Editha's Burglar: a Story for Children

Name: Editha's Burglar: a Story for Children
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Editha is a young girl who lives in a small village with her parents. One day, while she is playing in the garden, she hears a noise coming from the house. She soon discovers that a burglar has broken into her home and is trying to steal her family's valuables. Editha bravely confronts the burglar and tells him to leave. The burglar is so impressed by her courage that he decides to leave without taking anything. Editha's parents are relieved and proud of their daughter's bravery. The story follows Editha as she learns the importance of standing up for what is right and protecting her family. Along the way, she also learns the value of friendship and kindness. In the end, Editha's courage and kindness help her to make a new friend and save her family from the burglar.

By Frances Hodgson Burnett · First published 1890 · Genre: Children's Fiction, Adventure, Mystery · 7,646 words

First lines

I will begin by saying that Editha was always rather a queer little girl, and not much like other children. She was not a strong, healthy little girl, and had never been able to run about and play; and, as she had no sisters or brothers, or companions of her own size, she was rather old-fashioned, as her aunts used to call it. She had always been very fond of books, and had learned to read when she was such a tiny child, that I should almost be afraid to say how tiny she was when she read her first volume through. Her papa wrote books himself, and was also the editor of a newspaper; and, as he had a large library, Editha perhaps read more than was quite good for her. She lived in London; and, as her mamma was very young and pretty, and went out a great deal, and her papa was so busy, and her governess only came in the morning, she was left to herself a good many hours in the day, and when she was left to herself, she spent the greater part of her time in the library reading her papa's big books, and even his newspapers.

What this Textopian page supports

Editha's Burglar: a Story for Children is listed on Textopian as a short story by Frances Hodgson Burnett, dated 1890 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Date: 1890 CE
Language: English
Genres: Children's Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy
Length: 7,646 words
Structure: 1 section, 166 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Editha's Burglar: a Story for Children by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Editha's Burglar: a Story for Children?
How does this short story by Frances Hodgson Burnett fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Children's Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Children's Fiction — The title of the book indicates that it is a story for children, and the author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, is known for writing children's fiction.
Adventure — The title of the book suggests that there is an element of adventure, as the protagonist is dealing with a burglar.
Mystery — The title of the book suggests that there is an element of mystery, as the protagonist is dealing with a burglar.
Fantasy — The author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, is known for writing fantasy stories, so this book may contain elements of fantasy.