If I Couldn't Be Anne

If I Couldn't Be Anne is a children's book by Kallie George with creative illustrations by Geneviève Godbout that was inspired by L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. It is a story about the wonders of the imagination and introduces young readers to Anne Shirley. The 40-page long picture book is written for children aged 3 to 7 and was published by Tundra Books, a division of Penguin Random House Canada in May 2020.

Here is the description of the book from Penguin Random House Canada:

A beautiful read-aloud picture book about the power of the imagination, inspired by the best-selling Anne of Green Gables.

In this whimsical and magical picture book, Anne’s boundless imagination takes flight! She imagines being all the things she loves so dearly. If I Couldn’t Be Anne, Anne with an e, what would I be . . . Anne wonders what it would be like to be the wind dancing round the treetops. A tightrope walker, breathless and brave. A princess in a palace made of apple blossoms. A magical frost fairy or a plain little wood elf. . . . But even as Anne’s imagination soars far and wide, she comes back down to earth, recognizing that some things – like friendship! – are even better than the imagination.

With adorable illustrations, and a heartfelt message, this picture book is a perfect read-aloud introduction to L.M. Montgomery’s beloved Anne and will delight her brand-new fans and lifelong readers alike.

ISBN-13: 9781770499287

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Book cover of If I Couldn't Be Anne.

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Created June 20, 2020. Last updated October 29, 2024.
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Anne with an E (2017-2019)

Anne with an E (2017–2019) is a compelling Canadian television series that adapted L.M. Montgomery's classic story Anne of Green Gables for the screen. Starring Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley, the series was created by Moira Walley-Beckett, known for her Emmy-winning work on Breaking Bad. Walley-Beckett's adaptation brought a fresh and bold perspective to the classic tale. Anne with an E premiered in March 2017 on CBC in Canada, where it was initially titled Anne, before expanding its reach globally through Netflix.

The series is a coming-of-age story about a spirited young orphan named Anne Shirley, who dreams of finding love, acceptance, and her place in the world. Over the course of its three seasons and 27 episodes, Anne with an E captivated audiences with its exploration of socially relevant issues, such as racism, classism, and gender inequity—giving the period drama a modern twist. The production aimed for a documentary-like feel and sense of realism, adding depth to the storytelling.

The cast featured Geraldine James as the stern but loving Marilla Cuthbert, R.H. Thomson as the gentle Matthew Cuthbert, Dalila Bela as Anne's true friend Diana Barry, Lucas Jade Zumann as Gilbert Blythe, and Miranda McKeon as Josie Pye. The show's executive producers were Moira Walley-Beckett and Miranda de Pencier. Notably, de Pencier played Josie Pye in Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables back in 1985. The series was mainly filmed in Southern Ontario with some filming on Prince Edward Island.

Anne with an E garnered critical acclaim, winning the Canadian Screen Award for Best Dramatic Series in 2017 and 2018. Amybeth McNulty's portrayal of Anne Shirley earned her the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2019 and an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance–Female that same year. Despite this acclaim and the show's passionate fanbase, the series was cancelled in 2019, sparking an outcry from its devoted fans who launched campaigns in hopes of saving the show.


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Image of Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley from Anne with an E. © CBC and Netflix.

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Created January 15, 2020. Last updated October 24, 2024.
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Anne of Green Gables Coloring Book

The Anne of Green Gables Coloring Book is a hardcover, premium edition volume featuring drawings from the anime Anne of Green Gables (Akage no An, 1979), which was produced as part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater series.



The book is 96 pages long and was published in Korea. Full color drawings from the anime series are placed alongside black and white drawings that you can color yourself.

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Cover of Anne of Green Gables Coloring Book.

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Created December 15, 2019.
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Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript

Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript by L.M. Montgomery and edited by Carolyn Strom Collins was released by Nimbus Publishing in July 2019. L.M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables by hand over the course of eight months. From her handwritten text, Montgomery then typed the novel out. She sent her typed copy to publishers, and held onto her handwritten manuscript for her entire life. The handwritten manuscript is currently housed in the archives at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. Prince Edward Island.

Carolyn Strom Collins worked with the archivists at the Confederation Centre of the Arts to examine, photograph, and transcribe L.M. Montgomery's original 844-page text. Her book Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript includes her full transcription of L.M. Montgomery's handwritten text along with Montgomery's edits and notes. The book provides insight into Montgomery's writing and creative process. As one example, L.M. Montgomery initially called Diana Barry by the name Laura, and then changed the character's name to Gertrude, before she decided to call her Diana.

