Out of Print Anne of Green Gables Sweatshirt and T-Shirt

I came across this pretty and cozy Anne of Green Gables fleece sweatshirt today. It’s by Out of Print, a company that sells wonderful book-themed products based on literary classics. Out of Print’s mission is to spread the joy of reading, and each purchase helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need.

The cover artwork illustration of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery is by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. Anna Bond painted Anne Shirley for Puffin Books for their Puffin in Bloom book collection.

There’s also a dolman t-shirt with the same Anne of Green Gables print:



Purchase the Out of Print Anne of Green Gables Sweatshirt and T-Shirt:



Created June 14, 2022.
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Anne of Green Gables "When I Read, I Dream" Barbie Doll

Twenty years ago, in 2002, Mattel released an Anne of Green Gables Barbie doll. Mattel’s eight-inch-tall Anne Shirley doll was part of their “When I Read, I Dream” Timeless Treasures Collection.

Which dolls were part of Mattel's “When I Read, I Dream” collection?

This collection included the following four dolls based on storybook heroines:

• Anne from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables
• Heidi inspired by Johanna Spyri’s Heidi
• Fern from E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web
• Jo inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
  

How did Mattel describe their Anne of Green Gables recreation?

The back of the doll's box introduces the collection and Anne Shirley:

"When I Read, I Dream™ collector dolls celebrate the friends we make between the pages of best-loved books. Meet Anne Shirley, the lively and talkative little girl from Green Gables of Prince Edward Island.

The spirited Anne is always full of surprises, not only for her adoptive parents, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, but also for delighted readers of the L.M. Montgomery classic.

She is re-created here in a Victorian-style peach-and-green print dress, boater hat and, of course, her 'life-long sorrow'—her signature red hair. Standing at the Green Gables gate, she looks ready for adventure, perhaps a drift downriver in a leaky boat or a trembling walk through the 'Haunted Wood'!"

Mattel's Technical Product Details webpage for the doll (Product# 50726) describes it as follows:

"When I Read I Dream™ collector dolls celebrate the friends we make between the pages of best-loved books. Anne is re-created here in a Victorian-style outfit in soft shades of peach and celadon green. Her dress has a peach sailor-like collar accented with a celadon bow and a crisply pleated peach linen skirt. Atop her head is a boater hat trimmed with a green ribbon. Off-white tights and white shoes add finishing touches. Anne is beautifully detailed, right down to her green eyes and, of course, her “life-long sorrow”—her signature red hair."

The Barbie Collectibles Website provides the following description of the Anne Shirley doll:

"From the beloved children's story Anne of Green Gables comes this darling 8" doll. Anne wears a delightful peach and green sailor-style dress accented with a green bow, and a pleated peach linen skirt. Her ensemble also includes off-white tights and matching shoes, and a straw-like boater hat accented with a green ribbon. Her darling red hair and sparkling green eyes make this doll perfectly precious!"

According to Planet of the Dolls, the doll’s body was based on that of Barbie’s little sister Stacie from the 1990s.

Is the Anne of Green Gables Barbie doll still available?

Today, you can track down Mattel's Anne of Green Gables Barbie doll on ebay and amazon through various sellers.

Purchase the Anne Of Green Gables "When I Read, I Dream" Barbie Doll:


Created April 27, 2022. Last updated November 16, 2024.
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Anne's Tragical Tea Party (An Anne Chapter Book)

Anne's Tragical Tea Party by Kallie George is the fourth book in the Anne Chapter Book series, which was inspired by L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. The children's book series features charming illustrations by Abigail Halpin. Kallie George retells the story of Anne Shirley's disastrous tea party with Diana Barry. Geared toward early readers, the 68-page long picture book was published by Tundra Books, a division of Penguin Random House in March 2022.

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

The fourth book in an early chapter book series inspired by Anne of Green Gables, starring the spirited Anne Shirley as she hosts her very first tea party with her kindred spirit, Diana, to disastrous results.

Anne loves having pretend tea parties by herself. She even decorates her room with branches and colorful leaves for the occasion. Marilla Cuthbert, who adopted Anne in the last year, wishes Anne would act a little more sensibly. One day, Marilla comes up with a plan to keep Anne out of mischief — Anne can host her very own tea party and invite her kindred spirit, Diana Barry! Anne is thrilled, and sets out to host the most lovely and grown-uppish tea party she can muster. But when she makes Diana sick by accidentally giving her the wrong drink, Diana’s mother is furious. Can Anne be forgiven? Will she ever be allowed to play with Diana again?

