A Little Princess is a children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published as a book in 1905.
Written by British-born author Frances Hodgson Burnett and first published in 1905, A Little Princess tells the story of young Sara Crewe, privileged daughter of a wealthy diamond merchant. All the other girls at Miss Minchin’s school treat Sara as if she truly were a princess. But when Captain Crewe’s fortune is sadly lost, Sara’s luck changes. Suddenly she is treated no better than a scullery maid.
Her own fierce determination to maintain her dignity and remain a princess inside has intrigued and delighted readers for almost a hundred years, even inspiring a recent popular feature film.
Based on a 2007 online poll, the U.S. National Education Association listed the book as one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children”. In 2012 it was ranked number 56 on a list of the top 100 children’s novels published by School Library Journal.