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Anna Solden #1
From Anna
A beloved Canadian favourite is available again with a fresh new cover and classic interior illustrations for its 50th anniversary. Nine-year-old Anna has always been the clumsy one in the family. Somehow she can never do anything right. She bumps into tables, and she can't read the blackboard at her school. Her perfect brothers and sisters call her “Awkward Anna.” When Papa announces that the family is moving from Germany to Canada ― after the disappearance of some Jewish neighbours he can see what the Nazis' rise to power will bring ― Anna's heart sinks. How can she learn English when she can't even read German properly? But when the Soldens arrive in Canada, Anna learns that there is a reason for her clumsiness. And suddenly, wonderfully, her whole world begins to change. Especially when her new friends in a special class at school help her stand up to some bullies who call her names. A truly heartwarming story of an underdog who prevails; it is impossible not to cheer for prickly, determined, wonderful Anna. Bonus content includes an introduction by Katherine Paterson, an afterword by the author, plus reader discussion questions and activities.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
24 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
Jean Little
107 books193 followersJean Little is a Canadian author, born in Taiwan. Her work has mainly consisted of children's literature, but she has also written two autobiographies: Little by Little and Stars Come Out Within. Little has been partially blind since birth as a result of scars on her cornea and is frequently accompanied by a guide dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
July 16, 2017
This book is one of the best things Jean Little has ever written. And since - as Andree put it - Jean Little is a Canadian treasure, that's saying a great deal.
It's a punch in the gut, Anna's story. Here is someone who knows exactly what it's like to be lonely, but not how to fix it, so she steels herself against while it only gets worse. Who is the youngest of her family and doesn't fit in with any of them - doesn't even look like any of them. Who can't read, and can't play games, and is always bumping into things. And now she has to leave her homeland of Germany and move to an entirely new country - Canada - where she has no friends at all and doesn't speak the language. Or so she pretends to her family, for reasons that make no sense at all, and also perfect sense.
It's the loneliness that makes this book so powerful and so timeless. Despite the fact that this is a book very much of its time - 1930s Germany - and of a very specific sort - centering on recent emigres and the challenges of integration - and that these challenges are so human, so recurring, that the book feels prescient and important still - despite all those strengths, this book is about a terrified girl with no friends, alone with little support in a foreign country. That it manages to be prescient is icing on the cake, but it's not the focus, and this book is all the stronger for that.
I cry every time I read this, and I'm not a crier, so I don't read it often. But every time I do, I marvel.
Somewhere someone has written a thesis on Jean Little and her excellent treatment of disabilities - and loneliness - and grief. I hope I find it someday.
It's a punch in the gut, Anna's story. Here is someone who knows exactly what it's like to be lonely, but not how to fix it, so she steels herself against while it only gets worse. Who is the youngest of her family and doesn't fit in with any of them - doesn't even look like any of them. Who can't read, and can't play games, and is always bumping into things. And now she has to leave her homeland of Germany and move to an entirely new country - Canada - where she has no friends at all and doesn't speak the language. Or so she pretends to her family, for reasons that make no sense at all, and also perfect sense.
It's the loneliness that makes this book so powerful and so timeless. Despite the fact that this is a book very much of its time - 1930s Germany - and of a very specific sort - centering on recent emigres and the challenges of integration - and that these challenges are so human, so recurring, that the book feels prescient and important still - despite all those strengths, this book is about a terrified girl with no friends, alone with little support in a foreign country. That it manages to be prescient is icing on the cake, but it's not the focus, and this book is all the stronger for that.
I cry every time I read this, and I'm not a crier, so I don't read it often. But every time I do, I marvel.
Somewhere someone has written a thesis on Jean Little and her excellent treatment of disabilities - and loneliness - and grief. I hope I find it someday.
July 1, 2016
At first Anna is depicted weakly: not speaking-up among family, peers, or teachers on the simplest matters. Later, I grew to enjoy "From Anna", 1972, much more than I envisioned! I can't bear mistreatment, which thankfully this book was not about. I despair enough of anyone being underestimated and disregarded too often, which was Anna's plight. Mercifully, there was always her Dad or some friend who understood her better and gave her credence in the weakling days. This becomes a phenomenal story, of the sort that we remember reading because the characters are so real and their feelings are so well-explained by Jean Little.
