I discovered this book on a library shelf when I was about 9 years old. This book as well as The Secret Garden have since gained permanent shelf space in my library. What a wonderful book this is. It gently handles the inequities of the British class system of the Victorian/Edwardian period and creates a classic heroine in the process. It's a fairy tale and a parable all rolled into one. Considering the story was nearly a century old when I read it, this book will still be entertaining to any pre-teen girl you know who likes romanticism. A great gift for the girl in your life who has a vivid imagination.