Mandy (rpkg) (Julie Andrews Collection) (Paperback)

~ Julie Andrews Edwards (Author), Johanna Westerman (Illustrator) "ON THE OUTSKIRTS of a pretty country vil called St. Martin's Green, there stands a large, white house called St. Martin's Orphanage..." (more)
Key Phrases: shell cottage, shell room, Matron Bridie, Cranton House, Shell Cottage

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For an orphan child whose life is filled with comfortable, predictable sameness, with no particular hardships, life is, well, all right. Really, what does Mandy have to worry about? So it comes as a surprise even to Mandy when a small restlessness begins to grow in her. This lonely ache sets her to wandering farther afield, and leads her to a startling and wonderful discovery over the orphanage wall--a very old, very small, seemingly abandoned cottage. Embarking on a clandestine domestic fantasy involving gardening tools and soap flakes, Mandy finds herself being less than honest about where and how she's spending her days. Holding her secret closer and closer to her heart, this imaginative dreamer inadvertently endangers her reputation--and her life.

For every child who has fallen in love with The Secret Garden or A Little Princess, Julie Andrews Edwards's 1971 novel will be a heartwarming discovery. Any sometimes-lonely child with a giant imagination will recognize Mandy's dreams and rejoice in her ultimate fairy-tale happy ending. Judith Gwyn Brown's Edward Gorey-esque pen and ink drawings (with none of Gorey's sinister air) are quietly memorable. Fans of Julie Andrews Edwards--Sound of Music star of stage and screen--will be thrilled to see her latest children's book, Little Bo: The Story of Bonnie Boadicea, or to an earlier favorite, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Review

"Beautifully written, sensitive. A joyous novel." -- -- Language Arts

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTrophy (April 4, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064402967
• ISBN-13: 978-0064402965
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #518,052 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very best "children's book" I have ever read., October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This is one of my top 10 favorite books ever. I first read Mandy when I was 11 or so and I've read it over and over since then. I've given this book to 6 nieces and each one has loved it as well. A young English girl, a secret cottage, different flowers she plants, and odd English foods (to an American) she snacks on all add up to a book one could read over and over. I only wish J.A.Edwards wrote more for this age group. It's a beautiful story you'll never forget. You'll find yourself thinking of people you'd like to give it to - and not necessarily children!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really loved this book!, January 28, 2000

By A Customer

The book Mandy was given to me on Easter about three years ago. I started reading it and immeadiately loved it. Mandy is about a ten year-old orphan girl who yearns for something she can call her own. Thenn one day she finds it. At the edge of the orphanage there is a high wall. Mandy climbs over it and follows a path till she discovers a wonderful little cottage! The rest of the story is about how she tries so hard to keep the cottage to herself. I loved this story because every kid shares Mandy's feelings at some point in their childhood.I could feel Mandy's feelings as if they were my own as I read the book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books as a little girl, May 15, 2007

By	K. Gilligan "avid reader" (Haddon Heights, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mandy (Julie Andrews Collection) (Paperback)

"Mandy" by Julie Andrews Edwards is a delightful tale about an orphan who finds an abandoned cottage and tries to make it her own. Mandy's character is easy to love and you are drawn right into the story. Whenever Mandy is hiding from her roommate, you are holding your breath right along with her! There are several hard lessons that Mandy has to learn and I think that once she's set on the right track, she makes a good role model for girls everywhere.

I would definitely recommend this book. And if you enjoy this story, you'll probably like The Secret Garden (HarperClassics) by Frances Hodgson Burnett.