The nervous environment of the pre-World War I years in Germany and following the reluctant immigration of a family, to my own country, were special touches to what might have been plain, universal, "coming of age" woes. Jean can be counted on to include the point of view of impaired vision and sharply show us what someone's life is like, before the problem is corrected. I settle upon four stars, because I could not empathize or agree with Anna's pathetic way of thinking initially and her Mother was less sympathetic than anyone ought to be. However misconceptions and feelings are resolved in immensely uplifting ways. I liked the Mothers industriousness to work in their Toronto grocery shop.
I was impressed the outcome didn't meaninglessly glide into place; by inserting a saccharine scene when the author was ready to close the novel. We worked towards this moment in steps that are realistic and very visibly earned. I would give anything to see the joke dictionary Anna drew for Isobel at Christmas, of English words her friend taught her! Gosh, the depictions sound hilarious and I well imagine Anna's teacher, marvelling at this once subdued girl's extraordinary humour.
The nervous environment of the pre-World War I years in Germany and following the reluctant immigration of a family, to my own country, were special touches to what might have been plain, universal, "coming of age" woes. Jean can be counted on to include the point of view of impaired vision and sharply show us what someone's life is like, before the problem is corrected. I settle upon four stars, because I could not empathize or agree with Anna's pathetic way of thinking initially and her Mother was less sympathetic than anyone ought to be. However misconceptions and feelings are resolved in immensely uplifting ways. I liked the Mothers industriousness to work in their Toronto grocery shop.
I was impressed the outcome didn't meaninglessly glide into place; by inserting a saccharine scene when the author was ready to close the novel. We worked towards this moment in steps that are realistic and very visibly earned. I would give anything to see the joke dictionary Anna drew for Isobel at Christmas, of English words her friend taught her! Gosh, the depictions sound hilarious and I well imagine Anna's teacher, marvelling at this once subdued girl's extraordinary humour.
December 1, 2020
This book is top-notch. It is written by a very sensitive children's author, Jean Little. It is about a little girl who is different from the rest of the family. She is awkward and is always stumbling over things. She cannot understand how her brothers and sisters can tell their Father is coming down the street before she hears his steps. Her mother is exasperated with her because she cannot learn to sew, but Anna wonders where the eye of the needle is that she can't find. Her teacher says she is lazy and treats her disparagingly. When her family immigrates from Germany to Canada right after the depression, it is discovered that Anna is legally blind. The story is about how Anna comes out from the prickly shell she has surrounded herself with and comes to find acceptance for herself and from her family.
I work with visually impaired children and this story is the best description of what it is like to have low vision. It is also a compassionate view of a family deals with difficult circumstances, both from the world around them and within themselves.
I work with visually impaired children and this story is the best description of what it is like to have low vision. It is also a compassionate view of a family deals with difficult circumstances, both from the world around them and within themselves.
February 18, 2022
This was a really sweet book for the most part. Although I didn't like the conflict between Anna and her siblings, I appreciated the way things eventually changed. It was easy to see how Anna had become the prickly little girl she was, but I liked seeing her come out of her shell and gain confidence in little ways and how the changes built as things went along. I especially loved the way that Anna started caring about and reaching out to others as she gradually lost her focus on herself, even before her family finally learned what she could do. And having gotten my own glasses not long after I started attending public school and realized I couldn't actually see the board, I related a lot to parts of Anna's journey. :) I loved Papa and the doctor, but Miss Williams and the kids in the special class had to be my favorite--the day Anna came in despondent and it affected the whole class just totally melted my heart. I liked how the story ebbed and flowed and dealt with various issues and ideas while still keeping a cohesive thread; there were so many good little lessons woven in. <3
Content--some name-calling, unkind comments, and bullying; resentful and belligerent attitudes; some veiled talk of Nazis, danger to Jews, people disappearing, etc.; some rumors of a man who has disappeared deserting his family
Content--some name-calling, unkind comments, and bullying; resentful and belligerent attitudes; some veiled talk of Nazis, danger to Jews, people disappearing, etc.; some rumors of a man who has disappeared deserting his family
December 27, 2024
nrtc
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I really love this book. Somehow I relate to Anna in many ways. I also got glasses at a young age, and I still remember that feeling of wonder and miraculousness. I also have a younger sister who is handicapped and, like Anna, is the “odd one.” Anna also appeals to me for all the times I feel/have felt “the odd one out.” She hasn’t a very good attitude towards her family, but one can hardly blame her very much—it’s more her family’s fault than her own. The last chapter made me tear up. We all need to realize that we need to take the time to stop and listen to people.
