About
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm, and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe Mrs. Rachel Lynde.
Page 3 — A busy body; notable housewife; her work was always well done; ran the Sewing Circle, Sunday School, strong in the Church Aid Society and Foreign Missions Auxiliary; always sat in front window knitting “cotton warp” quilts (an impressive amount)
3
Why was Rachel Lynde against Matthew and Marilla adopting a boy?
Page 8 — She’s heard horrific stories of couples who adopt
8
Describe Marilla’s and Rachel’s friendship.
Page 8 — They’re very different; Marilla knows Rachel and is patient with her nosiness and is a good neighbor to her
8
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Describe Anne.
Page 11 — Skinny, freckles, red hair, 10-11yrs old, imaginative, talks a lot, can express herself very well, loves beautiful things, is excited to have a real home and be adopted, kind, personifies objects in nature
11
Did Matthew make the right decision to take Anne home with him? Why?
Page 12 — Listen to your child’s answer. If yes, he couldn’t have let her sleep out in a tree alone all-night
12
Explain why Matthew was uneasy as they arrived at Green Gables?
Page 19 — He knew the disappointment Anne would feel when Marilla told her she wasn’t what they wanted and would need to go back to the asylum
19
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Describe the emotional ups and downs Anne has been through in this chapter?
Page 20 — She was so thrilled to be at Green Gables to start with, but was severely disappointed when Marilla saw she was a girl and didn’t want her
20
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
How does Anne deal with hard situations and disappointment in her life?
Page 26 — She uses her imagination
26
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Anne want to go explore outside in the morning?
Page 29 — She knew she was going to be sent back to the asylum, so she didn’t want to fall in love with the beautiful things outside
29
Describe Anne’s background.
Page 32 — Her parents died of the fever when she was a baby and went to an orphanage; Mrs. Thomas took her in and she baby sat for her; after her husband died Mrs. Thomas moved in with Mr. Thomas’ mother, so Mrs. Hammond took her in; Mrs. Hammond had 8 children, 3 sets of twins that Anne took care of; when Mr. Hammond died Mrs. Hammond split her children up and went to the United States; Anne went to another orphanage; she was there for 4 months when Mrs. Spencer came to request a girl for Matthew and Marilla
32
Compare Anne's life as an orphan to what she would have if she lived with Marilla and Matthew.
As an orphan she jumped from house to house and was more of a slave than a child; with Marilla and Matthew she would be treated like a child, she would be loved and taken care of
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Describe Mrs. Blewett. Would she be good to Anne?
Page 37 — She’s shrewd; demanding; mean; no she wouldn’t be good to Anne
37
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Anne care anything for God’s love?
Page 41 — She has never had it translated to her through the medium of human love
41
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
How did Marilla feel about Anne’s day dreams?
Page 47 — Impatient and frustrated
47
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why did Anne get so angry at Mrs.Lynde?
Page 51 — Mrs. Lynde said that Anne was skinny, red-haired as carrots, covered in freckles, homely
51
What consequence did Marilla give to Anne for being defiant to Mrs. Lynde?
Page 54 — She needed to apologize
54
Have you ever had to apologize to someone for being rude? Explain.
Listen to your child's answer
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What finally convinced Anne to apologize to Mrs. Lynde?
Page 55 — Matthew snuck into her room and asked her to
55
Compare and contrast Marilla and Matthew's parenting styles.
Similarities: they both care for Anne and want her to be happy and have a safe place to grow up; Marilla is harsh, impatient, and uses strict discipline while Matthew is gentle, quiet and sensitive to Anne
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why did Marilla accuse Anne of being vain?
Page 61 — Anne worries a lot about her looks and what people think of her
61
What was Marilla’s reaction to Anne’s thoughts about Mr. Bell’s prayers and sermons?
Page 65 — She realized she felt the same way, but never expressed it
65
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Describe Diana.
Page 67 — Black hair and eyes, 11 years old, excited to have a friend in Anne, plump
67
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Why was Anne so excited about the picnic?
Page 71 — She’d never been to one and there was going to be ice-cream which she has never eaten
71
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Why did Marilla blame herself for pushing Anne to confess about the brooch?
Page 80 — Anne didn’t take it but because Marilla thought she had; she couldn’t go to the picnic until she confessed
80
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
What word would describe Anne in her response to Gilbert? Why?
Listen to your child’s answers.
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
What mistake did Anne make in this chapter and what was the consequence?
Page 100 — She accidentally gave Diana wine instead of raspberry cordial; Diana’s mother wouldn’t let Diana see Anne anymore
100
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
What initiated Anne’s desire to go back to school?
Page 105 — Not being able to see or talk to Diana and at least at school she could look at her
105
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
How did Anne think quickly in this chapter?
Page 112 — Diana’s younger sister had the croup, but her parents weren’t home; Anne rushed up to help while Matthew rode for a doctor; Due to her experience with the Hammond twins, Anne knew what to do and saved Minnie May
112
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
Define courage and give an example of how Anne had courage in this chapter.
