 |
Anne of Green Gables (1908) 
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Genre: Classic
Point of View: 3rd person
Pages: 297
Age Recommendations: 8 years and up
Main Characters: Anne Shirley, Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, Diana Barry, Rachel Lynde.
Plot: Anne Shirley, a red-headed, chatty, orphan, is mistakenly sent to the home of brother and sister Matthew and Marilla. What they wanted was a boy to help around the house as they were getting older. What they got was a delightful little girl who warmed their hearts and touched their souls. Anne gets into all kinds of hijinks throughout the novel that will make you laugh with her and cry with her. Her imagination is unmatched. Follow Anne through her escapades of learning what it is like to be wanted and loved by parents, finding her place in a strange school after breaking her slate over a boy’s head, and finally getting to have a bosom buddy, a kindred spirit, someone she can truly call a friend and share life's ups and downs with. As Anne sets one ambition after another for herself, you'll be cheering for her success.
Theme: Every young person has to deal with the conflict between imagination and expectation – when is it time to grow up?
Impressions: L.M. Montgomery draws the reader into the turn of the century charm of Avonlea with her beautiful descriptions of the quaint Prince Edward Island. She makes the reader feel like one of Anne’s “kindred spirits.” No matter what age, anybody would love this book. It is a story you can read over and over and never be bored. Anne is one of the most charming and adorable characters in literature. Explore her dreamy mind, her unconditional love, her sometimes uncontrollable imagination, and her positive outlook on life. The best line of the entire book is when Anne is speaking to Diana on the way to school. She says, “There’s such a lot of different Anne’s in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.” Isn’t that true of us all?