38 Books like The Secret Garden

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis

Through a wardrobe, four children find a witch's winter and the lion who will end it.

4.24

3.2M+

🚪 Portal Fantasy ✝️ Christian Allegory 👫 Sibling Adventure 🦁 Messianic Sacrifice 🦡 Talking Animals

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Summary

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 87%

Through a wardrobe, four children find a witch's winter and the lion who will end it.

by C.S. Lewis 1950

4.24

3.2M+ ratings

🚪 Portal Fantasy ✝️ Christian Allegory 👫 Sibling Adventure 🦁 Messianic Sacrifice 🦡 Talking Animals

Heidi

by Johanna Spyri • 1880

An orphan's idyllic Alpine life ends when she is forced into a strict Frankfurt household.

4.04

212k+

🏔️ Mountain Life 👧 Orphan Protagonist 🫂 Found Family 👴 Reclusive Guardian 😢 Homesick Child

Heidi 90%

An orphan's idyllic Alpine life ends when she is forced into a strict Frankfurt household.

by Johanna Spyri 1880

4.04

212k+ ratings

🏔️ Mountain Life 👧 Orphan Protagonist 🫂 Found Family 👴 Reclusive Guardian 😢 Homesick Child

The Wind in the Willows

by Kenneth Grahame • 1908

Mole and Rat's riverbank life is upended by Toad's motorcars and a hall full of weasels.

4.02

243k+

🌿 Pastoral Animal Fantasy 🫂 Found Family 🦋 Character Redemption 🍂 Seasonal Storytelling ☕ Cozy Pastoral

The Wind in the Willows 89%

Mole and Rat's riverbank life is upended by Toad's motorcars and a hall full of weasels.

by Kenneth Grahame 1908

4.02

243k+ ratings

🌿 Pastoral Animal Fantasy 🫂 Found Family 🦋 Character Redemption 🍂 Seasonal Storytelling ☕ Cozy Pastoral

Pollyanna

by Eleanor H. Porter • 1913

An orphan teaches a Vermont town to find one reason for happiness in every misfortune.

4.02

92k+

🧒 Orphan Protagonist 🏠 Found Family 🍂 Small Town New England 🌻 Community Renewal ☕ Cozy Period Read

Pollyanna 89%

An orphan teaches a Vermont town to find one reason for happiness in every misfortune.

by Eleanor H. Porter 1913

4.02

92k+ ratings

🧒 Orphan Protagonist 🏠 Found Family 🍂 Small Town New England 🌻 Community Renewal ☕ Cozy Period Read

Anibal

by Anne Bragance • 1991

A French boy resents his adopted Peruvian brother, until saving him means destroying his garden.

3.45

109

🧳 International Adoption 😤 Jealous Siblings 🌿 Garden As Refuge 🌊 French Riviera 💕 Found Family

Anibal 88%

A French boy resents his adopted Peruvian brother, until saving him means destroying his garden.

by Anne Bragance 1991

3.45

109 ratings

🧳 International Adoption 😤 Jealous Siblings 🌿 Garden As Refuge 🌊 French Riviera 💕 Found Family

Silas Marner

by George Eliot • 1861

A lonely weaver hoards gold until a child in the snow shows him what truly matters.

3.70

95k+

🐑 Pastoral Fiction 🏠 Found Family 🕊️ Redemption Arc 🤫 Secret Parentage ⚖️ False Accusation

Silas Marner 88%

A lonely weaver hoards gold until a child in the snow shows him what truly matters.

by George Eliot 1861

3.70

95k+ ratings

🐑 Pastoral Fiction 🏠 Found Family 🕊️ Redemption Arc 🤫 Secret Parentage ⚖️ False Accusation

Beyond the Bright Sea

by Lauren Wolk • 2017

A twelve-year-old outcast risks a shuttered leper colony to uncover where she came from.