Page 123 — Doing something scary when you’re scared; she faced Diana’s aunt and told her jumping on the bed was her fault
123
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Who wouldn’t Anne accept Mayflowers from?
Page 126 — Gilbert
126
Why is it such a problem that Anne imagined a haunted wood with Diana?
Page 130 — Now she is scared beyond reason to go through the area to Diana’s at night
130
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What mistake did Anne make in this chapter and how was she comforted?
Page 137 — She used anodyne liniment instead of vanilla, for a special cake she baked for Mrs. Allen, the minister’s wife, but the minister’s wife came to comfort her and told her it was a funny mistake then distracted Anne by asking her to show her the garden
137
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
How did Anne’s visit to the manse go?
Page 141 — It went well; she was invited to sing in the Sunday School choir; Anne shared her personal history with Mrs. Allen
141
What news did Mrs. Lynde share?
Page 141 — A new female teacher named Miss Muriel Stacy was going to be teaching at the school
141
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
How did Anne bring on the trial she faced in this chapter?
Page 143 — She dared Josie Pye to walk the board fence and diminished the accomplishment when Josie did it; In defiance Josie dared Anne to walk the ridgepole on Diana’s roof; Anne accepted the dare but fell off the roof and broke her ankle; She missed the first day of school and was sad to miss the new teacher
143
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
Why is Anne so excited in this chapter and how does Marilla feel about it?
Page 148 — She’s excited to go back to school and really loves the new teacher; the class will be putting on a concert to help pay for a school flag; Marilla thinks it’s foolishness
148
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
What was Matthew’s Christmas gift to Anne and what effort did he go through to get it?
Page 152 — A dress with puffed sleeves; her tried to shop for it, but was shy around the girl at the store then he asked Rachel Lynde to take care of it
152
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
What did the girls create in this chapter and why?
Page 163 — A story club to cultivate their imaginations and get better at writing stories
163
Why is Marilla always telling Anne her ideas are foolishness?
Page 164 — Marilla wants Anne to be a respectable, practical, and responsible person, so tries to discourage the things that take away from that
164
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
Why did Marilla cut off Anne’s hair?
Page 169 — She bought hair dye from a peddler and her hair turned green when she used it
169
Have you ever had to cut your hair when you didn't want to? Explain.
Listen to your child's answer
How did you react?
Listen to your child's answer
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
Do you think Anne should have forgiven Gilbert Blythe? Why or why not?
Page 176 — Listen to your child’s answers
176
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
List three things Anne and Diana did while visiting Miss Barry in this chapter.
Page 182 — They went to the Exhibition, saw the horse races, went to a concert in the Academy of Music, had ice cream at 11pm
182
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
Why doesn’t Marilla soften and show Anne more sympathy?
Page 186 — Marilla has higher expectations for Anne and doesn’t feel like she can let her see her soft side or Anne won’t meet them
186
Chapter 31
Comprehension questions
Why did the Spencervale doctor prescribe that Anne have open air and no books during the summer?
Page 194 — She was worn out from working so hard during the school year
194
Name two ways Anne is growing up.
Page 198 — She doesn’t talk as much and doesn’t use big words
198
Chapter 32
Comprehension questions
How did the Entrance exam go?
Page 204 — Anne and Gilbert tied for first
204
Chapter 33
Comprehension questions
What helped Anne come to her senses and be able to perform?
Page 212 — She saw Gilbert Blythe in the back of the performance hall and was determined to be successful
212
Chapter 34
Comprehension questions
Who was in Anne’s class that ended up being a comfort to her at Queen’s?
Page 216 — Gilbert Blythe
216
Chapter 35
Comprehension questions
What’s Anne’s attitude toward Gilbert now?
Page 222 — She’s not bitter anymore and she sees him as a worthy opponent that drives her determination
222
Chapter 36
Comprehension questions
Why was Anne happy after exams?
Page 224 — She won the Avery Scholarship
224
Why is it important that Anne took memory of Matthew’s smile at the end of this chapter?
Page 227 — Matthew is getting old and may not be around much longer
227
Chapter 37
Comprehension questions
Summarize what happened in this chapter?
Page 228 — Matthew died; Marilla spoke of being good friends with Gilbert’s father but got angry at him and couldn’t forgive him
228
Do you think Marilla’s experience of not forgiving influenced Anne to help her forgive?
Listen to your child’s answer.
Chapter 38
Comprehension questions
How did Anne make amends with Gilbert?
Page 238 — He gave up his school so Anne could teach close to home and when she ran into him, she told him thank you and that she had forgiven him; he was thrilled and wanted to be friends
238
Describe a theme found in this story.
Example: love and friendship; reality vs. imagination; self discover and growth
What did you like about this story?
Listen to your child's answer
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Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
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