Anne of Green Gables
by L.M. Montgomery
Classics, Fiction, Young-Adult, Historical-Fiction, Middle-Grade
This heartwarming story has beckoned generations of readers into the special world of Green Gables, an old-fashioned farm outside a town called Avonlea. Anne Shirley, an eleven-year-old orphan, has arrived in this verdant corner of Prince Edward Island only to discover that the Cuthberts—elderly Matthew and his stern sister, Marilla—want to adopt a boy, not a feisty redheaded girl. But before they can send her back, Anne—who simply must have more scope for her imagination and a real home—wins them over completely. A much-loved classic that explores all the vulnerability, expectations, and dreams of a child growing up, Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family… and, most of all, love.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 9+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that this classic 1908 children’s novel by L.M. Montomgery remains a perennial favorite thanks to its memorable heroine: irrepressible red-headed orphan Anne Shirley. Anne’s adventures are full of amusing (and occasionally mildly dangerous) scrapes, but she’s quick to learn from her mistakes and usually has only the best of intentions. Although Anne gets her best friend drunk in one episode (it’s an honest mistake), there’s very little here that’s at all iffy for kids — though younger readers might get a bit bogged down in the many descriptions of Anne’s Prince Edward Island, Canada, home. A sad death may hit some kids hard, but the book’s messages about the importance of love, friendship, family, and ambition are worth it.
Educational Value: 2/5
Kids will learn about day-to-day life in late-1800s Canada, from cooking and cleaning tasks to farm chores. There are also worthwhile lessons about friendship, honesty, and family.
Positive Messages: 5/5
The book celebrates imagination, creativity, friendship, community, and embracing family wherever you happen to find it. Characters learn lessons from their mistakes, and Anne, especially, tries to improve herself when her flaws are pointed out.
Positive Role Models: 5/5
Anne is the poster girl for learning from your mistakes — her impulsiveness and enthusiasm lead her into scrapes of all kinds, but she usually means well and is quick (in most cases) to make amends, though she can also hold a grudge. She’s also smart, imaginative, independent, hardworking, and creative; in other words, an excellent role model for girls. Marilla and Matthew are loving (if not demonstrative) caregivers, and they parent Anne the best way they know how.
Violence & Scariness: 1/5
A few episodes find Anne lashing out in anger or stuck in mildly perilous situations — walking atop a roof, for instance, or floating in a leaky boat — but there’s no real violence or danger. A key character’s death is very sad. References to spanking and some corporal punishment in school, which was accurate for the time period. Anne enjoys tragic tales of woe and imagines many of them.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: 1/5
Very mild flirting between some characters, and talk of “beaux” (aka boyfriends). A teacher pays special attention to one of his teen students (which is less scandalous in Anne’s time than it would be today but is still a little eyebrow-raising).
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5
Anne accidentally gets Diana drunk during a tea party due to a bottle mix-up.
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