In an interview with CBC News, Strom Collins talked about how special the experience was to spend time with Montgomery's text, saying, "It gives you a little chill in a way, a little thrill because you know that was her pride and joy. She touched those pages, she wrote with pen and ink, she dipped the pen in ink every few lines." Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript includes a wonderful introduction by Carolyn Strom Collins that provides a wealth of information about the original manuscript, the first published edition of Anne of Green Gables, and the transcribed text. Carolyn Strom Collins also presents quotes from Montgomery's journals and letters about writing Anne and about her inspiration for the novel.


Here is the description of the book from Nimbus Publishing:

This fascinating book presents the original text of Montgomery’s most famous manuscript, including where the author scribbled notes, made additions and deletions, and other editorial details. L. M. Montgomery scholar Carolyn Strom Collins offers a rare look into Montgomery’s creative process, providing a never-before-published version of the worldwide phenomenon.

This book differs from previous versions of Anne in that it provides a transcription of the text and notes from Montgomery’s original manuscript, and shows how they were integrated to form the full novel. The culmination of years of research, Anne of Green Gables: the Original Manuscript is a necessary addition to any Montgomery lover’s collection. This volume features scans of the first page of each chapter from the original archived document (showing editorial notes in Montgomery’s handwriting) and an appendix of rare foreign-language covers.

Review

“"Here's one for devoted Anne fans and anyone curious about the creative process."
―Halifax Magazine

Image credit:
Book cover of Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript.

Reference:
New book offers fans a look at handwritten manuscript of Anne of Green Gables. (2019, July 30). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-new-book-looks-at-original-manuscript-of-anne-green-gables-1.5230806

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Created August 25, 2019. Last updated September 3, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930-1933

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930–1933 edited by Jen Rubio was published by Rock's Mill Press in 2019. The unabridged editions of L.M. Montgomery's journals paint a fuller, darker picture of her inner thoughts and moods, her passions, and her literary ambitions. In this seventh volume of L.M. Montgomery's complete journals, Montgomery gives a compelling account of painful difficulties, mysterious secrets, and deep disappointments.


Here is the description of the volume from the Rock's Mill Press:

L.M. Montgomery’s journals speak of simple pleasures and deep joy, dogged worries and profound disappointments. The story of her life from 1930 to 1933 is as gripping as the earlier volumes published by Rock’s Mills Press. This volume is different from earlier ones in a surprising way, however: “It has happened. It is too cruel and hideous and unexpected to write about. I have spent two days in hell. I cannot see how I am to go on living. . . . And I have had to keep up a face to the world when something in my soul was bleeding to death” (February 5, 1933). The truth of this “cruel and hideous” event is, for a time, too diffcult to commit to her journals; it casts a shadow of shame on Montgomery’s life for months. When she finally explains, it is page-turning material that gives a fascinating look into the hidden side of life in Ontario almost a century ago. Montgomery also recounts other difficult situations facing her in those years, including attempts to help a slippery young man facing embezzlement charges and a younger woman’s obsessive crush on her. Over 100 of Montgomery’s own photographs are included, many never before published. This edition also includes an introduction, extensive notes, and an index of photography, all original to this edition.

2019
Paperback, 386 pp. ISBN-13: 978-1-77244-175-8

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Book cover of L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930–1933.

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Created June 1, 2018. Last updated August 23, 2024.
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Marilla of Green Gables

Marilla of Green Gables: A Novel by Sarah McCoy was published in October 2018 by William Morrow Paperbacks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. This work of historical fiction expands the world of Anne of Green Gables to tell the backstory of Marilla Cuthbert. Did you ever wonder about her early life and romance with John Blythe? Anne Shirley was curious, and I'm sure many readers of Anne of Green Gables were too.

Here is the description of the book from HarperCollins Publishers:

A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness.

Plucky and ambitious, Marilla Cuthbert is thirteen years old when her world is turned upside down. Her beloved mother dies in childbirth, and Marilla suddenly must bear the responsibilities of a farm wife: cooking, sewing, keeping house, and overseeing the day-to-day life of Green Gables with her brother, Matthew and father, Hugh.

In Avonlea—a small, tight-knit farming town on a remote island—life holds few options for farm girls. Her one connection to the wider world is Aunt Elizabeth "Izzy" Johnson, her mother’s sister, who managed to escape from Avonlea to the bustling city of St. Catharines. An opinionated spinster, Aunt Izzy’s talent as a seamstress has allowed her to build a thriving business and make her own way in the world.

Emboldened by her aunt, Marilla dares to venture beyond the safety of Green Gables and discovers new friends and new opportunities. Joining the Ladies Aid Society, she raises funds for an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity in nearby Nova Scotia that secretly serves as a way station for runaway slaves from America. Her budding romance with John Blythe, the charming son of a neighbor, offers her a possibility of future happiness—Marilla is in no rush to trade one farm life for another. She soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous work of politics, and abolition—jeopardizing all she cherishes, including her bond with her dearest John Blythe. Now Marilla must face a reckoning between her dreams of making a difference in the wider world and the small-town reality of life at Green Gables.

