The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Brand New to the Little Library of Rescued Books is this brand new books which is one of my all time favourites. It is one of the easier classics to read and has been made into a beautiful film. Below you can take a sneak preview. I am thinking of bringing in my Video player so students can individually watch some of the videos I have kept; this could be a new experience! Originally this book was published as a serial format and it was published in its entirety in 1910. The central character, Mary Lennox is a snotty-nosed, middle class brat who you could almost classify as narcissistic. She has recently been orphaned and has been given a home by her uncle in a remote and quiet country house. Her uncle, Mr Craven, doesn't seem to have visitors, in fact, he has almost completely cut himself off from people since his wife died. Mary is intrigued by the garden and finds a hidden side to the house when she hears a crying child. She discovers an overgrown garden which is walled off from the rest and her curiosity gets the better of her and soon she urgently seeks the key to unlock the secrets of the garden.

Whay Katy Did by Susan M.Coolidge

This book was mine as a grade five student. I did have the other two in the series but they are probably still up at Dad's house. What Katy Did is a children's book written by Susan Coolidge with the pen name of Sarah Chauncy Woolsey. It follows the adventures of Katy Carr and her family, who live in the fictional town of Burnet in the 1860s. Katy is a tall tomboy who doesn't care too much for appearances. She is forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved. When a terrible accident makes her an invalid, her illness and recovery gradually teach her to be as good and kind as she has always wanted. Two sequels follow Katy as she grows up - What Katy Did at School and What Katy Did Next. Coolidge modelled Katy on her own childhood self, and the other 'Little Carrs' on her brothers and sisters. I have just downloaded the Katy series from Amazon Kindle, it is available for free.

Gumbles on Guard by S.A.Wakefield

This is the story of the Gumbles' triumph over their tricky enemies, old and new, continues the saga of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles. Now what are Bottersnikes you might ask. Well, they are lazy bludgers and nasty rubbish-dump dwellers. They have green wrinkly skin, cheese-grater noses and long, pointed ears that go red when they are angry, which is most of the time. Gumbles, on the other hand are kindly creatures who are all too easily taken advantage of. Naive is probably the best word to describe them. Yet the Gumbles are determined never to be grabbed, popped into jam tins, and made to work for the Bottersnikes again, not ever. Both species live in the Australian bush. S.A. Wakefield, the author, wrote four books about the Bottersnikes and Gumbles:

Bottersnikes and Gumbles (1967)

Gumbles on Guard (1975)

Gumbles in Summer (1979)

Gumbles in Trouble (1989)