4.08

17k+

🏡 Found Family 👧 Orphan Protagonist 🪙 Hidden Treasure 🏚️ Leper Colony 🔎 Mysterious Origins

Beyond the Bright Sea 88%

A twelve-year-old outcast risks a shuttered leper colony to uncover where she came from.

by Lauren Wolk 2017

4.08

17k+ ratings

🏡 Found Family 👧 Orphan Protagonist 🪙 Hidden Treasure 🏚️ Leper Colony 🔎 Mysterious Origins

Journey to the River Sea

by Eva Ibbotson • 2001

An orphan arrives in the Amazon to cold guardians and a jungle boy fleeing his past.

4.19

18k+

🌿 Amazon Adventure 🧒 Orphan Protagonist 🤝 Found Family 🎭 Identity Swap 🕰️ Edwardian Era

Journey to the River Sea 88%

An orphan arrives in the Amazon to cold guardians and a jungle boy fleeing his past.

by Eva Ibbotson 2001

4.19

18k+ ratings

🌿 Amazon Adventure 🧒 Orphan Protagonist 🤝 Found Family 🎭 Identity Swap 🕰️ Edwardian Era

The Ice Monster

by David Walliams • 2018

To return a resurrected mammoth home, a Victorian orphan steals a warship and outruns a hunter.

4.20

9k+

🧒 Plucky Orphan Heroine 🫂 Found Family 🐘 Animal Rescue Quest 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Victorian London 🎈 Madcap Schemes

The Ice Monster 88%

To return a resurrected mammoth home, a Victorian orphan steals a warship and outruns a hunter.

by David Walliams 2018

4.20

9k+ ratings

🧒 Plucky Orphan Heroine 🫂 Found Family 🐘 Animal Rescue Quest 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Victorian London 🎈 Madcap Schemes

Nicholas Nickleby

by Charles Dickens • 1839

Sent to a hellish boarding school by his scheming uncle, a young man's mercy becomes defiance.

3.95

47k+

🏙️ Victorian Social Novel 📚 Bildungsroman 🔒 Family Secrets 🛡️ Rescuing The Innocent 🏚️ Dark Boarding School

Nicholas Nickleby 88%

Sent to a hellish boarding school by his scheming uncle, a young man's mercy becomes defiance.

by Charles Dickens 1839

3.95

47k+ ratings

🏙️ Victorian Social Novel 📚 Bildungsroman 🔒 Family Secrets 🛡️ Rescuing The Innocent 🏚️ Dark Boarding School

Echo Mountain

by Lauren Wolk • 2020

On a mountain in the Depression, Ellie believes the wild can wake her comatose father.

4.25

11k+

🏚️ Depression Era Fiction 🌿 Young Healer 💙 Father-Daughter Bond 🌲 Nature As Healer ⛰️ Mountain Wilderness

Echo Mountain 88%

On a mountain in the Depression, Ellie believes the wild can wake her comatose father.

by Lauren Wolk 2020

4.25

11k+ ratings

🏚️ Depression Era Fiction 🌿 Young Healer 💙 Father-Daughter Bond 🌲 Nature As Healer ⛰️ Mountain Wilderness

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens • 1861

An orphan becomes a gentleman overnight, funded by a shadowy patron with a ruinous secret.

3.80

880k+

🎓 Bildungsroman 🏛️ Victorian England 🎭 Secret Benefactor 📈 Social Climbing 🏚️ Gothic Mansion

Great Expectations 88%

An orphan becomes a gentleman overnight, funded by a shadowy patron with a ruinous secret.

by Charles Dickens 1861

3.80

880k+ ratings

🎓 Bildungsroman 🏛️ Victorian England 🎭 Secret Benefactor 📈 Social Climbing 🏚️ Gothic Mansion

The War I Finally Won

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley • 2017

Her clubfoot finally fixed, a wartime orphan faces the harder battle of accepting she is wanted.

4.48

49k+

🫂 Found Family 🐴 Healing Through Horses 🏠 Wwii Home Front 👩‍👧 Guardian And Ward 💔 Trauma Recovery

The War I Finally Won 88%

Her clubfoot finally fixed, a wartime orphan faces the harder battle of accepting she is wanted.

