6 h 39 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 39 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Can a boy who expects kindness from everyone reach a grandfather whose heart seems closed?
Seven-year-old Cedric Errol has little money, a loving mother, and friends along his New York street. Then Mr. Havisham arrives from England with news that changes everything: Cedric is heir to the Earl of Dorincourt. The boy known as Ceddie must leave familiar faces behind for a place in his grandfather's world.
At Dorincourt Castle, Cedric meets a proud, lonely old man who distrusts his American mother. The Earl wants a worthy heir; Cedric wants to make people happy. In Little Lord Fauntleroy, Frances Hodgson Burnett brings these two together and asks whether trust and simple goodness can reach where pride keeps others out.
What you’ll discover
- A child without suspicion Meet Ceddie, whose faith in other people puts his grandfather's selfishness in a new light.
- Friends beyond rank Spend time with Mr. Hobbs and Dick Brown, friends whose affection has nothing to do with titles.
- A mother's steady love Follow the bond between Cedric and Dearest as his new life takes them to England.
- Beyond the castle walls See how struggling tenants draw Cedric's attention toward what other people need.
- Goodness without a sermon Explore a gentle story in which kindness challenges pride without preaching or scolding.
Who will love it
For readers who love gentle stories about kindness, family and a child who wins over stern hearts. It is also a warm choice for parents reading aloud.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A happy boy in a New York street
- A lawyer brings news from England
- Saying goodbye to Mr. Hobbs and Dick
- Across the sea to Dorincourt Castle
- A proud old man meets a trusting child
- Cedric opens the Earl's hard heart
- What the story says about goodness and rank
- How Burnett tells the story
- Why the book caught on and how it lasts
Who’s who
- Cedric ErrolA kind, trusting seven-year-old raised in New York, who becomes Lord Fauntleroy and wants only to make those around him happy.
- Mrs. Errol (Dearest)Cedric's loving American mother, who accepts living apart from her son's grandfather so that her boy can have his place in England.
- The Earl of DorincourtCedric's grandfather, a proud, gouty and lonely old nobleman who wants a worthy heir and distrusts the boy's mother.
- Mr. HavishamThe Earl's careful lawyer, who brings the news to New York and comes to admire the boy he was sent to fetch.
- Mr. HobbsThe grocer on Cedric's street, a loud friend of the Republic who disapproves of lords and loves the boy anyway.
- Dick BrownA young bootblack in New York and one of Cedric's closest friends, honest and hardworking.
- Mr. MordauntThe minister of the village near Dorincourt, who has long known the Earl and watches the change in him.
- HigginsA tenant on the Earl's land who is in hard times and whom Cedric tries to help.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 39 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Little Lord Fauntleroy
by Frances Hodgson Burnett · 1886
Cedric leaves New York for a castle, where his trusting heart meets a stern grandfather who dislikes his mother.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
What if a seven-year-old boy could melt the heart of the hardest old man in England, just by expecting him to be good? That is the question at the center of Little Lord Fauntleroy, a novel for young readers by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first printed in a magazine in 1885 and as a book in 1886.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A happy boy in a New York street
Seven-year-old Cedric Errol lives with his mother in a modest house on a quiet street in New York. His English father died when he was small. Cedric calls his mother Dearest, as his father did, and she is the center of his world.
Cedric trusts people and expects them to be good. He listens to grown-ups with great seriousness, and he makes everyone feel that he is truly interested in them. His best friend is Mr. Hobbs, the grocer, who loves the American Republic and despises lords and kings. His other friend is Dick Tipton, a young bootblack.
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What is Little Lord Fauntleroy about?
It follows Cedric Errol, a kind American boy who learns he is the heir to an English earl. He moves to a castle, meets a stern grandfather, and gradually softens him through his friendly, trusting nature.
Who wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy and when?
Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote it. It was first published in the magazine St. Nicholas in 1885 and 1886 and came out as a book in 1886. It is a work of fiction, not a true story.
Why did boys wear velvet suits because of this book?
The first edition's pictures by Reginald Birch showed Cedric in a velvet suit with a lace collar and long curls. The look became a fashion for young boys, and later many people mocked it.
The author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
1849–1924 · English-American novelist and playwright
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was a novelist and playwright born in Manchester, England. She moved to the United States in 1865 and later lived in England and New York. Her books include Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911). She died in New York.
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