Kid Konnection: Anne of Green Gables

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you a classic that's taken me way too long to read!

Summary: The beloved coming-of-age tale of a spunky heroine named Anne “with an E”, for the first time as a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with a foreword by bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan.

L. M. Montgomery’s novel Anne of Green Gables recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan mistakenly sent to a pair of siblings who intended to adopt a boy to help work on their farm in Prince Edward Island. Yet Anne’s quirky personality and good-natured spirit causes the siblings to grow to love her anyway, and soon the entire town falls for the precocious little girl with bright red hair.

Cherished by both children and adults, Anne of Green Gables is a celebration of fierce individualism, and the families we create, rather than the ones we are born into. This Deluxe edition is enhanced with a foreword by bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan, and an introduction and suggestions for further reading by Benjamin Lefebvre, as well as a selection of early writing by L. M. Montgomery about the process of writing Anne.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. -- Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition

It's embarrassing to admit (and a little mind-boggling) that I had never read ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery. It's one of those books that so many authors mention when they discuss books that influenced them to write. So when I was given the opportunity to review the newest edition of the novel, which is part of the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, I decided it was high time to see why this book is so important to so many people.

This version of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is absolutely delightful. Of course, the story of the young orphan finding a home with a family on Prince Edward Island is charming, but this book has so much more. As you can see the cover is fantastic. The art is by Siobhán Gallagher, whose artwork has been featured in US Weekly, Lenny Letter, Bustle, and more. It's hard to see from the picture above, but it has teeny images from the story as well as a few of Anne's special sayings. In addition, there is a forward by J. Courtney Sullivan (one of my favorite authors!), an introduction by L.M. Montgomery scholar Benjamin Lefebvre, and a selection of early writing by the author herself.

I focused on the presentation of this Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition because it really is a special book... and honestly, who am I to review ANNE OF GREEN GABLES? All I feel that I can do is mention just how much this book touched me. I absolutely loved it! Anne and her infectious personality captured my attention from the first few pages, and I just fell in love with her and the other interesting cast of characters.

For those of you who haven't read this book (maybe there are a few of you), ANNE OF GREEN GABLES tells the story of Anne Shirley, a young orphan who desperately wants a home; however, she is sent by mistake to a pair of siblings who were expecting a boy to help them with their farm. They are certain (well, almost) that they need to send her back and have another male orphan sent to them, but Anne charms them with all her talk of hopes and dreams... and the rest is history.

Anne is one of the most memorable characters I've ever encountered. In fact, the entire time I read this book I wanted to meet her. She talked and talked and talked (which I found hilarious), and she wasn't afraid to say anything that came into her mind (much to her detriment at times!) But it was her optimism and the way she saw the things around her that made her so fantastic. I swear I began seeing not only the world in Ms. Montgomery's novel through Anne's eyes, but I saw my surroundings as well. She really became a presence in my life. (I realize that sounds weird, but she's just such a special girl!)

I adored seeing Anne learn the lessons of the world and grow into a amazing young woman. I laughed with her and cried with her, and truly treasured each and every page of this novel. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't read ANNE OF GREEN GABLES when I was younger, but I'm ever so glad I discovered her now. Highly recommended for girls (and women) of all ages! I promise you will fall under Anne's spell!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!