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Quick answer: If you loved A Little Princess, try The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, Heidi and Little Women. Each one is a heartwarming classic about kindness, resilience and girls facing hardship with grace.
Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 novel follows Sara Crewe, a wealthy girl sent from India to Miss Minchin's boarding school in London. When her father dies and his fortune seems lost, Sara is forced to become a servant in the attic. She keeps her kindness and imagination, pretending to be a princess, until a mysterious neighbor changes everything. Readers love its hope and its heroine. These books share its warmth, its hardship and its happy endings.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Secret Garden | Frances Hodgson Burnett | 8-12 | readers who want more Burnett |
| Little Lord Fauntleroy | Frances Hodgson Burnett | 8-12 | readers who like rags to riches |
| Anne of Green Gables | L.M. Montgomery | 9-13 | readers who love imaginative orphans |
| Pollyanna | Eleanor H. Porter | 8-12 | readers who like relentless optimists |
| Heidi | Johanna Spyri | 8-12 | readers who like girls in hard places |
| Little Women | Louisa May Alcott | 10+ | readers who like sisters |
| Ballet Shoes | Noel Streatfeild | 8-12 | readers who like adopted sisters |
| The Wolves of Willoughby Chase | Joan Aiken | 8-12 | readers who like cruel guardians |
| Matilda | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | readers who like girls defeating cruel adults |
| Jane Eyre | Charlotte Brontë | 13+ | older readers |
| A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith | 13+ | older readers |
| Daddy-Long-Legs | Jean Webster | 10+ | readers who like mysterious benefactors |
| Ella Enchanted | Gail Carson Levine | 9-12 | readers who like fairy-tale grace |
| Annie | Thomas Meehan | 7-10 | readers who like orphan musicals |
| Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Kate Douglas Wiggin | 9-12 | readers who like lively heroines |
1. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
An orphan discovers a hidden garden.
Best for: readers who want more Burnett.
2. Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
An American boy learns he is heir to an earl.
Best for: readers who like rags to riches.
3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
A chatty orphan is adopted by siblings.
Best for: readers who love imaginative orphans.
4. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
An orphan plays the “glad game”.
Best for: readers who like relentless optimists.
5. Heidi by Johanna Spyri
An orphan girl lives with her grandfather in the Alps.
Best for: readers who like girls in hard places.
6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Four sisters grow up during the Civil War.
Best for: readers who like sisters.
7. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Three adopted girls train for the stage.
Best for: readers who like adopted sisters.
8. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Two girls escape a cruel governess.
Best for: readers who like cruel guardians.
9. Matilda by Roald Dahl
A clever girl outwits her headmistress.
Best for: readers who like girls defeating cruel adults.
10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
An orphan grows into an independent woman.
Best for: older readers.
11. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A girl grows up poor in Brooklyn.
Best for: older readers.
12. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
An orphan writes to her secret sponsor.
Best for: readers who like mysterious benefactors.
13. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
A girl cursed with obedience fights back.
Best for: readers who like fairy-tale grace.
14. Annie by Thomas Meehan
The orphan Annie finds a home.
Best for: readers who like orphan musicals.
15. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
A girl lives with strict aunts.
Best for: readers who like lively heroines.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with A Little Princess: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to A Little Princess. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Start with The Secret Garden, Burnett's other classic. For imaginative orphans, Anne of Green Gables and Daddy-Long-Legs are perfect. Readers who loved Sara's goodness should try Heidi or Pollyanna. If you want girls outwitting cruel adults, Matilda and The Wolves of Willoughby Chase are great fun.
Related: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Little Princess about?
A wealthy girl at a London boarding school becomes a servant after her father's death, but keeps her kindness.
How does it end?
A neighbor, her father's friend, finds Sara and restores her fortune.
What age is A Little Princess for?
It suits readers about 8 to 12 and is a lovely read-aloud.
Is there a movie?
Yes. Alfonso Cuarón's 1995 film is popular, though it changes the ending.
Who is Becky?
The scullery maid Sara befriends.
Is A Little Princess sad?
It has sad moments, but it ends happily.