Reviews

"Great for lovers of Anne who need more Avonlea in their lives. This book was very well done in the style of L.M. Montgomery that I had to remind myself that it wasn't actually written by her..."
― Alison Frenzel, Fabled Bookshop and Cafe, TX

"Fans of the Anne of Green Gables series will rejoice at this warm and heartfelt addition to their world. McCoy’s love for the characters is palpable, and with an insightful eye she illuminates the original Avonlea, while also offering glimpses into the turbulent history of the time."
— Madeline Miller, Author of Circe

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Book cover of Marilla of Green Gables.

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Created November 6, 2018. Last updated October 5, 2024.
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Goodnight, Anne

Goodnight, Anne is a children's book by Kallie George with dreamy illustrations by Geneviève Godbout that was inspired by L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. It is a bedtime story about gratitude that introduces children to Anne Shirley's story. The 36-page long picture book is written for children aged 3 to 7 and was published by Tundra Books, a division of Penguin Random House Canada in September 2018.

Here is the description of the book from Penguin Random House Canada:

A beautiful bedtime picture book based on the best-selling Anne of Green Gables, introducing the irrepressible and beloved Anne to younger readers. It’s time for Anne to go to bed, but not before she wishes goodnight to everyone and everything she loves!

Under the watchful eye of her adoptive mother Marilla, Anne has come to cherish life at Green Gables — the dearest, loveliest spot in the world, and her true home. Every night before she goes to bed, she thinks of all the people and places she loves: her family, her bosom friend Diana, her splendid teacher Miss Stacy, beloved tree Snow Queen, the Lake of Shining Waters and the brilliant sky above. Anne even wishes goodnight — or good riddance! — to pesky classmate Gilbert and nosy neighbor Mrs. Lynde. And through it all, Anne’s imagination takes flight on a whimsical journey through Avonlea.

This sweet and heartfelt picture book is a perfect read-aloud introduction to L.M. Montgomery’s beloved Anne and will delight her brand-new fans and lifelong readers alike.

ISBN-13: 978-0735271739

Reviews

"“A nearly flawless book that invokes nostalgia in older readers and will undoubtedly make newcomers clamor to know what happens next."
— Kirkus Reviews

"[A] perfect introduction to the timeless and beloved story of Anne of Green Gables."
— Toronto Star

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Book cover of Goodnight, Anne.

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Created October 25, 2018. Last updated October 29, 2024.
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House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery

House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery is a biography by Liz Rosenberg with charming illustrations by Julie Morstad. Published in June 2018 by Candlewick Press, the book is geared towards young adult readers. Rosenberg brings Montgomery's biography to life as a story, fully engaging readers in Montgomery's world. She describes L.M. Montgomery's successes and joys, as well as her anxieties and sorrows.


Here is the description of the book from Candlewick Press:

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Maud who adored stories. When she was fourteen years old, Maud wrote in her journal, "I love books. I hope when I grow up to be able to have lots of them." Not only did Maud grow up to own lots of books, she wrote twenty-four of them herself as L. M. Montgomery, the world-renowned author of Anne of Green Gables. For many years, not a great deal was known about Maud’s personal life. Her childhood was spent with strict, undemonstrative grandparents, and her reflections on writing, her lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression, her "year of mad passion," and her difficult married life remained locked away, buried deep within her unpublished personal journals. Through this revealing and deeply moving biography, kindred spirits of all ages who, like Maud, never gave up "the substance of things hoped for" will be captivated anew by the words of this remarkable woman.

An affecting biography of the author of Anne of Green Gables is the first for young readers to include revelations about her last days and to encompass the complexity of a brilliant and sometimes troubled life.

Reviews

"Rosenberg paints a deep, complex portrait of a vibrant, brilliant, yet troubled woman. At the beginning of every chapter, Morstad accompanies these descriptions with Quentin Blake-like ink illustrations that capture the strange mix of whimsy, humor, and solemnity that permeated Maud’s thoughts. Recommend to Anne fans, aspiring writers, or anyone wanting a peek inside the mind of a famous author who constantly fought for success and happiness."
—Booklist

"Rosenberg writes clearly and honestly, making liberal use of Maud's own words, allowing Maud's courage and joy to shine despite her very real problems...A kind, thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of one of the icons of children's literature."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Rosenberg’s comprehensive biography of the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series presents a multidimensional portrait of a complicated and conflicted writer...this illuminating and satisfying biography takes on life and depth as Montgomery’s own voice grows more prominent."
—Publishers Weekly

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Book cover of House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery.

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Created July 11, 2018. Last updated October 24, 2024.
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