A Favourite Quote: “She was still concerned about the food, although really she did know she had more than enough. Yet Dr. Schumacher might be a terribly hungry man!
“She looked down and caught Anna waiting for her to listen properly. Oh, she must find time for Anna. From now on, she must always try to find time.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The excitement which had been blossoming inside [Anna] closed up as tightly as a flower when darkness nears.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Anna looked sullen, her usual touchy, difficult self. She was trying, inside, to pretend that she was not there. It was not helping....
“‘What a nice little girl,’ the optometrist said heartily.
“Anna glowered.”
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I really love this book. Somehow I relate to Anna in many ways. I also got glasses at a young age, and I still remember that feeling of wonder and miraculousness. I also have a younger sister who is handicapped and, like Anna, is the “odd one.” Anna also appeals to me for all the times I feel/have felt “the odd one out.” She hasn’t a very good attitude towards her family, but one can hardly blame her very much—it’s more her family’s fault than her own. The last chapter made me tear up. We all need to realize that we need to take the time to stop and listen to people.
A Favourite Quote: “She was still concerned about the food, although really she did know she had more than enough. Yet Dr. Schumacher might be a terribly hungry man!
“She looked down and caught Anna waiting for her to listen properly. Oh, she must find time for Anna. From now on, she must always try to find time.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The excitement which had been blossoming inside [Anna] closed up as tightly as a flower when darkness nears.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Anna looked sullen, her usual touchy, difficult self. She was trying, inside, to pretend that she was not there. It was not helping....
“‘What a nice little girl,’ the optometrist said heartily.
“Anna glowered.”
March 14, 2014
I love this book so much, it's one of those ones that I've read over and over.
Set in the 1930's, From Anna tells the story of a nine year old girl who has to deal with the tumult of moving from Germany to Canada. For a young girl who's always had to deal with being awkward and the one who sticks out among her siblings, the sudden chaos of the move, a new country and learning English means that this is a very difficult time for Anna - and for her family as well!
The story gently unravels Anna's story - how there's a reason for her awkwardness, the slow uncertainty of making new friends and learning new things, and the true strength of family bonds.
I can't recommend this enough, to be honest. I think it's a great book for kids who have been picked on or have ever felt left out in their family or otherwise, and it's a sensitive examination of the struggles that kids can face even when it comes to their parents.
I love Anna because she reminds me a bit of me - stubborn, loves to read, sensitive and a bit shy.
Jean Little really has a talent for exposing what it's like to be a child struggling to deal with being different and all that means.
Set in the 1930's, From Anna tells the story of a nine year old girl who has to deal with the tumult of moving from Germany to Canada. For a young girl who's always had to deal with being awkward and the one who sticks out among her siblings, the sudden chaos of the move, a new country and learning English means that this is a very difficult time for Anna - and for her family as well!
The story gently unravels Anna's story - how there's a reason for her awkwardness, the slow uncertainty of making new friends and learning new things, and the true strength of family bonds.
I can't recommend this enough, to be honest. I think it's a great book for kids who have been picked on or have ever felt left out in their family or otherwise, and it's a sensitive examination of the struggles that kids can face even when it comes to their parents.
I love Anna because she reminds me a bit of me - stubborn, loves to read, sensitive and a bit shy.
Jean Little really has a talent for exposing what it's like to be a child struggling to deal with being different and all that means.
March 18, 2022
A truly delightful children's book that I read on the recommendation of a Canadian friend. Like Betsy of "Understood Betsy" Anna is a little girl who is told and believes that she can't, until one day in her new homeland she meets friends who show her she can. What a surprise her family has when they realize they were the ones who could not see.
February 15, 2024
Meet Anna, a 9-year-old German girl who has to make a new start in Canada. And boy, does she ever. Through a lot of the book she gets made fun of, and called Awkward. This soon changes once a very nice doctor tells her and her family something shocking. If I told any more, I'd be ruining this book.
Jean Little tends to write books about young children that have to overcome having a various disability. Anna does just this in this heartwarming story. You'd think that Anna would have done a lot of crying, and feeling quite bad for herself, but she didn't. She overcomes what she's been dealt quite nicely, which is good, given that this book was written in 1971. I liked Anna's siblings well enough, but I wasn't a super huge fan of her mother. Her father though sort of strict was my favorite of the two parents.
This book of course does have a happy ending, and I do have to admit that i'd like to have learned what happened with Anna, and her family after the book ends. A good story to read around the holidays.
