Pollyanna: Complete and Unabridged (Puffin Classics) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Neil Reed (Illustrator) "Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this June morning..." (more)
Key Phrases: missionary barrel, lifelong invalids, lamb broth, Miss Polly, John Pendleton, Jimmy Bean (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Life couldn’t be much worse for Pollyanna Whittier after her father dies and she is sent to live with stern Aunt Polly. Pollyanna carries on as her father would have wanted her to, looking for the best, even in bad situations. Lefkow imbues this timeless 1913 classic with a turn-of-the-century flair yet wisely eschews a saccharine portrayal of the bubbly and adventurous Pollyanna. Lefkow’s reading embraces the characters as she varies her tones to indicate changes in their personalities. Cheerful Pollyanna softens gruff John Pendleton, cantankerous and demanding Mrs. Snow, and frosty Aunt Polly. Piano interludes punctuate chapter endings. This entertaining release of a junior classic may revive interest in this once popular novel. Grades 3-6. --Patricia Austin --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

The unabridged classic story of an orphaned girl who lives with a strict maiden aunt receives fine narration by Hannah Gordon, whose accented British voice provides the perfect backdrop for a strong story of courage and discovery. Kids who balk at classic presentations will love this more exciting audio version. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140366822
• ISBN-13: 978-0140366822
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightfully charming classic!, July 3, 2005

By	Taran Wanderer (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

The story of Pollyanna, the girl of gladness or as later called in the beautifully done anime series from 1986, the girl of love, is a tale of pure wonder that will stay within you forever. This book is for children and grown-ups, for anyone will find the simple beauty of this book, followed by a sequel that was just as wonderful.

After her father's death, the newly-orphaned ten-year-old Pollyanna moves to Beldingsville to live with her strict and dutiful Aunt Polly. In this great new house Pollyanna is at first kept sleeping up in the attic room, for Aunt Polly feels that that is enough for her to accomplish her 'duty.' If not for Old Tom and good, kind house-keeper Nancy, Pollyanna's stay would have been very dull indeed. Although she never realized it, Pollyanna has a great talent, a great gift for gladness. Just by talking she manages to bring life and joy into the lives of her loved ones, and everyone Pollyanna knows is a 'loved one' as she sees it. Little Pollyanna is one day sent to visit the old invalid woman, Mrs. Snow, her illness keeping her in a gloomy room under old bed-sheets. Mrs. Snow is unhappy and hopeless, but soon Pollyanna cheers the woman up with her usual gladness that seems to be very contagious.

At a very young age, Pollyanna was taught by her father a little game, today known as the 'Glad Game.' Being poor and depending on charities to keep alive, Pollyanna and her father received barrels containing supplies and needed things. Pollyanna had wished that one of these would contain a pretty doll, which never arrived, a pair of crutches arrived instead. Pollyanna had naturally cried, but her father told her that she could be 'glad' that she didn't 'need' them, and that's when the game of finding a silver lining in every cloud began.
The 'Glad Game' was soon known to everyone in the town, from the cross Mr. John Pendelton to the "trying-hard-ter-learn-ter-play-it" Nancy. Everyone that is, except for good Aunt Polly. For reasons unknown to Pollyanna, Aunt Polly had forbidden the mentioning of her late father and for this, Pollyanna cannot let her know of the game, since Pollyanna is known for taking everything literally.
However, very dark clouds surround the town of Bendinsville when little Pollyanna is hit by a speeding automobile and loses her ability to walk, so dark these clouds are, that not even Pollyanna knows how she'll be able to find a silver lining in them. I shall write no more, for the rest is for the reader to discover.

Pollyanna may at first be accused of having similarities to 'Anne of Green Gables' and maybe even 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,' but those will only last during the first few chapters, "Pollyanna" soon changes into a very original (And quite interesting) novel. This book is anything but dull, as a previous reader and reviewer had stated, and you simply cannot make such a remark after only having read "the first few chapters." Pollyanna will delight its readers, but its whole wonder cannot be lived until the wonderful sequel, "Pollyanna Grows Up" is read as well. It's true, when you meet Pollyanna, imagining her all grown up is hard, but although she grew older, she never did really change.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simplicity, Optimism and Joy, June 9, 2000

By	Charity (The Beautiful Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pollyanna (Library Binding)

I first read this book more than twenty years ago and recently found my thoughts returning to it as I pondered what's available today for my own daughter. Pollyanna is simple by today's standards, but contains the kind of genuine optimism and morality that our children sorely need. Author Eleanor Porter passed away in 1920 after writing a couple of sequels, but the remainder of the books in the series--there are eleven altogether, most out of print--are treasures. Your child will enjoy reading about the excitement of Pollyanna's adventures in such different times (in Pollyanna's Western Adventure, Pollyanna's is one of the first families with a "radio set") and you can enjoy the discussions that ensue as your child asks for explanations of life in the teens and twenties. If you enjoyed the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, you will love these. Classic american childhood fare.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is now more important than ever., June 24, 2000

By A Customer

This book so effected me as a child, to this day, many many years later the phrase, "If you look for the good, you will find it" still serves as a valuable reminder for how we can effect our realitiy with our personal perspectives. This little girl, Pollyanna, teaches other children how to play the glad game in a wonderful and engaging story. Too few children today, know how to recognize or be happy. They haven't learned the "glass is half full" thinking. This book is a great spiritual guide, without trying to be one. Please read it and discuss it with your child. You'll both be happier. Thanks.