Most Popular Books by L. M. MONTGOMERY

BY A REMARKABLE CANADIAN WRITER. ''The grandmother of the YA/adult crossover novel'' JEAN HANNAH EDELSTEIN, GUARDIAN ''Anne Shirley is, for me, one of the great characters of literature'' LAUREN CHILD The eighth book in the Anne Shirley series. Anne Shirley''s children are almost all grown up - except for pretty, high-spirited Rilla, who is now almost fifteen years old. No one can resist Rilla''s bright hazel eyes and dazzling smile, and Rilla herself can think no further ahead than going to her very first dance at the Four Winds lighthouse - and getting her first kiss from handsome Kenneth Ford! But at the dance, news is brought that England has declared war on Germany. At first, this means little to Rilla, on the threshold of so many new excitements. But as her brothers go off to fight in the Great War and Rilla brings home an orphaned newborn baby in a soup tureen, she is swept into a drama that tests her courage and will leave her changed for ever . . . A collection will be coveted by children and adults alike, this list is the best in children''s literature, curated by Virago. These are timeless tales with beautiful covers, that will be treasured and shared across the generations. Some titles you will already know; some will be new to you, but there are stories for everyone to love, whatever your age. Our list includes Nina Bawden (Carrie''s War, The Peppermint Pig), Rumer Godden (The Dark Horse, An Episode of Sparrows), Joan Aiken (The Serial Garden, The Gift Giving), E. Nesbit (The Psammead Trilogy, The Bastable Trilogy, The Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Little Princess, The Secret Garden) and Susan Coolidge (The What Katy Did Trilogy). Discover Virago Children''s Classics.

Emily Starr was born with the desire to write. As an orphan living on New Moon Farm, writing helped her face the difficult, lonely times. But now all her friends are going away to high school in nearby Shrewsbury, and her old-fashioned, tyrannical aunt Elizabeth will only let her go if she promises to stop writing! All the same, this is the first step in Emily''s climb to success. Once in town, Emily''s activities set the Shrewsbury gossips buzzing. But Emily and her friends are confident - Ilse''s a born actress, Teddy''s set to be a great artist, and roguish Perry has the makings of a brilliant lawyer. When Emily has her poems published and writes for the town newspaper, success seems to be on its way - and with it the first whispers of romance. Then Emily is offered a fabulous opportunity, and she must decide if she wants to change her life forever.

Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert had planned to adopt a boy to help out around Green Gables farm. But waiting for Matthew at the train station is freckle-faced, red-headed Anne Shirley -- a talkative eleven-year-old orphan with a heart full of dreams and a desperate longing for a home. From the minute Anne sets foot in Matthew''s buggy, Green Gables will never be the same! Discover one of the most delightful, irrepressible young heroines of all time in L. M. Montgomery''s classic novel.

BY A REMARKABLE CANADIAN WRITER. NOW A TV SERIES. ''The grandmother of the YA/adult crossover novel'' JEAN HANNAH EDELSTEIN, GUARDIAN From the beloved author of Anne of Green Gables comes the story of Emily Starr, L. M. Montgomery''s own favourite character, in the Emily of New Moon trilogy. There are two things in life Emily Starr is certain of - that she will be a great writer and that she and Teddy Kent were destined to be together. School is over and one by one her friends leave to follow their dreams, including Teddy, who goes to art school in Montreal. Emily chooses to stay at New Moon, and though she misses her friends, she knows the path of a writer is a solitary one. With each visit home Emily''s friends seem more distant, especially Teddy. Desolate, but determined to hide her feelings, she throws herself into finishing her novel. When it is rejected, though, her confidence is shattered. To banish all thoughts of Teddy, Emily agrees to marry a man she doesn''t love and give up on her dreams forever. But can she really have been so wrong about everything? Heart-rending, magical and vibrant, Emily''s unforgettable story concludes in Emily''s Quest, a Virago Modern Classic.

L.M. Montgomery''s classic children''s novel Anne of the Green Gables introduces us to a fiery, charming little girl who has become one of the most popular characters of children''s fiction ever. Mistakenly adopted by a family seeking to adopt a little boy to help them work their farm on Prince Edward Island, her good-natured personality and quirky ways cause her new brothers, her family, and the whole town to fall in love with this precocious little red head.