The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Graphic Retelling of the Secret Garden

September 1, 2021

Gr 4-7-After the sudden death of her parents, Mary Lennox leaves her lonely life in Silicon Valley for a fresh start at her uncle Archie Craven's apartment in New York City. Initially standoffish, Mary blossoms while exploring the city and forging friendships with neighbor Martha, friendly bodega owner Ben, and bodega cat Robin. After discovering the missing key to a rooftop garden, Mary seeks help from Dickon, Martha's brother, to transform the neglected space. Keeping their work on the garden secret is paramount, especially after Mary uncovers the reason behind the mysterious third-floor noises: her previously unknown cousin Colin, who believes something is wrong with his heart and stays inside out of fear of a heart attack, though doctors have diagnosed him with anxiety. Restoring the rooftop garden to its former glory will require Mary and Colin to band together and dig into their grief. This graphic novel retelling of The Secret Garden hits the essential plot points of the original but offers more inclusive representation, with LGBTQ characters, people of color, and those dealing with mental health issues. Mary, Colin, and Uncle Archie all struggle to overcome loss. Colin's anxiety and panic disorder are handled sensitively thanks to the presence of a therapist and informative character discussions. The subdued colors and cartoony illustrations will pull in young readers. A love letter to New York, the story depicts well-known locations like Central Park. Mary, Colin, and Uncle Archie are brown-skinned; Martha and Dickon are white. VERDICT Readers will appreciate this ultimately hopeful story of loss and change. Hand especially to young readers seeking fictional works that deal with grief and anxiety.-Pearl Derlaga, York County P.L., VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2021
Grades 3-6 Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic novel gets a graphic makeover in this adaptation set in modern-day New York City. Prickly Mary Lennox is sent from California to live with her widowed uncle, Archie, in his echoey brownstone after her parents die. While she's initially reluctant to warm up to the city, uncovering secrets about the rooftop garden cultivated by her uncle's late husband, Masahiro, helps her frosty nature begin to thaw. Apart from the updated cast and setting (Mary is biracial; her uncle and Colin are Black), Weir adds a contemporary spin to the plot around Colin--rather than a mysterious ailment, he's beset by crippling panic attacks. His anxiety disorder is treated sensitively, thanks to the presence of his therapist, and the garden becomes a therapeutic site for Colin, Mary, and, eventually, Archie. With pleasantly cartoonish figures and a warm palette, Padilla makes great use of the panel space, focusing on expressive faces, wider scenes of the city, and, importantly, the garden to cultivate emotional depth and atmosphere. This easy introduction to a classic novel will appeal to readers of character-driven comics.

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