Lovingly adapted by Kallie George with beautiful nostalgic illustrations by Abigail Halpin, this series is perfect for fans of Anne, new and old.

ISBN-13: 9780735267220

Image credit:
Book cover of Anne's Tragical Tea Party.

Purchase and read Anne's Tragical Tea Party:


Created March 23, 2022. Last updated November 19, 2024.
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Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables

Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables (2022) is an adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's novel written by Ivy Noelle Weir with illustrations by Myisha Haynes. The graphic novel is 256 pages in length, and it re-imagines the story of Anne of Green Gables.

Anne of West Philly is part of a "Classic Graphic Remix" series, which includes Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero, which is an adaptation of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and The Secret Garden on 81st Street also by Ivy Noelle Weir, which is an adaptation of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

In an interview with Emma Kantor for Publishers Weekly, Ivy Noelle Weir talks about bringing Anne Shirley to the present day, saying, "I think the message of Anne’s story—about growing, learning, and remaining true to yourself throughout—is as relevant to young readers today as it was then. Approaching this adaptation, I wanted to bring those themes into the modern world and try to apply them to things young people still deal with today: friendships, family issues, school pressure, crushes. It sounds maybe a little lazy of me to say it was easy to bring Anne into the modern day, but it’s true! Anne and the things she experiences really are so timeless in many ways."

Ivy Noelle Weir went on to explain why she set her modern day Anne story in Philadelphia saying, "One major change was moving the story from Canada to Philadelphia. Reading Montgomery’s original text, it was so obvious that she loved Prince Edward Island with her whole heart. Born and raised in the Philly area, I knew that in order to capture that sense of home, I needed to set it where I was from and channel some of my own love for the city into it."

Reflecting on the many interpretations and adaptations of Anne of Green Gables, Ivy Noelle Weir said, "I think that every adaptation and interpolation of Anne also brings different perspectives to her, which to me is the essence of an iconic character. She’s classic enough to persist, but inspiring in a way that invites authors, and readers, to interpret her differently and add their own flavor to her."

In the same article at Publishers Weekly, Emma Kantor interviewed Myisha Haynes, the illustrator of Anne of West Philly. Myisha Haynes reflected on why the character Anne Shirley endures saying, "I think readers connect to Anne because that level of uncertainty when you’re growing up is familiar; determining your place in a family, a friend group, or a community can be scary, more so when you feel like a newcomer. No matter what the interpretation, Anne’s tenacity is aspirational and relatable. Readers can see themselves in Anne’s struggles and hardships, and take inspiration from how she navigates through them, while still being true to her core self."

Here is the description of the book from Little, Brown Ink:

Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

Reviews

“Weir and Haynes have done an amazing job of updating this beloved classic to make it relevant today’s readers ... Readers will laugh and cry along with this re-envisioned Anne of 2022, just like they have with L.M. Montgomery’s original vision of her.”
—SLC, starred review

"Still, despite references to Instagram and quinoa, and robotics competitions instead of poetry recitations, 'Anne of West Philly' is a dutiful tribute."
—Catherine Hong, The New York Times

ISBN: 9780316459778


Image credit:
Book cover of Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables.

References:
Hong, Catherine. (November 4, 2022). Anne of Everywhere: Suddenly, remakes and adaptations of L.M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” series are proliferating. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/books/review/anne-of-green-gables-reboots.html.

Kantor, Emma. (September 1, 2022). Kindred Spirits: Children's Authors Reimagine 'Anne of Green Gables.' Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/90208-kindred-spirits-children-s-authors-reimagine-anne-of-green-gables.html.

Purchase and read Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables:


Created March 8, 2022. Last updated May 1, 2024.
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Anne of Green Gables 13-Month Undated Planner and Diary

I came across a beautiful Anne of Green Gables planner and diary today on Etsy by CALIKET. It's called "Anne Story" and is a classic story diary. This 13-month undated planner can be used to keep track of your day-to-day tasks, and you can also fill it with drawings, quotes, and diary entries. It looks so pretty and has such sweet drawings of Anne Shirley.

