What is wrong with Colin Craven?

Colin has been told all his life that he is sickly and will grow a crooked back, so he stays in bed and believes it. Once he gets fresh air, friends and exercise, he finds that his legs and back are perfectly fine.

How old is Colin Craven?

Colin is ten years old, going on eleven, and has spent most of his life in bed. His strength grows over the course of a single spring and summer.

Why was Colin hidden away at Misselthwaite Manor?

His mother died when he was born, and his father was so sad that he could hardly bear to look at him. Servants were told to keep the boy quiet and to give in to him, and many people believed he was too ill to be seen.

From The Secret Garden

Colin Craven

The secret invalid • Finding new hope

A boy Mary hears crying somewhere in the big house, with a secret of his own.

Who is Colin Craven?

Colin Craven is Mary’s cousin, a boy who has spent his whole life in bed in a hidden room, believing he is too sick to grow up. He can be bossy and full of fears, but Mary’s stories, Dickon’s animals and the secret garden fill him with hope. Little by little, Colin learns to stand, then walk, and finally run races in the sunshine.

Colin Craven is a character in The Secret Garden, the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Colin Craven like?

Brave
Proud
Hopeful

Colin Craven’s story

Colin Craven is the son of Mr. Craven and his late wife. He has been told for so long that he is delicate that he lives mostly in bed in a closed-off room. When Mary first finds him, he is a bossy, fearful boy who throws fits of temper and believes that he will grow a hunch on his back and die young.

Mary is the first person who does not simply obey him, and he is curious about her. She tells him about the garden, and he begs to see it. Dickon pushes his chair out to the garden in secret, and the fresh air, the sunshine and the company of friends start to change him. Colin says he feels something he calls Magic in the garden.

After Ben’s clumsy question about his legs makes him furious, Colin stands up on his own. He keeps practising, but he saves the secret for his father’s return. When Mr. Craven comes home, Colin runs out of the garden, strong and glowing, and the two are happily reunited.

“Mary! Dickon! I shall get well! And I shall live forever and ever and ever!”

Colin Craven, as he first feels his own strength in the garden. From the original 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

A moment to remember

When old Ben asks whether his legs are weak, Colin tosses off his woolly rugs and stands up straight and tall beneath the sun.

Mary Lennox: his cousin and the friend who changed him
Archibald Craven: his father
Dickon Sowerby: his friend who wheels him outdoors
Ben Weatherstaff: the gardener whose question makes him stand
Mrs. Medlock: the housekeeper who looks after him

Talk about it

Colin was afraid for a long time before he tried to stand. What is something that felt scary to try at first but got easier?

Questions about Colin Craven

What is wrong with Colin Craven?: Colin has been told all his life that he is sickly and will grow a crooked back, so he stays in bed and believes it. Once he gets fresh air, friends and exercise, he finds that his legs and back are perfectly fine.
How old is Colin Craven?: Colin is ten years old, going on eleven, and has spent most of his life in bed. His strength grows over the course of a single spring and summer.
Why was Colin hidden away at Misselthwaite Manor?: His mother died when he was born, and his father was so sad that he could hardly bear to look at him. Servants were told to keep the boy quiet and to give in to him, and many people believed he was too ill to be seen.