When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables, with its shower of apple blossoms and fields of buttercups, she hopes it will be the place she can call home. It's everything she's ever dreamed of! So when Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert tell her they were expecting a boy orphan - someone strong enough to help around their farm - Anne despairs. Is it her flaming red hair they don't like? Or her matching temper? If only they'd give her a chance to mend her ways. But spunky Anne has a knack for getting into mischief - as much as she has for spreading happiness all around her. She's a unique girl. She's Anne of Green Gables.
This beautiful picture book adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's classic novel 'Anne of Green Gables' (1908) will delight the author's many fans and younger readers alike. Ellen Beier's lush illustrations will have everyone yearning to call Green Gables home.
This is a hard one to rate, because on the one hand, it's Anne, but on the other hand, it's Anne in forty pages. Forty pages (with pictures!) can hardly do it justice. Helldorfer covers a few stories pretty well (the adoption, the slate, the green hair) and then glosses over a few others quickly. All in all, I enjoyed reading it to my four-year-old, but reading him the real thing in a few years will be immensely more satisfying.
Yep, it's a children's book--nope, I didn't read it as a child. Even though I read constantly while growing up, the Anne of Green Gables series completely escaped me--probably because I was deep into the Black Stallion series and Nancy Drew. Anyway, we all know the story. Anne Shirley is mistakenly sent to the farm of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who live on the farm called Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. Marilla and Matthew decide to adopt Anne and she turns out to be quite the handful as she grows up. But the ugly red-haired, freckle-face duckling turns out to be a swan. The remarkable thing about this book is the level of the vocabulary. Obviously, Lucy Maud Montgomery didn't believe in writing down to children. I applaud that.
I have never read the 1908 full version of 'Anne of Green Gables' so when I spotted this adapted copy with the attractive cover and illustrations by Ellen Beier to match I thought I should read it to see if I want to read Lucy Maud Montgomery's original. However, whilst the storyline is okay it did not grab me securely so I am still unsure whether I want to read the longer version. I suppose the answer is that I probably will if only to see whether this adapted version falls a little too short and perhaps misses some salient events.
In this shortened version Anne goes to the Green Gables farm owned by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert but when she arrives at the station she discovers that Matthew was expecting a boy to help with work on the farm. He says nothing, planning to let Marilla tell Anne that she is not wanted. But on the ride to the farm, with Anne admiring the scenery, she comments, 'I'm so glad I'm going to live here.'
Marilla quickly decides that she must go back from whence she came and the following day she takes Anne to Mrs Spencer, the lady who had arranged for Anne to come from the orphanage. She is distressed to find that she is not wanted but suggests she go and work for Mrs Blewett but Marilla knows that lady has a terrible temper so she decides to take Anne back to the farm and re-assess the situation.
The Cuthberts have a change of heart and Anne remains and she makes friends with Diana Barry, the daughter of one of their neighbours. Everything goes swimmingly well until Marilla suddenly discovers that her favourite amethyst pin has gone missing. Dramatic scenes follow until the pin is found.
More drama unfolds as Anne attends Avonlea school and meets up with Gilbert Blythe and trouble ensues and it continues when Anne has a desire to change the colour of her hair with drastic consequences ... but in the end everything turns out fine as Anne realises she has a permanent home at Green Gables.
Disappointed I accidentally ordered this children's version instead of the original. I feel like I missed out on a lot of the stories they discussed at book club. Cute book but just too short.
»»————- ✳ ————-«« ❤️ Read out loud with my mom January 2023, on a night when we intend to watch the 1985 anne of green gables. Very cute, although the actual novel is better because it includes more. This would have been GREAT as an introduction though!
I had been a fan of these movies for such a long time that when I saw the book series for a good price at Bookmans I decided to go ahead and try it. Well... I loved it. I'm hooked, Anne is a helpless romantic and a daydreamer. Something I think the world could use a little more of.
Cora is so interested in Anne of Green Gables now. We have a step into reading version, and she has seen the animated movies. This was really fun for her too. We're going to try the 'real' movies soon.
It's cute, but not a good read if you are no longer a child. There are other children's books that would have more discussion possibilities in book club.
I love this story, this one was perfect for my daughter that is almost 5 years old. she sat nicely and listened to the whole story. I like the pictures.