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 2017

4.48

49k+ ratings

🫂 Found Family 🐴 Healing Through Horses 🏠 Wwii Home Front 👩‍👧 Guardian And Ward 💔 Trauma Recovery

The Door in the Wall

by Marguerite de Angeli • 1949

Crippled and alone in plague-stricken London, a noble boy seeks a hidden path forward.

3.78

21k+

🌱 Coming Of Age 🏰 Medieval England 🦽 Disabled Protagonist 🦸 Unlikely Hero ⛪ Monastic Life

The Door in the Wall 88%

Crippled and alone in plague-stricken London, a noble boy seeks a hidden path forward.

by Marguerite de Angeli 1949

3.78

21k+ ratings

🌱 Coming Of Age 🏰 Medieval England 🦽 Disabled Protagonist 🦸 Unlikely Hero ⛪ Monastic Life

A Month in the Country

by J.L. Carr • 1980

In a Yorkshire village, a war-scarred restorer unearths a medieval painting and a summer of healing.

4.07

30k+

🌾 Pastoral Elegy 🎖️ Shell-Shocked Veteran 💬 Unspoken Love 🏡 Outsider Finds Home 🌿 Yorkshire Dales

A Month in the Country 87%

In a Yorkshire village, a war-scarred restorer unearths a medieval painting and a summer of healing.

by J.L. Carr 1980

4.07

30k+ ratings

🌾 Pastoral Elegy 🎖️ Shell-Shocked Veteran 💬 Unspoken Love 🏡 Outsider Finds Home 🌿 Yorkshire Dales

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Brontë • 1847

An orphan governess falls for her brooding employer, but a dark secret haunts the house.

4.16

2.3M+

🏰 Gothic Romance 🌱 Bildungsroman 🖤 Byronic Hero 📚 Governess Heroine ⏳ Age Gap Romance

Jane Eyre 87%

An orphan governess falls for her brooding employer, but a dark secret haunts the house.

by Charlotte Brontë 1847

4.16

2.3M+ ratings

🏰 Gothic Romance 🌱 Bildungsroman 🖤 Byronic Hero 📚 Governess Heroine ⏳ Age Gap Romance

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity

by Robin Stevens • 2022

A ten-year-old spy hunts a Nazi in a manor. Then a murder makes everyone suspect.

4.15

2k+

🔍 Child Sleuths 🇬🇧 Wartime England 🏛️ Country House Mystery 🕵️ Kid Spies 🔒 Closed Circle

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity Summary

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity 87%

A ten-year-old spy hunts a Nazi in a manor. Then a murder makes everyone suspect.

by Robin Stevens 2022

4.15

2k+ ratings

🔍 Child Sleuths 🇬🇧 Wartime England 🏛️ Country House Mystery 🕵️ Kid Spies 🔒 Closed Circle

Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo • 2000

New in town, missing her mother, Opal adopts a stray dog who leads her to community.

4.10

281k+

🐕 Dog Companion 🏡 Found Family 🏘️ Small-Town Community 👵 Eccentric Elders 📖 Storytelling

Because of Winn-Dixie 87%

New in town, missing her mother, Opal adopts a stray dog who leads her to community.

by Kate DiCamillo 2000

4.10

281k+ ratings

🐕 Dog Companion 🏡 Found Family 🏘️ Small-Town Community 👵 Eccentric Elders 📖 Storytelling

Riding Freedom

by Pam Muñoz Ryan • 1998

An orphan girl cuts her hair and becomes a boy, chasing a life of horses and freedom.

4.18

9k+

🏚️ Orphan Narrative 🐴 Horse Girl Story 🎭 Girl Living As Boy 🌄 Westward Expansion 🤝 Found Family

Riding Freedom 87%

An orphan girl cuts her hair and becomes a boy, chasing a life of horses and freedom.

by Pam Muñoz Ryan 1998

4.18

9k+ ratings

🏚️ Orphan Narrative 🐴 Horse Girl Story 🎭 Girl Living As Boy 🌄 Westward Expansion 🤝 Found Family

Oliver Twist

by Marian Leighton • 1989

A workhouse orphan finds family with London pickpockets, unaware of the fortune hidden in his past.

