The Recommended Reading Order
For first-time visitors to Prince Edward Island, we highly recommend reading the core series in chronological order. Because L.M. Montgomery wrote several prequels and gap-filling novels years after the original books, reading them in the order they were published will jump you back and forth in Anne's life timeline. Reading chronologically lets you experience Anne's journey from a talkative eleven-year-old orphan to a mother of six during World War I without missing a beat.
The Core Chronological Order
- Anne of Green Gables (1908) – Anne arrives at Avonlea (ages 11–16).
- Anne of Avonlea (1909) – Anne becomes a schoolteacher (ages 16–18).
- Anne of the Island (1915) – College years in Kingsport (ages 18–22).
- Anne of Windy Poplars (1936) – Published much later, this fills the gap of Anne's engagement while teaching in Summerside (ages 22–25). Note: Also published under the title Anne of Windy Willows.
- Anne's House of Dreams (1917) – Anne's early married life with Gilbert Blythe (ages 25–27).
- Anne of Ingleside (1939) – Another gap-filler published decades later, focusing on Anne's family life and young children (ages 34–40).
- Rainbow Valley (1919) – Focus shifts to the children of Glen St. Mary, including Anne's kids and the rectory children.
- Rilla of Ingleside (1921) – Focused on Anne's youngest daughter, Rilla, during the Home Front of World War I.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
If you prefer to read the series exactly as the world first discovered it, you will experience Montgomery's writing style evolution firsthand. In publication order, the gap-fillers Anne of Windy Poplars (1936) and Anne of Ingleside (1939) are read after the war-era novels, which can feel jarring as Anne suddenly goes from a mother of grown children back to a young fiancee and mother of toddlers.
The Prequels, Spin-Offs, and Companion Books
Beyond the core eight novels, there are several key works that expand the world of Avonlea:
- Before Green Gables (2008): An authorized prequel written by Budge Wilson to commemorate the centenary of the original book. It chronicles Anne's difficult childhood before her arrival at the Cuthbert farm. While chronologically first, it is best read after you are already familiar with Anne's character.
- Chronicles of Avonlea (1912) and Further Chronicles of Avonlea (1920): These are collections of short stories focusing on other Prince Edward Island residents. Anne Shirley makes brief cameo appearances in some of these tales, but they are not critical to her main story.
- The Blythes Are Quoted (2009): L.M. Montgomery's final, posthumously published manuscript. It mixes short stories, poems by Anne and her son Walter, and vignettes of the Blythe family discussing the stories. It is chronologically the last book, covering events during and after the timeline of Rilla of Ingleside.