The CALIKET Etsy shop sells several Anne of Green Gables greeting cards too, including one with the sweet image of Anne Shirley featured above and one with Anne under a blooming cherry tree.

Created February 7, 2022.
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Crochet Yourself an Anne of Green Gables Doll

Have you ever wanted an Anne of Green Gables doll? Do you know how to crochet or wish to learn? Well, here's your opportunity to make your very own Anne Shirley doll!

Check out Literary Yarns: Crochet Projects Inspired by Classic Books by Cindy Wang. This book teaches the basics of crochet and provides tutorials on how to create cute and beloved characters from literature. You just need some yarn, a crochet hook, and a little patience. Along with providing a pattern to make an Anne Shirley doll, the book contains 21 other crochet projects to make amigurumi—sweet stuffed yarn creations. The literary characters include the monster from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the master detective Sherlock Holmes from the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle, Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Dorothy and friends from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and many more.

I love to crochet, so Literary Yarns is now on my wishlist. I think an Anne Shirley doll would be a perfect companion for my L.M. Montgomery collection on my bookshelf.

Cindy Wang also has a fun website where she shares her wonderful creations called The Geeky Hooker (Not THAT kind of hooker. The kind armed with a crochet hook). Her latest project, little Grogu from The Mandalorian, is so stinking cute. From time to time, she drops off her little critters in various places for strangers to discover and adopt. It would be so special to discover a surprise like that. Check out her website and follow her on Twitter @GeekyHooker for more of her adventures!

Created January 29, 2022.
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Thoughts on "The 'Anne of Green Gables' V.R. Experience"

On Monday, The New Yorker published an article titled, "The 'Anne of Green Gables' V.R. Experience" by Weike Wang. The article appears in the "Shouts & Murmurs" section, which contains humor, satire, and funny observations. It's a curious piece, and I recommend reading it if you're an Anne of Green Gables fan.

The article begins without mentioning any history of Anne of Green Gables and fails to mention the novel's author, L.M. Montgomery, by name. These were odd omissions. But perhaps Anne is such an iconic character that she and Montgomery no longer need an introduction.

Rather than spending time on introductory matters, Weike Wang dives into a description of your Anne of Green Gables virtual reality experience. You (as Anne Shirley) have a choice in skin tones, but must have long red hair styled in two braids. Your journey in the carriage occurs in the autumn and without Matthew (unlike the book), and you meet the Cuthberts at Green Gables.

Later, your virtual reality experience continues in the classroom where your teacher leaves a vowel out of your name to your dismay. When your classmate Gilbert Blythe insults you, you have the option to hit him with a virtual arsenal of weapons including the standard slate, as well as a retractable prop dagger, a dead fish, and more. After class you go on "life-affirming adventures" with your bosom friend Diana Barry.

Then you must study, eventually graduating with your teaching license from Queen’s and winning the prestigious Avery scholarship, which allows you to attend a four-year college. Your friends, including Gilbert, celebrate you. Weike Wang notes that you can choose to end your virtual reality experience here, "feeling galvanized, like you can do anything," or you can choose to stay for the final two minutes. In these final minutes, your family loses their savings, Matthew Cuthbert dies of a heart attack, and you defer your dreams for a time and stay at Green Gables. Then you marry Gilbert, have seven children, and live in an idyllic home. Wang writes, "though you do leave the room less galvanized, you are relieved that the immense pressure to amount to something has resolved itself and, in the natural course of adulting, priorities must change."

The article had a bit of humor and weirdness, but it also left me thinking about the author's purpose. Was it simply a humorous piece, poking fun at virtual reality and Zuckerberg's metaverse, or was it more? Weike Wang brings up an interesting point, namely, that in this virtual reality version of Anne's story, you could stop your experience at a wonderfully high point in Anne's life. When Anne wins the Avery scholarship, she has so many ambitions and dreams ahead of her, and she's on the cusp of success.

Do many modern women truly want to live out Anne's full life story? When she's young, she's charismatic and passionate, and she doesn't conform. She's not ordinary. But later, she gives up her dreams of teaching and writing for her loving brood of children and devoted (but mainly absentee) husband. As Weike Wang notes, "A person can’t trailblaze forever; she has to slow down sometimes and take stock of societal norms." This piece left me wondering where I would choose to conclude my own Anne of Green Gables virtual reality experience and whether I would prefer to leave before those final two minutes.

