A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett - Bookniverse

A Little Princess stands as one of the most enduring works in children's literature. Sara is so wealthy that everyone calls her the "Little Princess." However, Sara is not a spoiled brat. She is clever, kind, and has a massive imagination that helps her see magic in everyday things. But everything changes on her eleventh birthday. Her father suddenly dies, and his fortune vanishes, leaving Sara with absolutely nothing. The mean headmistress of Sara's boarding school in London instantly turns Sara from a star pupil into a shivering servant. Sara faces a life of misery. Yet, she refuses to let her spirit break. She uses her stories to "pretend" her way through the hardship, proving that being a princess is about the kindness and dignity you keep in your heart. ****************************The resilience we see in Sara, the heroine of A Little Princess, mirrors the life of the author, Frances Hodgson Burnett. Born in Manchester, England, in 1849, Burnett knew exactly what it felt like to go from "riches to rags." After her father died when she was very young, her family fell into poverty and eventually moved to America to start over. To help her family survive, she began writing stories for magazines while she was still a teenager. Just like Sara, Burnett used her creativity as a tool for survival.