out!

This book was very well done! I think it was a great way to introduce kids to topics such as grief, loss, and anxiety. These topics were dealt with so beautifully and the backdrop of the garden coming back to life seemed like the perfect metaphor.