4.03

3k+

🕰️ Victorian England 👦 Orphan Protagonist 🫂 Found Family 📜 Secret Inheritance 💰 Rags To Riches

Oliver Twist 89%

A workhouse orphan finds family with London pickpockets, unaware of the fortune hidden in his past.

by Marian Leighton 1989

4.03

3k+ ratings

🕰️ Victorian England 👦 Orphan Protagonist 🫂 Found Family 📜 Secret Inheritance 💰 Rags To Riches

Anne of Green Gables

by L.M. Montgomery • 1908

They request a farm boy. They get Anne: a fiery, imaginative orphan determined to prove she belongs.

4.33

1.1M+

👧 Orphan Girl 🫂 Found Family 📚 Academic Rivals 🌟 Imaginative Heroine 👯 Girl Friendship

Anne of Green Gables 89%

They request a farm boy. They get Anne: a fiery, imaginative orphan determined to prove she belongs.

by L.M. Montgomery 1908

4.33

1.1M+ ratings

👧 Orphan Girl 🫂 Found Family 📚 Academic Rivals 🌟 Imaginative Heroine 👯 Girl Friendship

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by J.K. Rowling

When students turn to stone at Hogwarts, Harry's snake-speech makes him the prime suspect.

4.43

4.5M+

🏰 Magical Boarding School 🔍 School Mystery 👑 Hidden Heir 📖 Coded Diary 👻 Possession Plot

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Summary

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 87%

When students turn to stone at Hogwarts, Harry's snake-speech makes him the prime suspect.

by J.K. Rowling 1998

4.43

4.5M+ ratings

🏰 Magical Boarding School 🔍 School Mystery 👑 Hidden Heir 📖 Coded Diary 👻 Possession Plot

Just Gus

by McCall Hoyle • 2023

A scarred guardian dog meets a boy silenced by anxiety. Together they learn to heal.

4.31

538

🐾 Animal Narrator 🩹 Healing Dog 👦 Boy And His Dog 💞 Parallel Healing 🫂 Found Family

Just Gus 87%

A scarred guardian dog meets a boy silenced by anxiety. Together they learn to heal.

by McCall Hoyle 2023

4.31

538 ratings

🐾 Animal Narrator 🩹 Healing Dog 👦 Boy And His Dog 💞 Parallel Healing 🫂 Found Family

The Cross of Lead

by Avi • 2002

Falsely accused, a boy follows a giant juggler, his lead cross a secret worth a lordship.

3.65

28k+

🏰 Medieval Adventure 👑 Secret Noble Birth 🎪 Mentor Apprentice Bond 🏃 Outlaw On The Run ❤️ Found Family

The Cross of Lead 87%

Falsely accused, a boy follows a giant juggler, his lead cross a secret worth a lordship.

by Avi 2002

3.65

28k+ ratings

🏰 Medieval Adventure 👑 Secret Noble Birth 🎪 Mentor Apprentice Bond 🏃 Outlaw On The Run ❤️ Found Family

The Enchanted Wood

by Enid Blyton • 1939

Three siblings discover a giant magic tree whose top opens onto a new land every day.

4.25

31k+

🍵 Cozy Fantasy 🚪 Portal Fantasy 🔎 Sibling Adventurers 🌳 Woodland Magic 🎭 Eccentric Characters

The Enchanted Wood 87%

Three siblings discover a giant magic tree whose top opens onto a new land every day.

by Enid Blyton 1939

4.25

31k+ ratings

🍵 Cozy Fantasy 🚪 Portal Fantasy 🔎 Sibling Adventurers 🌳 Woodland Magic 🎭 Eccentric Characters

Stig of the Dump

by Clive King • 1963

Down a chalk pit, Barney finds a wild boy who builds a life from discarded things.

