Anne of Green Gables Books in Order
The Anne books follow Anne Shirley from her arrival at Green Gables as an eleven-year-old orphan through university, marriage and motherhood, ending with her daughter Rilla in the First World War.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Series facts
- Books
- 8
- Published
- 1908 to 1939
- First book
- Anne of Green Gables
- Latest
- Anne of Ingleside (1939)
- Setting
- Set in the fictional Avonlea, Prince Edward Island
The reading order
Every Anne of Green Gables book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1Anne of Green Gables1908With Anne ShirleyElderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert send for an orphan boy to help on their farm, and get Anne Shirley, a talkative, imaginative red-haired girl, instead.Buy on Amazon
- 2Anne of Avonlea1909With Anne ShirleyAnne, now sixteen, teaches at the Avonlea school and takes on new responsibilities at Green Gables.Buy on Amazon
- 3Anne of the Island1915With Anne ShirleyAnne leaves for college in Kingsport, where she faces new friends, suitors and choices.Buy on Amazon
- 4Anne’s House of Dreams1917With Anne ShirleyAnne and Gilbert marry and move to a little house by the sea at Four Winds Harbour.Buy on Amazon
- 5Rainbow Valley1919The Blythe children and the motherless children of the new minister play together in Rainbow Valley, where their adventures cause a stir in Glen St Mary.Buy on Amazon
- 6Rilla of Ingleside1921With Rilla BlytheAnne’s youngest daughter Rilla grows up quickly when the First World War takes her brothers to the front.Buy on Amazon
- 7Anne of Windy Poplars1936With Anne ShirleyAnne Shirley becomes principal of the high school in Summerside, and writes letters to Gilbert as she wins over the town.Buy on Amazon
- 8Anne of Ingleside1939With Anne ShirleyAnne is now a mother of five at Ingleside, and the stories follow her children and the ups and downs of family life.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Montgomery wrote Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne of Ingleside later, but they fit into Anne’s life between Anne of the Island and Anne’s House of Dreams, and between Anne’s House of Dreams and Rainbow Valley. Either publication or story order works.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Anne Shirley | Rilla Blythe | Gilbert Blythe | Marilla Cuthbert | Diana Barry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Anne of Green Gables | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 2 Anne of Avonlea | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 3 Anne of the Island | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 4 Anne’s House of Dreams | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 5 Rainbow Valley | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 6 Rilla of Ingleside | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 7 Anne of Windy Poplars | LLead | MMajor | |||
| 8 Anne of Ingleside | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor |
Characters in the Anne of Green Gables books
6 characters from L. M. Montgomery’s chart, with the number of Anne of Green Gables books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Anne ShirleyImaginative red-haired orphan | 8 | Anne of Green Gables 1908 |
| Rilla BlytheAnne’s youngest daughter | 3 | Rainbow Valley 1919 |
| Gilbert BlytheAnne’s rival, later her husband | 8 | Anne of Green Gables 1908 |
| Marilla CuthbertAnne’s guardian | 4 | Anne of Green Gables 1908 |
| Diana BarryAnne’s bosom friend | 4 | Anne of Green Gables 1908 |
| Matthew CuthbertMarilla’s shy brother | 1 | Anne of Green Gables 1908 |