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Description edit see section history

Pollyanna's eternal optimism has made her one of the most beloved characters in American literature. First published in 1913, her story spawned the formation of "Glad" clubs all over the country, devoted to playing Pollyanna's famous game. Pollyanna has since sold over one million copies,... read more

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Characters/People edit see section history

  • Miss Pollyanna: Add a description of this character.
  • Pollyanna Whittier: Clever, witty, and especially cheerful, Pollyanna brings pure happiness to everyone she meets. Her "glad game" helps clear up any sort of problem in her aunt's town of Beldingsville.
  • Aunt Polly: Pollyanna arrives to live with her aunt Polly, her mother's sister, after her parent's death.
  • Nancy: Polly Harrington's hired girl, from "The Corners" six miles away.
  • Old Tom: The Harrington homestead's gardener even before Miss Polly was born.
  • Mr John Pendleton
  • Dr Chilton: Polly Harrington's old flame.
  • Milly Snow: Mrs. Snow's daughter.
  • John Pendleton: A now rich man, he saves a lot, and earned a nickname from Pollyanna: "The Man".
  • Pollyanna: The heroine of our book, an eternal optimist who effects the lives of the people around her in a positive way.
  • Milly
  • Jimmy Bean: An orphan who is one of the first characters to befriend Pollyanna when she arrives in Harrington town.
  • Mrs Snow: A poor, crippled, forty year old woman, stuck in bed, and is very picky about what people bring her.
  • Dr Warren
  • Mr Tom
  • Mrs White
  • Paul Ford
  • Timothy: Old Tom's son and best friend of Nancy.
  • Polly Harrington: A rigid and stern aunt, she believes she needs to do her "duty". She also believes that Pollyanna was an "unnecessary child" brought into a world "already quite full enough". Watch out what Pollyanna's medicine will do to her aunt's cold heart.
  • Dr Mead
  • H. Porter
  • Jennie
  • Mrs Tarbell
  • Pendleton Hill
Show all 24 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “You breathe all of the time you're asleep but you aren't living. I mean living--doing things you want to do.”
    Pollyanna
  • “There is something about everything that you can be glad about if you keep hunting long enough to find it.”
    Pollyanna

First Sentence edit see section history

Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this June morning.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 13 in Pollyanna's Glad Books. (standard series)

Followed by Pollyanna Grows Up.

This is book 8 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1913. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Woman Thou Gavest Me, and followed by The Valiants of Virginia.

This is book 2 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1914. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Eyes of the World, and followed by The Inside Of The Cup.

This is book 437 of 986 in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Nesthäkchen and the World War, and followed by Platero y yo (Platero and I).

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Eleanor H. Porter (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Marc D. Falkoff (Author)
  2. Marian Leighton
  3. Kathleen Olmstead (Adapter)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: L.C. Page and Co.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1913
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 357

Classification edit see section history


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