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A Little Princess (1939): Film vs Book
Film · 1939 · Directed by Walter Lang · Starring Shirley Temple, Richard Greene
About the film
A rich girl at a boarding school loses her fortune and is made a servant, but keeps her imagination and kindness.
How close is it to the book?
Loosely based on the bookThe film is a vehicle for its child star, with songs and more sentiment than the book, and it changes the shape of the story.
Read or watch first?
The novel is gentler and more realistic about school and poverty.
What the book gives you
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A comforting story of a girl who stays kind and creative whatever happens.
Who will like it: Readers who like gentle, hopeful stories about imagination and kindness.