3.91

12k+

⏳ Time-Slip Fantasy 🌿 Wild Boy 🌳 Pastoral Adventure 👥 Buddy Adventure 🎭 Imaginative Play

Stig of the Dump 87%

Down a chalk pit, Barney finds a wild boy who builds a life from discarded things.

by Clive King 1963

3.91

12k+ ratings

⏳ Time-Slip Fantasy 🌿 Wild Boy 🌳 Pastoral Adventure 👥 Buddy Adventure 🎭 Imaginative Play

Maurice

by E.M. Forster • 1971

After his first love marries, an Edwardian gentleman finds a second chance with a bold gamekeeper.

4.08

60k+

🏰 Edwardian England 📚 Queer Classic 🌱 Gay Coming Of Age 💔 Cross Class Romance 🤝 Platonic To Romantic

Maurice 87%

After his first love marries, an Edwardian gentleman finds a second chance with a bold gamekeeper.

by E.M. Forster 1971

4.08

60k+ ratings

🏰 Edwardian England 📚 Queer Classic 🌱 Gay Coming Of Age 💔 Cross Class Romance 🤝 Platonic To Romantic

Mariana

by Monica Dickens • 1940

Through a storm, Mary Shannon waits for her husband's ship and relives a lifetime of love.

3.90

3k+

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Interwar Britain 🌅 Bittersweet Nostalgia 🌿 English Countryside 🎭 Artistic Ambition 💔 Unrequited Love

Mariana 87%

Through a storm, Mary Shannon waits for her husband's ship and relives a lifetime of love.

by Monica Dickens 1940

3.90

3k+ ratings

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Interwar Britain 🌅 Bittersweet Nostalgia 🌿 English Countryside 🎭 Artistic Ambition 💔 Unrequited Love

The Lifters

by Dave Eggers • 2018

An invisible boy learns his crumbling town is held together by children propping up the earth.

3.61

2k+

🕳️ Secret Underground World 🏘️ Small Town Fantasy 🕵️ Secret Society Of Kids 🤝 Unlikely Friendship 🏠 Found Family

The Lifters 87%

An invisible boy learns his crumbling town is held together by children propping up the earth.

by Dave Eggers 2018

3.61

2k+ ratings

🕳️ Secret Underground World 🏘️ Small Town Fantasy 🕵️ Secret Society Of Kids 🤝 Unlikely Friendship 🏠 Found Family

Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool • 2010

Sent to her father's Kansas town, a girl follows old letters into an unsolved spy mystery.

4.04

36k+

🏘️ Small Town Secrets 📖 Story Within A Story 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found Family 🔍 Child Sleuths 💔 Grief And Guilt

Moon Over Manifest 87%

Sent to her father's Kansas town, a girl follows old letters into an unsolved spy mystery.

by Clare Vanderpool 2010

4.04

36k+ ratings

🏘️ Small Town Secrets 📖 Story Within A Story 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found Family 🔍 Child Sleuths 💔 Grief And Guilt

Counting by 7s

by Holly Goldberg Sloan • 2013

Orphaned at twelve, a plant-obsessed genius grows a new family from the strangers around her.

4.14

88k+

🫂 Found Family 🧠 Neurodivergent Kid 💔 Grief And Healing 🌼 Quiet Resilience 👨‍🏫 Unlikely Guardian

Counting by 7s 87%

Orphaned at twelve, a plant-obsessed genius grows a new family from the strangers around her.

by Holly Goldberg Sloan 2013

4.14

88k+ ratings

🫂 Found Family 🧠 Neurodivergent Kid 💔 Grief And Healing 🌼 Quiet Resilience 👨‍🏫 Unlikely Guardian

A Gathering of Days

by Joan W. Blos • 1979

What a farm girl's 1830 journal holds: a hidden fugitive, a lost friend, a family remade.

