Jane tasted happiness...

"Jane tasted happiness. It was the first time any one had ever admired her."
-L.M. Montgomery
Jane of Lantern Hill

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Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

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Created January 22, 2022. Last updated April 19, 2024.
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Courageous Women

In 1934, L.M. Montgomery, Marian Keith, and Mabel Burns (M.B.) McKinley published a book called Courageous Women. This volume of nonfiction contained 21 “Inspiring Biographies of Girls who Grew to be Women of Courage and Achievement.” In this collection of biographical essays, L.M. Montgomery, Marian Keith, and M.B. McKinley told the stories of “Women of heroism, courage, endurance, resourcefulness, and cheerful spirit.” L.M. Montgomery wrote three sketches in the volume, namely the biographies of Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, and Mary Slessor of Calabar.

The book cover shown above features photographs of six of the women featured in the volume. Across the top row, from left to right, are Margaret Polson Murray, founder of the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire, Florence Nightingale, the “noted pioneer among war nurses,” and Lady Tilley, who was active in Red Cross work and other public service. Across the bottom row, from left to right, are Marshall Saunders, C.B.E., “known the world over for her championship of dumb animals,” Aletta E. Marty, the first woman to hold the office of Public School Inspector in Canada, and Ada May Courtice, the founder of the Home and School Club Movement.

The 1934 book jacket for Courageous Women published by McClelland and Stewart describes the book as follows:

“A series of inspiring biographies of girls who grew to be women of courage and achievement. Vivid human interest stories of women leaders in many fields of activity. Fifteen out of the twenty-one sketches in the book deal with Canadian women who have taken a prominent part in pioneer life, in mission work, in education, in literature, and in various spheres of public service. Many of these biographies appear now for the first time in book form.

Canadians will read with pride of the achievements of such courageous pioneers as Catharine Parr Traill and Elizabeth Mair; of the vision of Mrs. A. C. Courtice, founder of the Home and School Club movement; of Mrs. Clark Murray, founder of the I.O.D.E.; of Madame Albani, Canada’s Queen of Song; of courageous mission workers at home and abroad—Anna Gaudin, Sadie Stringer, Caroline MacDonald; of that leader in education, Dr. Aletta Elise Marty, of Marshall Saunders, beloved author and champion of dumb animals—and of many others.”

Courageous Women includes the following twenty-one chapters:

1) The Maid of France: Joan of Arc
2) The Angel of the Crimea: Florence Nightingale
3) The Great White Ma: Mary Slessor of Calabar
4) A Brave Deed: Laura Secord
5) Happiness in a Log Cabin: Catharine Parr Traill
6) A Noble Girl Queen: Queen Victoria
7) Courage in Danger: Madeleine de Vercheres
8) From Darkness to Light: Helen Keller
9) A Friend of the School: Ada May Courtice
10) The Golden Chrysanthemum: Caroline MacDonald
11) A Loyal Pioneer of the West: Elizabeth Louise Mair
12) Caring for Indians: Anna J. Gaudin
13) A War Heroine: Edith Cavell
14) Braving the White North: Sadie Stringer
15) Canada's Queen of Song: Madame Albani
16) The Princess of the Paddle: (Tekahionwake) E. Pauline Johnson
17) A Leader in Education: Aletta Elise Marty
18) A Pupil at School: Dr. Margaret MacKellar
19) A Daughter of the Empire: Margaret Polson Murray
20) Service for Others: Lady Tilley
21) Champion of Dumb Animals: Marshall Saunders

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Created January 21, 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

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Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

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Created January 13, 2022. Last updated April 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

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

Classic Adventures: Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables (Classic Adventures) is a children's book adapted by Jacqueline Dembar Greene with illustrations by Jamie Green. This adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's classic story Anne of Green Gables is 64 pages long and geared towards children aged 7 to 10 years old. The book was published on December 14, 2021 by Starry Forest Books.

Here is the book's description from Starry Forest Books:

Explore the verdant world of Green Gables with Anne Shirley in this classic tale of belonging and home, now written with young readers in mind!

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert adopt a young orphan to help around the farm, they expect a boy to arrive. But nothing could prepare the siblings for young Anne Shirley at Green Gables! Free-spirited, passionate, and redheaded, Anne brings joy—and a bit of mischief—into the Cuthberts' lives.

Follow along on Anne's many escapades as she makes friends, helps on the farm, and struggles with her rambunctious nature, all while proving to Marilla and Matthew that she belongs at Green Gables!

With foil on the cover and fresh full-color art from Jamie Green, this adaptation of L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables promises to be an exciting first chapter book.

From Starry Forest Books, Classic Adventures brings action-packed adaptations of favorite classics to early readers.

ISBN-13: 9781946260253


Image credit:
Cover of Anne of Green Gables (Classic Adventures).

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Created December 20, 2021. Last updated December 30, 2025.
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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.

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