Created January 27, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables Jigsaw Puzzle

Enjoy playing with this online Anne of Green Gables jigsaw puzzle. Before beginning, you can rotate the puzzle pieces and increase the number of pieces to make this puzzle more challenging. You can also customize the background color.

The cover artwork is by George Gibbs for the 1908 version of Anne of Green Gables published by L.C. Page & Company.



Created January 20, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne blew a couple of airy kisses...

"Anne blew a couple of airy kisses from her fingertips past the cherry blossoms and then, with her chin in her hands, drifted luxuriously out on a sea of daydreams."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

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Created January 13, 2022. Last updated April 19, 2024.
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When Anne of Green Gables Book Covers Go Bad

First published in 1908, L.M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables has been republished many times over the years. The artists who have depicted Anne Shirley on book covers often have a strong grasp of her personality and character. Sometimes these images form the basis for how readers imagine Anne and compliment L.M. Montgomery's text. But other times, Anne of Green Gables book cover designs baffle me and leave me somewhat aghast. Let's look at a few examples:


The above Anne of Green Gables book cover is for a 2021 Kindle edition. It gives me Lolita vibes and to me looks nothing like Anne Shirley. I also imagine this Anne tossing her glossy locks, telling everyone that she hates her hair and fishing for compliments while secretly being a hair model influencer.


This above version of Anne of Green Gables (ISBN-13 9781080273300) was independently published in 2019. Let's start with the good: the depiction of nature is nice. Beyond that though, everything puzzles me. Is the young girl in the gaudy dress supposed to be Anne? She's younger than Anne, and the dress is too bright and anachronistic. And why is the girl's face scribbled over? Just to add more green to the cover or to leave her headless? The font choices and colors are odd too.


The version of Anne of Green Gables shown above was independently published as a 2017 Kindle edition. It's a green-hued, pixelated version of a drawing from the 1908 version of Anne of Green Gables depicting, "Thwack! Anne had brought her slate down on Gilbert's head." A new reader might think that they could step into the Matrix with Anne.


The above version of Anne of Green Gables was self-published in 2013 through Amazon's CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. This edition of Anne is notorious for its book cover depicting Anne Shirley as a curvaceous blonde. At the time, the cover and the negative response to it by fans made headlines at NPR, CBC, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CTV News, BuzzFeed News, The Guardian, and The Toronto Star.

Created January 8, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables Hairstyle Tutorial by Loepsie

I wanted to share a wonderful tutorial video showing how to replicate Anne Shirley's hairstyle and makeup in Anne of Green Gables by Loepsie. It's part of Loepsie's Beauty Beacons of Fiction series on YouTube. Along with providing great hairstyle tutorials, her website includes posts on historical fashion and beauty, sewing historical costumes, and more.

The inspiration behind her look is Anne as portrayed by the iconic Megan Follows in Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of of Green Gables: The Sequel aka Anne of Avonlea (1987). If you've ever wanted to replicate Anne's look, check this video out:

Created December 7, 2021.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Merry Christmas, Anne

Merry Christmas, Anne is a children's book by Kallie George with beautiful illustrations by Geneviève Godbout that was inspired by L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Deriving from the original source, George tells the story of Anne Shirley's first Christmas in Avonlea for young readers, aged 3 to 7. The 40-page long picture book was published by Tundra Books, a division of Penguin Random House Canada in October 2021.

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

A heartwarming holiday picture book inspired by L.M. Montgomery's beloved classic Anne of Green Gables.

It's Christmas in Avonlea, and Anne is thankful for so many things: feathery frosts and silvery seas, and wreaths as round as the moon. But most of all, she's thankful for her kindred spirits, including Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, who adopted her, and her bosom friend Diana. But Anne is distracted this holiday by having to recite at the upcoming Christmas concert. And she feels bad that her kindred spirits give her so much during the year when she has very little to give in return. Can Anne overcome her jitters and make her kindred spirits proud -- and also think of a way to show her appreciation for the people she loves?

With magical illustrations and a heartfelt message, this festive picture book is the perfect holiday read for Anne fans old and new and a joyous way to celebrate the season.

ISBN-13: 978-0735267183

Image credit:
Book cover of Merry Christmas, Anne.

Purchase and read Merry Christmas, Anne:


Created December 1, 2021. Last updated October 28, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com