February 19, 2022
I had heard this book recommended by a couple of homeschool moms, but it has been sitting on my shelf unread for a while. I'm SO glad I finally picked it up. In some ways this book reminded me of The Year of Miss Agnes and A Place to Hang the Moon. We've ordered the sequel and plan to read that aloud next.
July 25, 2022
Xúc động và đôi khi thấy giận dữ - hai cảm xúc chính bản thân tôi trải qua khi đọc cuốn sách này. Một câu chuyện thú vị và cảm động, luôn lấp ló tình yêu thương chực chờ bung nở.
November 16, 2018
I have read this book over and over.
Anna is a young girl from a large German family. With the threat of War coming, Anna's father moves the family to Canada. But the move isn't easy. Everyone must learn English and adjust to Canadian culture. Furthermore, Anna must stop being so clumsy!
Everyone scorns young Anna and calls her 'Awkward Anna'. That is, until a Doctor's report reveals that Anna has very bad eyesight. Once Anna is given glasses and put in a special class, her world blooms. Finally, her world begins to make sense.
Anna flourishes in her caring class. She makes friends and is truly happy for the first time. But all is not well. The children from the regular school tease the kids with glasses and call them names. At home, her siblings still think of her as 'Awkward Anna' and don't think she can do anything.
Christmas looms and for the first time, Anna wants to prove herself. With little money and in a strange land, her family struggles. Can Anna overcome all her difficulties and help her family have a good first Christmas in Canada?
From Anna explores friendship, acceptance, and the challenges of overcoming difficulties. You will fall in love with Anna and her friends and family. As a young girl, I played 'From Anna' pretend games over and over.
From Anna is a must read for any young girl.
Anna is a young girl from a large German family. With the threat of War coming, Anna's father moves the family to Canada. But the move isn't easy. Everyone must learn English and adjust to Canadian culture. Furthermore, Anna must stop being so clumsy!
Everyone scorns young Anna and calls her 'Awkward Anna'. That is, until a Doctor's report reveals that Anna has very bad eyesight. Once Anna is given glasses and put in a special class, her world blooms. Finally, her world begins to make sense.
Anna flourishes in her caring class. She makes friends and is truly happy for the first time. But all is not well. The children from the regular school tease the kids with glasses and call them names. At home, her siblings still think of her as 'Awkward Anna' and don't think she can do anything.
Christmas looms and for the first time, Anna wants to prove herself. With little money and in a strange land, her family struggles. Can Anna overcome all her difficulties and help her family have a good first Christmas in Canada?
From Anna explores friendship, acceptance, and the challenges of overcoming difficulties. You will fall in love with Anna and her friends and family. As a young girl, I played 'From Anna' pretend games over and over.
From Anna is a must read for any young girl.
February 4, 2021
Katherine Paterson writes in the introduction:
"Jean Little has often been called “Canada’s most beloved writer of children’s literature,” and one has only to read From Anna to understand why. For forty years now, young Anna Solden has been warming the hearts of readers of every age and description. If you long for a book about a strong, loving family (and they are rare these days), this is your book. If you, or a loved one, are struggling with an unrecognized disability, this is your book. If you are teased by your more able siblings or put down at school, this is your book. If you are forced to leave the only home you know to move to a strange new setting, this is your book. If you are an outsider, longing for love and understanding …
Obviously, I could go on and on. . . .
From Anna is a lovely book. If you haven’t read it before, do, it will warm your heart. If you have, read it again. It will refresh your soul."
And so, friends, like Ms Paterson, I recommend From Anna to you. It is one of the best children's chapter books you will ever read.
"Jean Little has often been called “Canada’s most beloved writer of children’s literature,” and one has only to read From Anna to understand why. For forty years now, young Anna Solden has been warming the hearts of readers of every age and description. If you long for a book about a strong, loving family (and they are rare these days), this is your book. If you, or a loved one, are struggling with an unrecognized disability, this is your book. If you are teased by your more able siblings or put down at school, this is your book. If you are forced to leave the only home you know to move to a strange new setting, this is your book. If you are an outsider, longing for love and understanding …
Obviously, I could go on and on. . . .
From Anna is a lovely book. If you haven’t read it before, do, it will warm your heart. If you have, read it again. It will refresh your soul."
And so, friends, like Ms Paterson, I recommend From Anna to you. It is one of the best children's chapter books you will ever read.
