A Little Princess

Reader reviewed by Tasmin

My fourth-grade teacher gave me this book for a Christmas present. As with the rest of my class, I soon found that I had been given a book that suited me perfectly. It had a little bit of everything I looked for in a book, and still look for.

The main character in A Little Princess is Sara Crewe, the only daughter of a widower, Captain Ralph Crewe. Sara has a gift for story-telling. She imagines intricate and absorbing tales about magic and imaginary places. When Sara is seven, her father brings her to live at a boarding school while he goes off to make his forune larger, pretty much. Sara is a star pupil, excelling at her studies and being treated as she has all her life, like a little princess, as her father's money pays for many luxaries. When Sara is eleven years old, her father dies, and she's left a destitute orphan. She is allowed to stay at the school as a maid, but most of her belongings are sold to pay the debts Captain Crewe owed to the school, all except her doll and companion Emily and a very few clothes. For years, Sara works to exhaustion for a room in the attic and hardly any food. Despite being practically starving, she still shows the sane generosity to others as she did when she was rich, sharing a bag of buns she bought using a found coin with a little begger girl. It has a really good endng but I don't want to ruin that for anyone so I won't write about it,

I love this book because Sara never gave up, making magic from nothing but her imagination and because she gets a happy ending.I think something about this book will appeal to almost everyone, but especially to girls fourth grade and up. It's also describes London in the late 1800's very well, so you can picture it even if you haven't ever seen modern day London. It gives the book a sense of taking place very far away and yet very close, like a fairy tale.

I still read this book, and I'm almost sixteen. It stays with you for the rest of your life.

Reader reviewed by Jordan

A Little Princess is an interesting book. I like the time setting, and the whole plot of the book. I like when books have sort of a haunting theme to it, like how the girls father died, creating a grim mood, but then returns and saves her from the evil school headmistress. I like how it portrays a lot of things, like slavery and pre- depression era. It gives the chance for a lot of things to occur and a lot of characters.I realize why it is a classic. Plus the movie does it justice also.

Reader reviewed by Blair

Sarah Crewe is a young girl who is quite wealthy and lives in India. She moves to a boarding school while her father is fighting in a war. Once it is suspected that she dies, she is turned into the schools maid and is no longer rich. However, she manages to make friends for life and stay optimistic.

This book was amazing. Inspiring, heartwarming, and emotional, I would recommend this book to anyone.

Reader reviewed by Eve

This book revolves around a little girl named Sara Crewe who starts off in the book as a rich girl. Her dad is in India but wants her to attend a boarding school. At the boarding school because of her wealth and also her winning personality Sarah becomes friends with most and also is the little star of the school.

Then however her father dies and a friends of the father leaves with most of the money. Now Sarah is made a servant and most of her old friends turn on her except for 2. From then on although her life changes Sarah and another maid pass through life acting as if they are prisoners.

This book is very beautiful and the ending is satisfactory and rewarding. I recommend this for anyone of any ages.

Reader reviewed by Jessica M.

I did not finish the book because I was disappointed in it. You see,I watched the movie before I read the book. I watched the movie when I was 9. There were so many things the book had than the movie didn't and vice versa. People,don't ever EVER watch the movie before you read the book. You will be severely disappointed in the book,like I was with A Little Princess.

Reader reviewed by FFlamingo

This novel was one of my childhood favorites. When I picked up again, having nothing else to read...I expected to be rather bored. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I really got into the novel.


This is a story about a different kind of princess than one might imagine; a princess that is an orphan - lonely, cold, hungry and abused. Sara Crewe begins life as the beloved, pampered daughter of a rich man. When he dies a pauper, she is thrown on the non-existent mercy of her small-minded, mercenary boarding school mistress. Stripped of all her belongings but for one set of clothes and a doll, Sara becomes a servant of the household. Hated by the schoolmistress for her independent spirit, Sara becomes a pariah in the household, with only a few secretly loyal friends. But through her inner integrity and strength of will, Sara Crewe maintains the deportment, inner nobility and generous spirit of a "real" princess.

Reader reviewed by Marietta

As a young child Sara Crewe is brought over from India by her father to join a girls' seminary in London. Her greatest joy is to "pretend" things to make life more magical, both for herself and those less fortunate than herself. She is a general favourite, but her splendid clothes, French maid and personal carriage set her apart from the rest and create jealousy in Miss Minchin, the avaricious head of the school. When she is suddenly and tragically thrown into poverty Sara must keep a strong hold on her vivid imagination and tender heart to prove to those who
ill-treat her that even through hardship and want she can remain "a little princess".

I remember reading this book really quickly, because I liked it so much. I felt sad about Sara's new-found poverty and misery but believed that her strong character would enable her to cope with the difficulties. A Little Princess is a timeless classic and a heartwarming tale, which won't leave you untouched.

Reader reviewed by swim freak

sara's a very rich girl treated like princess. her father left her in a private school for girls only. but as her father suddenly dies with no money left her life turned upside-down. she was treated like a servant...

Reader reviewed by chick box

i started to read this book after i saw the movie! It was great! the ending made me cry! i loved it when she finally found her father. this book is one for every one and it tells such a good story that leaves you wanting for more. i recomend it to anyone who enjoys a good story.

Reader reviewed by Ashley

this book is more for younger kids, but it is very adorable. its a bout a girl who is acustomed to a very high life. her daddy gets her everything she wants, but when her father dies in a war, she is sent to clean with all the other common maids. this book was moving and i would recomend it to people who are children at heart.