First sentence: A tall, slim girl, "half-past sixteen," with serious gray eyes and hair which her friends called auburn, had sat down on the broad red sandstone doorstep of a Prince Edward Island farmhouse one ripe afternoon in August, firmly resolved to construe so many lines of Virgil.

Premise/plot: Anne Shirley, a YOUNG Anne Shirley, assumes the responsibilities of school teacher and big sister while resuming her roles as kindred spirit, best friend, and daughter. At the end of Anne of Green Gables, Gilbert gallantly offers the Prince Edward Island school to Anne Shirley so that she can remain closer to home so she can care for (an aging) Marilla while she saves money for college. Anne of Avonlea chronicles about two years. She's a teacher...with some memorable students, notably Paul Irving. She's a friend...Mr. Harrison, a grumpy neighbor, is one new friend. But most importantly perhaps, she becomes a "big sister." Marilla takes in TWO children--twins--Davy and Dora. Davy is a HANDFUL and delight. Never a dull day with his troublesome, mischievous adventures/misadventures. Dora is a saint. By the end of the novel, Anne Shirley is ready to head off to college....

My thoughts: I really LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. Is it as good as the first book or last book in the series? Probably not. Is it as good as Anne of the Island? Well. It's a toss-up. Because as much as I love and crazy love and adore aspects of Anne of the Island, Anne of Avonlea is just MARVELOUS. And Anne of the Island has its duller moments. Definitely less comedic.

Mr. Harrison about Mrs. Rachel Lynde:

"I detest that woman more than anybody I know. She can put a whole sermon, text, comment, and application, into six words, and throw it at you like a brick."

"I never was much of a talker till I came to Avonlea and then I had to begin in self-defense or Mrs. Lynde would have said I was dumb and started a subscription to have me taught sign language."

Fun with Davy:

"Anne," said Davy, sitting up in bed and propping his chin on his hands, "Anne, where is sleep? People go to sleep every night, and of course I know it's the place where I do the things I dream, but I want to know WHERE it is and how I get there and back without knowing anything about it...and in my nighty too. Where is it?"

"I wish people could live on pudding. Why can't they, Marilla? I want to know."
"Because they'd soon get tired of it."
"I'd like to try that for myself," said skeptical Davy.

Paul Irving to Anne:

"I've prayed every night that God would give me enough grace to enable me to eat every bit of my porridge in the mornings. But I've never been able to do it yet, and whether it's because I have too little grace or too much porridge I really can't decide."

Favorite quotes:

"You're never safe from being surprised till you're dead."

“One can't get over the habit of being a little girl all at once.”

“After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”

“Anne had no sooner uttered the phrase, "home o'dreams," than it captivated her fancy and she immediately began the erection of one of her own. It was, of course, tenanted by an ideal master, dark, proud, and melancholy; but oddly enough, Gilbert Blythe persisted in hanging about too, helping her arrange pictures, lay out gardens, and accomplish sundry other tasks which a proud and melancholy hero evidently considered beneath his dignity. Anne tried to banish Gilbert's image from her castle in Spain but, somehow, he went on being there, so Anne, being in a hurry, gave up the attempt and pursued her aerial architecture with such success that her "home o'dreams" was built and furnished before Diana spoke again. ”

“…I think,' concluded Anne, hitting on a very vital truth, 'that we always love best the people who need us.”

“When I think something nice is going to happen I seem to fly right up on the wings of anticipation; and then the first thing I realize I drop down to earth with a thud. But really, Marilla, the flying part is glorious as long as it lasts...it's like soaring through a sunset. I think it almost pays for the thud.”

“It takes all sorts of people to make a world, as I've often heard, but I think there are some who could be spared,' Anne told her reflection in the east gable mirror that night.”

"If we have friends we should look only for the best in them and give them the best that is in us, don't you think? Then friendship would be the most beautiful thing in the world."

"In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends." ( )

I loved this book and the first one, but I confess, "Anne" is one exception to the The Book is Always Better rule. ( )

All of Montgomery's books are excellent and young adult classics. This version is a LibriVox free audiobook. Narrator had a little trouble at beginning, but soon got her act together.

FROM AUDIOBOOKS.COM: This the second half of Anne Shirley's story and follows her years teaching at Avonlea School. ( )

Back into the world of Anne of Green Gables...

I read the first book for a class in University and fell in love with the story telling. At that moment, I knew I wanted to continue this wonderful Canadian story by L.M. Montgomery! It took a little digging, but I managed to find a few more books in this series, so I continued on my journey to learn more about Anne.

My professor had made interesting comments about this series. She said the second book focused on Anne's career/professional and personal development but the third book took a firm twist and went into romance. I was intrigued to see how this turned out! This book did seem to follow what she said, but I do wish I had my professor's comments on this book too! There's so much to unpack and unwind in this story. Anne is such an oddball and interesting character, and the scenarios she gets into are positive and impact change.

One nice thing about this story is that it aged well (for the most part). You can get over the fact that technology isn't there and can sink away into the book. Maybe a 16 year old being a teacher is a little different than our current times, but the drama and situations she gets herself into feel quite real. I can see a sixteen year old worrying about her friends and family members. I was a sixteen year old worrying about their future and if they were doing the right thing. I empathized with Anne quite often and could put myself in her shoes.

There's definitely some sour points in this book, like Davy being more loved than Dora, but I took that as a slice of the times. L.M.'s life experience seemed quite rough from what my professor taught us... So perhaps she reflected what she saw in her own life in this book (and according to my professor, that's exactly what happened.).

Overall, this was a nice book to sink into. I'm likely going to be reading further into the background, lore and theming of this book. What can I say? My University English classes rubbed off on me.

Three out of five stars. ( )

I read the first book of this series in May 2017. I listened to this selection. ( )