3.52

9k+

📓 Diary Format 🌾 Farm Life 🕊️ Underground Railroad 💔 Loss Of A Friend 🏠 Blended Family

A Gathering of Days 87%

What a farm girl's 1830 journal holds: a hidden fugitive, a lost friend, a family remade.

by Joan W. Blos 1979

3.52

9k+ ratings

📓 Diary Format 🌾 Farm Life 🕊️ Underground Railroad 💔 Loss Of A Friend 🏠 Blended Family

Peter Pan

by J.M. Barrie • 1911

Wendy's last night in the nursery: a flying boy offers pirates, mermaids, and no growing up.

4.03

375k+

🌠 Portal Fantasy 🧒 Eternal Child 🏠 Found Family 😢 Bittersweet Fantasy 🕰️ Edwardian England

Peter Pan 87%

Wendy's last night in the nursery: a flying boy offers pirates, mermaids, and no growing up.

by J.M. Barrie 1911

4.03

375k+ ratings

🌠 Portal Fantasy 🧒 Eternal Child 🏠 Found Family 😢 Bittersweet Fantasy 🕰️ Edwardian England

Half Magic

by Edward Eager • 1954

A coin grants exactly half of every wish, and four siblings must outsmart their own desires.

3.95

39k+

🪙 Ironic Wishes 📚 Old-Fashioned Fantasy 👫 Sibling Adventure Squad 🏠 Found Family 💔 Grief And Healing

Half Magic 87%

A coin grants exactly half of every wish, and four siblings must outsmart their own desires.

by Edward Eager 1954

3.95

39k+ ratings

🪙 Ironic Wishes 📚 Old-Fashioned Fantasy 👫 Sibling Adventure Squad 🏠 Found Family 💔 Grief And Healing

The Crowns of Croswald

by D.E. Night • 2017

An orphaned maid's forgotten past is the only weapon against a queen who feeds on forgetting.

3.79

4k+

🏰 Magical Boarding School 👑 Hidden Royal Heir 🔮 Memory Magic 💕 Found Family ✨ Whimsical Magic

The Crowns of Croswald 87%

An orphaned maid's forgotten past is the only weapon against a queen who feeds on forgetting.

by D.E. Night 2017

3.79

4k+ ratings

🏰 Magical Boarding School 👑 Hidden Royal Heir 🔮 Memory Magic 💕 Found Family ✨ Whimsical Magic

City of Orphans

by Avi • 2011

With a homeless girl, a newsboy hunts the real thief who framed his sister.

3.97

4k+

🏠 Found Family 🔍 Kid Detectives 🧳 Immigrant Experience 🗽 Street Kids 🏛️ Gilded Age

City of Orphans 87%

With a homeless girl, a newsboy hunts the real thief who framed his sister.

by Avi 2011

3.97

4k+ ratings

🏠 Found Family 🔍 Kid Detectives 🧳 Immigrant Experience 🗽 Street Kids 🏛️ Gilded Age

My Side of the Mountain

by Jean Craighead George • 1959

Armed with a penknife, a boy runs away to live alone on a forgotten mountain farm.

4.10

86k+

🏕️ Wilderness Survival 🦅 Falconry 🏃 Runaway Adventure 🌲 Treehouse Living ⛰️ Mountain Living

My Side of the Mountain 87%

Armed with a penknife, a boy runs away to live alone on a forgotten mountain farm.

by Jean Craighead George 1959

4.10

86k+ ratings

🏕️ Wilderness Survival 🦅 Falconry 🏃 Runaway Adventure 🌲 Treehouse Living ⛰️ Mountain Living

David Copperfield

by Charles Dickens • 1850

After his mother marries a tyrant, a boy flees across England with only his aunt's name.

4.05

261k+

🎓 Victorian Bildungsroman ✍️ Autobiographical Fiction 👦 Orphan Protagonist 🤝 Found Family 💷 Rags To Riches

David Copperfield 87%

After his mother marries a tyrant, a boy flees across England with only his aunt's name.

by Charles Dickens 1850

4.05

261k+ ratings

🎓 Victorian Bildungsroman ✍️ Autobiographical Fiction 👦 Orphan Protagonist 🤝 Found Family 💷 Rags To Riches

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