May 2, 2013
Anna Solden has always been "awkward"--a word she hates, but accepts as true. It's a label her siblings have given her, and her school teacher and even her mother are exasperated with her. She constantly stumbles, cannot read well, and there are so many things she cannot do. Changes have come to Germany in the 1930's--some quite frightening--and Anna's father feels that it will be better if he takes his family away from an increasingly dangerous environment. The Soldens emigrate to Canada, where the reason for Anna's awkwardness is discovered, the crusty shell she has built to protect her from so much heartache begins to fall away, and the Anna her father knew was inside all along begins to come out. A touching and beautiful award-winning story about disabilities, acceptance, growth, immigration, and so much more. Another great gift from my mom I've loved for years!
July 25, 2021
To me, Anna is a special kid with a beautiful, creative and kind soul. The more I know read about her, the more I want to discover what is inside her head. In the beginning, she has to face many difficulties that only her dad understands her but gradually there are more people who support and encourage her to come out of her shell be a true, really happy child. It's a touching point when I hear her singing the song in English. Eventually, everyone can see her bright side.
We need to look at the kids in different aspects and give good care to them. In the case of Anna, she is very sensitive to words and thought from others. It affects the way that she interacts with the outside world. And thus, just imagine that without her dad and his decision to move to Canada, what her childhood will go. We never know.
We need to look at the kids in different aspects and give good care to them. In the case of Anna, she is very sensitive to words and thought from others. It affects the way that she interacts with the outside world. And thus, just imagine that without her dad and his decision to move to Canada, what her childhood will go. We never know.
February 9, 2025
target age: maybe 8?
I want to share this book with a child! There's not a lot of action, but the characters are nicely developed. Both of which are rather unusual for a book that targets a young audience. Little has succeeded in framing the story in such a way, that I bet all readers will be cheering for Anna long before the end of the book. (There's also a gentle introduction to the harsh changes that Germans experienced in the early 1930s.)
2025
Definitely a keeper. Her parents, her teachers, doctors ... why did none of them really her vision problem?
Perfect educational setting. And lots of good people.
February 27, 2019
Just read it again for the ___ time. This time out loud to my 10 year old boy. We just finished it and he said “that’s actually a pretty good book”, with an impressed look on his face. We’ll take it as a huge compliment 😂
April 5, 2022
I've yet to meet a Jean Little book I didn't like, and From Anna is no exception. As I have a sibling with special needs, I think this hits a little closer to home. Honestly, a truly sweet tale of family life that one can read to children. I would describe this as a comfort read.
November 22, 2022
it made me feel so sad about her family.
March 7, 2025
This middle grade book holds such a special place in my heart. I haven’t read it for years, but I think I enjoyed it just as much as an adult as I did as a young girl. This is the book that made me fall in love with historical fiction, and I see so much of myself in Anna (and not just because we share the same name). Such a sweet and heartfelt story.
May 12, 2025
From the book's introduction:
"This story begins in Germany in the year 1933, a time in that country's history when many of its citizens were being denied personal freedoms and it was dangerous for anyone to speak out against such injustice. Some Germans, like Anna's father, became so worried about the future they took their families and moved to a new world."
I have fond memories of this book from my childhood (with this cover), although I'm not certain if I read it myself but I do remember that my mom read it to me and my sisters. I finally decided to read it to my own children (ages 6, 7 & 8) and it was very fitting for the times we are currently going through with devisions in society, censorship, etc. I felt myself getting emotional during the first few chapters before the Solden family left Germany, particularly as they sing "Die Gedanken sind Frei" (see below) as their father arrives home from work and later as a schoolmate's father has gone missing and nobody is sure what has happened to him. Once they move to Canada there is little to no mention of the looming war and the book focuses mainly on Anna's adjustment to school, as well as feeling misunderstood/judged by her older siblings, and ends on Christmas Day, which would make it an appropriate read-aloud for the month of December.
Die Gedanken sind frei (Thoughts are free)
My thoughts freely flower,
My thoughts give me power,
No scholar can map them,
No hunter can trap them,
No man can deny
Die Gedanken sind frei!
So I will think as I please
And this gives me pleasure
My conscience decrees
This right I must treasure
My thoughts will not cater
To duke or dictator,
My thoughts freely fly.
Die Gedanken sind frei.
And if tyrants take me
And throw me in prison,
My thoughts will burst free,
Like blossoms in season.
Foundations will crumble.
The structure will tumble.
And free men will cry,
"Die Gedanken sind frei!"
