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A reading guide

Books like Anne of Green Gables

Books like Anne of Green Gables bring together imaginative girls, new homes, village life and friendship. This list is for readers drawn to those pleasures; start with Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm for a talkative heroine whose imagination unsettles household rules.

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Where to start

  1. Start hereRebecca of Sunnybrook FarmKate Douglas Smith Wiggin

    Start with Rebecca's talk and imagination as she settles with two aunts whose expectations leave plenty for her to learn.

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  2. Another way inDaddy-Long-LegsJean Webster

    Choose Judy's letters for a college story shaped by the mystery of a benefactor who never writes back.

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  3. Or tryThe Secret GardenFrances Hodgson Burnett

    Choose Mary's discovery of a locked garden for a story of tending plants and finding friendship in a new home.

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The books

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#First publishedBookKindRead
11903
Rebecca of Sunnybrook FarmKate Douglas Smith Wiggin

Talkative, imaginative Rebecca leaves her Maine farm for two aunts whose household expectations do not always match her ways.

NovelFree to startRead free
21923
Emily of New MoonL. M. Montgomery

An orphaned aspiring writer moves to a Prince Edward Island farmhouse, where her imagination clashes with her relatives' rules.

NovelFree to startRead free
31909
Anne of AvonleaL. M. Montgomery

Anne becomes Avonlea's schoolteacher, helps raise two orphans, and discovers the mistakes and responsibilities that accompany village improvement.

NovelFree to startRead free
41913
PollyannaEleanor H. Porter

An orphan brings her father's glad game to a Vermont town, finding reasons for gratitude while living with a stern aunt.

NovelFree to startRead free
51911
The Secret GardenFrances Hodgson Burnett

Lonely Mary discovers a locked Yorkshire garden and begins tending it, making new friends as she does.

NovelFree to startRead free
61880
HeidiJohanna Spyri

An orphan's outdoor life with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps changes when she becomes a girl's companion in Frankfurt.

NovelFree to startRead free
71912
Daddy-Long-LegsJean Webster

Judy leaves her orphanage for college and writes about her progress to a benefactor who keeps his identity secret.

NovelFree to startRead free
81868
Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and AmyLouisa May Alcott

Four sisters grow up in a New England town, bringing different hopes to a home shaped by hardship and quarrels.

NovelFree to startRead free
91905
A Little PrincessFrances Hodgson Burnett

Sara Crewe relies on imagination when her father's death changes her life from privileged schoolgirl to servant.

NovelFree to startRead free
101872
What Katy DidSusan Coolidge

Full of plans and often careless, Katy grows up in a small town before an injury changes her childhood.

NovelFree to startRead free
111875
Eight CousinsLouisa May Alcott

Orphaned Rose joins unfamiliar relatives and seven boy cousins, with a guardian who puts faith in fresh air and useful work.

NovelFree to startRead free
121906
The Railway ChildrenE. Nesbit

Three children move from London to a country cottage after their father disappears, finding adventure beside a railway.

NovelFree to startRead free
131911
The Story GirlL. M. Montgomery

Among cousins and neighbouring children on Prince Edward Island, one girl's storytelling gives shared childhood days new meaning.

NovelFree to startRead free
141912
Chronicles of AvonleaL. M. Montgomery

Avonlea neighbours navigate affection, old quarrels and loneliness, while children and overlooked people offer unexpected kindness.

StoriesFree to startRead free

Questions

What are the best books like Anne of Green Gables?

Start with Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Emily of New Moon and Pollyanna. Rebecca brings talk and imagination into her aunts' household, Emily pursues writing among strict relatives, and Pollyanna brings her glad game to a small Vermont town. For friendship rooted in a new place, try The Secret Garden.

Which book is closest to Anne of Green Gables?

The closest match is Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm for its talkative, imaginative heroine adjusting to a new household. Rebecca leaves her family farm in Maine to live with two aunts in Riverboro. Choose Emily of New Moon instead if an orphan's imagination and life on Prince Edward Island are the main attractions.

Where should I start after Anne of Green Gables?

Choose Anne of Avonlea to stay with Anne, or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm to meet another talkative heroine. In Anne of Avonlea, sixteen-year-old Anne becomes a village schoolteacher while helping raise two young orphans. Rebecca's story centres on a new home with two aunts and expectations that challenge her imaginative ways.

Are there shorter books like Anne of Green Gables?

Daddy-Long-Legs and What Katy Did are shorter choices within this list. The first follows an orphan who writes to the unknown benefactor supporting her college education. The second centres on a girl full of plans whose childhood changes after an injury. For separate village tales rather than one continuous story, choose Chronicles of Avonlea.

What do books like Anne of Green Gables have in common?

The shared threads in these picks are imagination, unfamiliar homes, friendship and growing up within a family or community. Emily of New Moon follows an orphan who wants to write, while Eight Cousins places Rose among relatives she scarcely knows. Chronicles of Avonlea turns toward neighbours, old quarrels and unexpected kindness.

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