Pollyanna

Eleanor Hodgman PorterProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 314K words
Chapters: 32

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pollyanna by Eleanor H. PorterAuthor: Porter, Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman), 1868-1920,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 1, 1998

Editor's review

Pollyanna is a classic coming-of-age novel for young readers by Eleanor H. Porter, published in the early twentieth century. Orphaned Pollyanna is sent to live with her stern aunt, carrying with her the "Glad Game" her father taught her—finding something to be glad about in any situation. The novel does not shy away from life's hardships: her aunt's coldness, small-town prejudice, and an unexpected injury all appear in the book, yet Pollyanna gradually changes those around her with an almost stubborn optimism. Its value lies not in offering cheap inspirational slogans but in showing how a practiceable mindset can affect relationships and the atmosphere of a community. As a public-domain children's classic, it is written in brisk language with short chapters, well suited to reading aloud and parent-child shared reading. One caveat: the "optimism" in the book carries clear period and religious contexts; today's readers can treat it as a text for discussing "how to balance a positive outlook with genuine emotions" rather than a model that demands one be happy at all times. For readers interested in children's literature, coming-of-age novels, and small-town American life in the early twentieth century, this is a light but thought-provoking work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Parents looking for a classic children's novel for shared or read-aloud reading
Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories in brisk, accessible English public-domain editions
Primary and secondary school teachers who need classroom discussion material on the theme of "optimism and emotions"
Readers interested in small-town American life in the early twentieth century

Not a good fit for

Readers who dislike inspirational narratives or find the optimism theme preachy
Adult fiction readers seeking complex psychological portrayal and darker themes
Beginners with weak English who need bilingual annotations
Young readers looking for strong plot and adventure elements

Reading tips

Read it chapter by chapter, and after each one talk with your child about whether the "glad" thing Pollyanna found that day is reasonable.
Watch for details of how the aunt's attitude changes, and discuss whether the change comes from Pollyanna or from her own choices.
Treat the "Glad Game" as discussion material rather than a behavioral requirement, and allow readers to voice disagreement.
After finishing, compare it with other orphan coming-of-age stories and observe how different authors handle adversity and character development.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What age is this book suitable for?

As an English original, the language difficulty suits upper-primary readers with some foundation; as shared reading or read-aloud material, primary-school children can also follow the story. It depends on the child's English level and patience with longer texts.

Is the "Glad Game" teaching children to suppress negative emotions?

The book does treat optimism as a practice, but it does not deny pain—Pollyanna herself goes through low points. When reading today, you can guide children to discuss when optimism helps and when they need to voice sadness, so the game does not become a demand to suppress emotions.

Is this edition the complete original text?

This is the English public-domain electronic text provided by Project Gutenberg, containing the original Pollyanna without modern translator's notes or introduction. It is a plain-text electronic edition, suitable for screen reading or printing, but not for young readers who need an illustrated version.

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About the author

Eleanor Hodgman Porter Author · American · 1868–1920

Eleanor H. Porter (Eleanor Hodgman Porter, 1868–1920) was an American novelist born in New Hampshire. She became widely known with the 1913 publication of Pollyanna, which created the figure of an optimistic girl who faces hardship through the "glad game"—an image that has since become a byword for optimism in the English-speaking world. Besides Pollyanna and its sequel Pollyanna Grows Up, she wrote Just David, Dawn, the Miss Billy series, The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch, and The Tangled Threads, among others; 14 of her works are held in this collection. Her writing centers on young people's growth and family life, in a warm, lively style with attention to character. Public information is limited and biographical details are hard to verify, yet the lasting influence of Pollyanna secures her place in popular literature.