Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
Holiday House, 2006 ISBN: 978-0823415496
Maud was a quiet and lonely little girl whose mother died when she was quiet young and whose father left Prince Edward Island to find “a better life” in Western Canada. Maud stayed on the island with her grandparents. Not having many friends to play with and not being allowed to do much, Maud turned to books. When she got older she began to write in a journal and to write stories and poems. Writing gave her great pleasure as it allowed her to use her active and creative imagination.
Eventually Maud decided to try to get some of her writings published. It was an uphill business, her pieces being rejected more than they were accepted but she never gave up because she loved “spinning stories.”
When she was in college, when she had to take care of her grandmother, and when she was busy making a living, Maud always found snippets of time here and there to write. Then at last, a book she wrote about a precocious little orphan girl was accepted by a publisher. The book was a huge success and over the years Maud wrote more books about Anne Shirley and her life. Even after she became a minister’s wife and had a family to care for she kept on writing.
This picture book will give young fans of Anne Shirley a wonderful introduction to the life of Anne’s very gifted creator. Readers will discover that Maud had a hard life at times and that she had to fight for what she believed in. Coupled with the simple folkloric style artwork, this warm story serves as a fitting tribute to a special woman.
