Book Club: Anne of Green Gables
So, I’ve got this idea in my head. I’ve had the idea since I first came up with this course/blog concept. I kinda want to have a book club. I want to feature a book…maybe monthly, and have creative activities that go along with the book. The biggest trouble with this idea is that I want my course/blog/book club to work for all ages. This means that I’ll have books from a variety of levels. Not everyone will benefit from each entry in the book club. I’ll worry about that later, just like I’m worrying about a lot of things later. Remember, when I first started out, I said I’d be figuring things out as I went. No quest for perfection before the ball even started rolling! It’s an evolution.
In my effort to introduce a book club concept, I’m putting forth my first title, Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery. I feel like this is the perfect book to start with, for so many reasons. It’s great because it can be read by a wide variety of age groups. I first read it to my daughter when she was seven. Incidentally, that was the first time I actually read it myself, at age thirty-six. I grew up on the movie, but had somehow never read the book. It also makes a great first entry into the creative book club because the protagonist is just so imaginative and creative. Anne will no doubt inspire some creativity, even if your outlets are different from hers.
In order to engage with the book club most fully, the first step is to read the book. It is definitely possible to complete the creative exercises without actually reading the book, but I’m going to highly recommend reading first, creating later. That will give you the full experience. Try doing this with a friend or a small group of kids or adults. That way, you can discuss the book together and cheer each other on through the creative exercises.
As I read through the book myself, I had no trouble finding passages to inspire creativity. Take a look at the world through Anne Shirley’s eyes, and you’ll never see it the same way again. Despite the dire circumstances of her childhood, Anne keeps a positive outlook, largely through the use of her vivid imagination. You’ll be inspired to cultivate an imagination of your own. Not only that, L.M. Montgomery is a beautifully descriptive author. There is so much to unpack, so let’s get started. Below, you’ll find a lengthy file with all the info you need to work through the book club entry. You can download the file and work on it from your computer or print it out. There is a lot of material. You don’t need to do everything! Once you’ve read the book, scroll through the book club quotes and find your favorites. Give a few activities a try.
I’d love your feedback on my first attempt at a book club. I’ve never done this before, so I want to improve the process as I go along. If you try any of the activities or get a book club group together, let me know! As always, feel free to post your work to the Bonnythings Creative Facebook page.
