Young Cedric Errol lives in poverty in New York with his mother. When his father, who was disinherited for marrying an American, dies, Cedric is summoned to his grandfather's English estate. Although the crotchety old Earl has planned to transform the boy into a docile, traditional lord, it is Little Lord Fauntleroy who does the converting. Through his goodness and innocence, he wins the hearts of his English relatives, who welcome his mother with open arms, and he teaches the Earl some valuable lessons about the true meaning of nobility.

This classic tale embodies the author's belief that "nothing in the world is so strong as a kind heart."