Book Report: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

This book is called, ‘ANNE OF GREEN GABLES’, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Before I assist Anne in narrating her story (though she would be happy to do it herself), I want to ask you a single question: Have you ever known or faced the woe and bore an orphan experiences? If you have, well, you’ll be able to sympathise with Anne. If you haven’t, remain fortunate and be grateful for everything you have.

Anne Shirley had a thoroughly tedious life before she encountered the Cuthberts. If it hadn’t been for Anne’s sprawling imagination, Heaven knows how she would have survived in the Orphanage. However, after prolonged days of anticipation, Anne finally finds a foster home! Initially, the Cuthberts hadn’t wanted a girl. However, it is only when optimistic Anne arrives, that they start to accept her as family. Once again, it’s her considerate disposition and imagination as fervent as her hair that saves the day! Avonlea, the place where the Green Gables Household is situated, is an adventure! Anne has found her most intimate friend for life in Avonlea, Diana Barry. They attend the local school together, where Gilbert Blythe, a young boy who got off to the wrong start with Anne, struggle to form a friendship. In the end, however, the two realise their feelings for each other. Though trouble always seems to loom on Anne, she never makes the same mistakes twice! (I wish I were like that.) This, along with her impulsive and talkative personality, makes her a joy to be around!

L.M Montgomery! Wherever you are, from beyond this Earth, I hope this message reaches you. Oh, the book was truly wonderful, fantastic! Anne was so riveting and talkative (like me) and her speeches and daily talks took about two whole pages! She was always very descriptive in what she said. The first paragraph of each chapter is simply lovely : L.M Montgomery describes the season in perfect, picturesque terms. Here’s a passage from one of the chapters:

Spring had come once more to Green Gables- the beautiful capricious Canadian spring, lingering along through April and May with a succession of sweet, pink chilly days, with pink sunsets and miracles of resurrection and growth. The maples in Lovers’ Lane were red-budded and little curly ferns pushed up around Dryad’s Bubble. Away up in the barrens, behind Mr. Silas Sloane’s place, the Mayflowers blossomed out, pink and white stars of sweetness under their brown leaves. All the school girls and boys had one golden afternoon gathering them, coming home in the clear, echoing twilight with baskets and arms full of flowery spoil.

Isn’t that just blissful? It’s just so delightful for me, to read such descriptive and touching writing, of scenic views and delicate flowers. And ripe seasons. I also could connect to Anne of Green Gables in other ways. Especially Anne and her personality. For example, when Anne was shivering in the Woods, I was smiling to myself and making a connection to the time I jumped and got startled by every miniature sound in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. In the Daunting Woods, it was Anne. It’s great when you can actually relate something that happened in the book, to something that happened in real life.

And I loved the way Anne talks about her writing. Her writing in the story, is oh so soulful and heartwarming. I feel something in me want to read more, and more, and more! She writes about unbreakable friendships, then hate and bitterness, love, rescuing and many other romantic things. Finally, another thing that is quite helpful to me in this book, and will probably help others too, is the vocabulary and style of writing. I genuinely took a lot out of this book, in description, and speech. I sometimes do look back at Anne of Green Gables for description help (it’s like a ‘Descriptosaurus’! :P). It motivated me to keep my own Little Dictionary around me and add interesting words and phrases to it for later.

If you are looking for a good read and are a middle school reader between the ages of 9-13, I would absolutely recommend this book as your next read. In fact, you absolutely have to read this book. It’s a classic! A must-read in my opinion. The other books in this series are : Anne of Avonlea or Anne’s House of Dreams. I am yet to read these. But if you have read them, tell me what you feel about it!  

I would give this book a 10 out of 10 rating!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING ANNE OF GREEN GABLES!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $8.99!

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Book Report: FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY!

This book is called ‘FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY’ written by Betty G. Birney (This is the sequel to  The World According To Humphrey). It is about a little hamster named Humphrey who is a class pet. He is a really special class pet because he can read and write and works on the activities with the class. How cool! Then, after the summer break, a new classroom pet moves in and he is: Og the frog. At first, Humphrey feels jealous and thinks that Og is his replacement. Then, he starts to open up and tries to become friends with this new classroom pet. Humphrey is still the luckier one, because, he get’s to go home with the class kids and has many adventures in their houses. My favourite adventure was when Humphrey was going home with Richie (a classmate) on the bus and a mean boy bullies Richie. Humphrey cannot stand this rudeness so he tackles Mean Martin and bites him on his leg. Ow! Also when Humphrey helps the cleaner (Aldo): Aldo’s big inspiration was Humphrey when he applies for University again and he  shares with the class about the world in Humphrey’s eyes and the way he looked at it. All of a sudden, a snowstorm starts and Og and Humphrey are abandoned in the classroom for the whole of Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday! Humphrey talks to Og and figures out that Og actually means well but can’t express it. When Humphrey needed to eat his Nutri-Nibbles, he gets stuck under the packet and Og saves Humphrey from suffocating. Mrs. Brisbane (the teacher of that class) and the principal enter on Tuesday and take the two pets home. Og plays with Humphrey and Humphrey writes a poem for Og about friendship. After all, friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest, it’s about who walks into your life and proves that they are there for you.

What I like about the book:

• At the end of each chapter, there was a little quote by famous people about friendship and that was really interesting to read. My favourite quote was : "The better part of one's life consists of his friendships..." by Abraham Lincoln.
• The way Betty G. Birney makes the reader feel as if a hamster was writing and not a person.
• Humphrey rhymes : they are incredible! The students came up with great poems but I think Humphrey’s was the best. Specially the way he talks about friendship and the necessities of a true friend. The language in the poem was so touching that I am also using that in my own life now.
• At the end of the book, there is Humphrey’s guide to Friendship and how to be a good friend. He also talks about what the attitude you need to produce is.
• As Humphrey writes, he not only talks about friendship and it’s importance but through his writing, he proves that any sort of animal is very special and unique in their own way. The message that comes through to me other than that ‘friendship is important’ is: Embrace anything that an animal (or person) has. Don’t shrug people off or tell them that they are useless or mean or shy and not open. Experience their actual self before you gossip and embrace their ups and downs and goods and bads, together.

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A 9 OUT OF 10 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $5.99!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON GUARDIAN BOOKSHOP FOR £4.79!