The Avonlea Album

The Avonlea Album is a book edited by Fiona McHugh that was published by Firefly Books in 1991. The book features stills from Sullivan Entertainment's Road to Avonlea television series. The 72-page book details Sara Stanley's first year in Avonlea. Throughout the book, there are quotations from L.M. Montgomery's The Story Girl, The Golden Road, Chronicles of Avonlea, Further Chronicles of Avonlea, and The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Volume II.

The preface of the book describes how L.M. Montgomery's writings inspired the television series: "These two books, The Story Girl and The Golden Road form the framework of the family television series, The Road to Avonlea. Additional characters and incidents from two collections of Montgomery's short stories, Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea, lend texture and density to the structure. Thematically and visually, The Road to Avonlea strives to recreate Lucy Maud Montgomery's dream of childhood, that "fair, lost" place "with a spell of eternity woven over it."


Here is the book's description from its back cover:

Avonlea is the maritime community made famous in the story Anne of Green Gables, brought back to television by Sullivan Films in the series "Road to Avonlea," based on the further novels of L.M. Montgomery. This sparkling, episodic series follows the adventures of Sara Stanley, the most enchanting heroine since Anne Shirley.

Image credit:
Scanned book cover of my copy of The Avonlea Album.

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Created December 17, 1999. Last updated September 18, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The Anne of Green Gables Storybook

The Anne of Green Gables Storybook, based on the Kevin Sullivan film of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel, is a simplified book for young readers. The storybook was adapted by Fiona McHugh, who developed and wrote screenplays for many episodes of the Road to Avonlea television series. The book features stills from the beloved Anne of Green Gables miniseries produced by Sullivan Entertainment in 1985. The book was first published by Firefly Books in 1987. I own the 6th printing in paperback, which was published in 1996.

Here is the book's description from Shop at Sullivan:

The classic story of "Anne of Green Gables," simplified for a younger generation. The Anne of Green Gables Storybook contains simpler language for young readers, as well as 76 full color photographs from Sullivan Entertainment's Emmy Award Winning Adaptation. This edition is a book that every lover of "Anne" will treasure.

Here is the book's description from the back cover:

"She'll have to go back."

It is the turn of the century. Matthew Cuthbert, an elderly bachelor living with his spinster sister Marilla, has decided to adopt an orphan...a nice sturdy boy to help Matthew with work on the farm.

But the orphanage mistakenly sent a girl instead, a romantic, mischievous red-haired girl who was desperate for a home. She was also affected with an exhausting habit: she would not stop talking. She would definitely have to go back.

But the longer Anne Shirley remained, the more Matthew and Marilla could not imagine Green Gables without her.

The original Anne of Green Gables has delighted millions of children since it was first published. Now younger readers (and grown-ups who have a heart-felt affection for the story) can enjoy a briefer, illustrated version based on the Kevin Sullivan production that thrilled millions. The Anne of Green Gables Storybook contains simpler language for young readers, the storyline and 76 lovely full color photographs from the Emmy award-winning television production.

This edition is a book that every lover of "Anne" will treasure.

Review

"Fiona McHugh's adaptation of the film and Montgomery's novel is a faithful precis of the original and has many charms of its own.... McHugh effectively novelizes the screenplay with sparkling dialogue, loving depictions of a place and time now lost, and lively characterizations... The Storybook is a highly enjoyable read -- a careful retelling of the original for younger readers that picks up all the humour and heart of the much-loved classic, without oversimplifying or condescending."
— Elizabeth Walker, CM Magazine

Image credit:
Scanned book cover of my copy of The Anne of Green Gables Storybook.

Purchase and read The Anne of Green Gables Storybook:


Created December 15, 1999. Last updated September 18, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com