Island students invited to join Anne 100 celebrations

P.E.I. students from elementary to high school are invitedto take part in celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables.

Education Minister Gerard Greenan visited L. M. Montgomery Elementary School in Charlottetown on Friday to highlight some of the educational material the Department of Education has prepared to mark the centenary.

"It is fitting that we launch our Anne 2008 activities here at L.M. Montgomery School, which opened its doors 25 years ago on the birthday of Lucy Maud Montgomery, our famous Island author and the school's namesake," said Greenan in a news release.

Among the themes suggested for elementary schools are those where children can compare the differences between the one-room schoolhouse and today's schools, the similarities and differences in the lives of Victorian children and today's children, and the power of the imagination yesterday and today.

Was Gilbert a bully?

Intermediate students may choose to explore the meaning of friendships like the one shared by Anne and Diana, the question of whether Josie and Gilbert were bullies, or if they would rather be "divinely beautiful," "dazzlingly clever" or "angelically good."

High school students can explore such themes as why the story has remained so popular, what makes the book a characteristically Canadian novel, and whether Anne of Green Gables is really a book for children.

Teachers and students can find more information and resources on the Anne 2008 website.

Greenan also announced three new books were being distributed to all Island school libraries: Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson, the official 100th anniversary edition of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, and Imagining Anne: The Island Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery by Elizabeth Epperly.