GLORIOUS. So, so charming. Immediately moving on to re-read Anne of the Island. ( )

This was a good follow up to Anne of Green Gables, although it doesn't have the same spark that the first book had. I felt that the Improvement Society sections were not as interesting as other aspects of the book, but that is the only downside I found. Still a really great story, and I am thoroughly enjoying my reread through this series. ( )

Anne of Avonlea is the second in the series, and sees Anne now teaching in the old Avonlea school. Because of Matthew's death, Anne has given up her dream of college in order to stay at Green Gables and help Marilla, whose eyesight is failing. As may be expected, Anne starts her teaching career with a great many pretty theories — several of which are proven wrong in funny ways. Anne is sixteen in this story, so the childish high jinks are left to six-year-old Davy Keith, whom Marilla adopts along with his docile twin sister Dora after their mother's death.

This is the book in which we first meet Miss Lavendar, and I'm not sure why but I never really liked her very much. Even now I can't really analyze it. I never really cared for Paul either; despite Montgomery's assurances otherwise, he always came across as something of a wimp. Charlotta the Fourth is priceless, however, and not just for her voluminous bows and funny speeches. The parts when she is in her room trying to imitate Anne are so poignant. In some ways she reminds me of a character from a very different book, Sam Gamgee of The Lord of the Rings. Both are lower-class servants who dearly love the ones they serve and have a vague, inarticulate yearning for beauty. I suppose the comparison breaks down if you take it any further, but I'm reading The Lord of the Rings at the moment and noticed that similarity.

L. M. Montgomery was a minister's wife; I wonder if she wrote the character of Mrs. Allan as herself — or perhaps who she wanted to be? I haven't delved into Montgomery's history, but from the little I do know, it seems her life was not particularly easy either. We only get hints of Mrs. Allan's worries... gossip that she dressed too prettily for a minister's wife, a "little grave" in the churchyard, another child's illness, her youth and bloom worn away, and eventually the call to Charlottetown, a bigger church with perhaps higher expectations. I wonder.

Again, Montgomery does a wonderful job with her characters — especially Anne, who remains a consistent, believable character although she is now verging on adulthood. The dialogue is excellent, the anecdotes and village gossip hilarious, and the serious parts sincere. This installment is another of my favorites in the series, and a worthy sequel. ( )

This is one of my favorite childhood book series. Anne's world is wholesome, pure, adventurous, imaginative, and fun...everything the real world should be. I'll save these books for my children.

In the second book of the series, the character Anne was no longer a young girl, instead she has become a young woman in her sixteen’s. Anne started a career as a teacher for Avonlea, her town. She also founded the Avonlea Village Improvement Society (A.V.I.S). Marilla’s eyes were getting worse, so she had to quit college and help adopt the twins, Davy and Dora Keith.

I think Davy Keith was mischievous in the beginning of the story. On page 108, Davy told a falsehood to Anne and Marilla that Dora fell into the bottom of the well. After she found out that he trapped Dora inside Mr. Harrison’s barn with Ginger, the parrot who swears, Davy was punished by being sent to bed without supper. This shows that Davy is like the typical little brother.

In many stories and in reality, the typical little brother is most likely to be naughty, mischievous and always up to something bad. The story of Peter Pan is one example. In Peter Pan, the Wonder Boys were quite mischievous; they acted very playful and laughed at Wendy, the girl from London. Later in the story, (Anne of Avonlea) Anne brought up Davy, with the help of some imagination. His character changed from bad to good; he was no longer mischievous or guilty of breaking the plates. He has become a good-natured eight-year old boy.

I recommend this book to people who have finished reading Anne of Green Gables, because they could understand the story more clearly. I rate this book 4/5 stars, it is not as excellent as the first one, but it is still interesting to read. ( )