Anne of Avonlea continues the story of Anne Shirley as she leaves childhood behind and takes her place as Avonlea's young schoolteacher. Now sixteen, Anne is no longer the impulsive orphan newly arrived at Green Gables, but she has lost none of her imagination, warmth, quick temper, or talent for turning ordinary village life into memorable adventure. With Marilla, Diana, Gilbert, the Avonlea schoolchildren, the Village Improvement Society, and the mischievous twins Davy and Dora around her, Anne's world widens while remaining rooted in the Prince Edward Island community that made Anne of Green Gables beloved.
First published in 1909, Anne of Avonlea is the second Anne Shirley novel and follows Anne from ages sixteen to eighteen as she teaches, matures, makes mistakes, builds friendships, and begins moving toward adulthood. L. M. Montgomery Online notes that L. C. Page and Company published the first edition in September 1909, and Project Gutenberg's summary likewise identifies the novel as the sequel following Anne's years as Avonlea's schoolteacher. For readers of classic children's literature, Canadian fiction, school stories, girls' fiction, family stories, and the Anne of Green Gables series, this is one of Montgomery's essential works: gentler than the first novel, but rich in humour, feeling, character, and the daily life of Avonlea.