-From Anna, pgs 5-6
"This story begins in Germany in the year 1933, a time in that country's history when many of its citizens were being denied personal freedoms and it was dangerous for anyone to speak out against such injustice. Some Germans, like Anna's father, became so worried about the future they took their families and moved to a new world."
I have fond memories of this book from my childhood (with this cover), although I'm not certain if I read it myself but I do remember that my mom read it to me and my sisters. I finally decided to read it to my own children (ages 6, 7 & 8) and it was very fitting for the times we are currently going through with devisions in society, censorship, etc. I felt myself getting emotional during the first few chapters before the Solden family left Germany, particularly as they sing "Die Gedanken sind Frei" (see below) as their father arrives home from work and later as a schoolmate's father has gone missing and nobody is sure what has happened to him. Once they move to Canada there is little to no mention of the looming war and the book focuses mainly on Anna's adjustment to school, as well as feeling misunderstood/judged by her older siblings, and ends on Christmas Day, which would make it an appropriate read-aloud for the month of December.
Die Gedanken sind frei (Thoughts are free)
My thoughts freely flower,
My thoughts give me power,
No scholar can map them,
No hunter can trap them,
No man can deny
Die Gedanken sind frei!
So I will think as I please
And this gives me pleasure
My conscience decrees
This right I must treasure
My thoughts will not cater
To duke or dictator,
My thoughts freely fly.
Die Gedanken sind frei.
And if tyrants take me
And throw me in prison,
My thoughts will burst free,
Like blossoms in season.
Foundations will crumble.
The structure will tumble.
And free men will cry,
"Die Gedanken sind frei!"
-From Anna, pgs 5-6
July 7, 2013
From Anna is another of Jean Little's books that I remembered from my childhood. It's funny how specific scenes and images have stuck with me and others are like new to me now. This book focuses on Anna, the slow, clumsy youngest child of a family who moves suddenly from Germany to Canada just before World War II breaks out. When they arrive in the States, Anna visits a doctor who discovers that her troubles are a result of her seriously limited eyesight. Getting glasses and joining a class of other children with low vision makes all the difference for Anna, and this book follows her transformation into an independent, happy Canadian girl. Once again, Jean Little manages to tug at my heartstrings without going over the top; the events in this book feel perfectly human-scale and realistic, and while I didn't feel a ton of suspense about the outcome, I teared up a little reading it anyway.
January 2, 2017
This book begins in Germany in 1933. Anna Solden is the youngest and clumsiest in a large family that treats her like the incompetent baby. After they immigrate to America to escape the worsening political scene, the family discovers that Anna can barely see. A new pair of glasses and a special class for the visually impaired helps her blossom into a proficient and confident child. The climax features a Christmas during the depression that might have been dismal had it not been for the pluck and cheerfulness of the family, and at which Anna comes into her own and proves to her family - and herself - that she can do anything she sets her mind to.
This is a sweet story, and would appeal to upper elementary students, especially those who feel like they don't quite fit in. I would have given this story more stars if the point of view hadn't jumped around among almost every character in the story.
This is a sweet story, and would appeal to upper elementary students, especially those who feel like they don't quite fit in. I would have given this story more stars if the point of view hadn't jumped around among almost every character in the story.
March 3, 2016
We mostly liked this book. I didn't really like how the mom was always choosing "the dearest child" or some of the negative behaviors by some of the children. But the general story line was good - a German family with 5 children moves to Canada. The youngest girl, Anna, has trouble with lots of things and most of her family thinks she's just "slow" or even stupid (even she does). It turns out she just can't see and life improves for her when she gets glasses.
November 7, 2012
My name is Anna, so my mom got this book for me at a used-book sale. It sat on my shelf for a few weeks and then I started to read it. It was one of the most touching stories I have ever read. (Harry Portera us still better, of course.)
November 13, 2007
This actually probably more of a children's or young adult book, but I love it. It's a very tender story about a little girl who emigrates with her family to Canada from Germany on the eve of WWII.
March 19, 2009
This has been one of my favorite books for a long time.
October 19, 2010
I thought From Anna by Jean Little was the best book I've ever read. I'm 50% German and this book is my favorite German story. Sometimes I feel just like Anna.
August 2, 2011
Great little story, I remember Jean Little coming to my school in grade 5, she was very inspirational.
November 10, 2017
A great classic.
September 27, 2015
I enjoyed this book, with its realistic description of the effects of a disability - in this case poor/limited eyesight. Nice family dynamics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews