The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
(#51 on The Big Read. My combined score: 26)
I have no idea what this book is about. I'm pretty sure I never heard of it.
Writing: 9
Characters: 8
Story: 9
Total: 26 out of 30
Overall: A really wonderful book. I can’t say enough good things about it. The only flaws were that Dickon is too good and that I got bored with the magic/power of positive thinking stuff.
Recommendations: Anyone but especially very young teens.
Available on Amazon.com
Free Kindle Edition: The Secret Garden
Free on YouTube: The Secret Garden (1987 TV movie starring Gennie James and Barret Oliver)
5/10 Production values like you would expect in a made for TV movie and the music score is truly horrible. There are story changes that just make no sense, for example Craven takes in Mary just because he was friends with her father and not because he was related, they've turned Medlock into a Nurse Ratched instead of someone who just doesn't want to be bothered and very little of the dialogue comes out of the book. In other words, the director thought he could write a better story than Frances Hodgson Burnett. He was wrong.
DVD: The Secret Garden (1993 starring Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse and Andrew Knott)
8/10 A much better adaption. The casting of the kids is prefect and Medlock is played by Maggie Smith.