I love Anne of Green Gables it is one of those classic books that despite its setting and characters it is still a story that young readers can relate to. Throughout this book and the series it shows various kinds of families, beyond the typical nuclear family. Anne is such a headstrong girl, who means well but has a tendency to get into scrapes. I think that the problems that Anne faces are similar to the problems that young girls still face today. ( )

Story Overview
On Prince Edward Island in the little town of Avonlea, brother and sister Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to adopt a young boy to help out around their farm. Both are getting older and know they'll need some help to keep the farm going. They send word to a local woman who is going to the orphanage to bring them home an 11-year-old boy. But when Matthew goes to the train station to pick up the boy, he is surprised to find a young girl -- Anne Shirley.

Shy and tongue-tied around others, Matthew reluctantly agrees to take Anne home until the mix-up can be sorted out. But on the ride home, Anne charms Matthew with her imagination, vivacity and view of the world. By the time they reach the Cuthbert house at Green Gables, he is convinced he wants Anne to stay with them. His sister, Marilla, is not so sure -- but after a few days -- she too falls under Anne's spell and the little orphan girl finds a home in Green Gables.

The book focuses on Anne's coming of age at Green Gables -- her problems with her flaming red hair, her big imagination, her dreaminess and the various escapades and problems caused by all of these aspects of her personality. She finds a "bosom friend" in her neighbor Diana and flourishes at the local school -- except for her long-standing rivalry with Gilbert Blythe (who dared to call her "Carrots" one time.) The book follows Anne until her entry into the Queen's school and eventual return home to Green Gables.

My Thoughts
What can I say? This book was so charming and delightful! I cannot imagine a reader who would not fall in love with Anne -- it is no surprise that all of Avonlea falls under her spell! I know this is considered a children's book, and I wish I had read it when I was Anne's age -- I know I would have just adored her and modeled myself after her!

The writing is just delightful, and Anne's frequent monologues are just so charming. She is the type of person who is so full of life, zest and (most of all) IMAGINATION that you feel yourself drawn to her -- just like Matthew and Marilla. I love that she hates her red hair and freckles, frets about not having puffs on her sleeves, and daydreams while she is supposed to be doing chores. Anne is so relatable and down-to-earth that even a modern day girl could relate to her. After all, what tween girl doesn't fret about the physical attributes that make them different, wish for clothes of the latest fashion and spend inordinate amount of times daydreaming?

The other charm of the book was Anne's love of nature and her constant ecstasy at the beauty around her. I've never been to Prince Edward Island (located in Canada) but the descriptions in the book make it sound like an idyllic and enchanted place. (Of course, Anne could make anything sound amazing and better than life.)

My Final Recommendation
Anne of Green Gables definitely deserves its place as a classic of children's literature. I am so glad I took the time to read it, and I would recommend it unreservedly to a reader looking for a charming and delightful book that hearkens back to a simpler time and space. And if you have a young girl in your life with literary tendencies, I think this would make a wonderful gift! I wish I'd gotten it when I was young! ( )

This book is an absolute must-read!!
When Marilla and her brother Matthew decide to adopt a boy to help on the farm, the red headed, freckled Anne (with an e, if you please) Shirley was the last thing they expected.
Anne is a scatterbrained, dreaming, and fanciful girl who constantly puts the patience of both her guardians' and other inhabitants of the Island to the test, and eventually wins them all over with her sweetness and "scope for imagination".
This is an amazing book that makes me laugh, makes me smile, makes me cry . . . and makes me think. ( )

Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert (brother and sister) decide they need to adopt a boy to help Matthew with the farm work, and in an accident of miscommunication, end up with a girl instead, but this proves to be the most providential accident of their lives. Anne Shirley enters into this rather somber home and changes Matthew and Marilla forever. She is a talkative girl with a big imagination and vocabular to match, and who gains notoriety for the many mishaps that she is involved in. We see her through school, friendships, a years-long feud with a boy, and her triumphant graduation from Queen's Academy, and her growth into a delightful young woman.

This young orphan has touched the hearts of many young readers and still is a pleasure to read for adults as well. It has always been one of my favorites, and the relationship between Anne and Matthew is beautiful to behold, and it is a joy to watch Marilla gradually soften to Anne, as all who meet her are likely to do. ( )

One of the best books ever written! I read this book as a child, and every couple of years I reread the entire series. I love it as much today as I loved it the first time I read them. ( )