A classic character (matured) sparkles in the fresh and spirited retelling Anne of Greenville by Printz and Caldecott honoree Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer; Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me).
Anne Shirley and her mothers move to Greenville at the start of the school year. Anne, an adopted, Japanese American and self-described "deliriously queer" teen, becomes the target of the "Forevers," a group of teen townies and traditionalist parents. She is faced with "prejudicial and problematic" behavior including repeated hate speech and violence. She covers up the attacks to spare her moms the vitriol and bigotry--"It was easier for them to be pissed at me... than to have them feeling sad with me"--but she struggles to stay true to her unabashedly disco-loving, sequin-sporting, roller-skating self. Thankfully, classmate Berry shows Anne how to carve out safe spaces, and a starring role in the school play provides Anne a platform for sharing her exuberant personality and flair for fashion.
Readers familiar with Anne's original tale are rewarded with familiar yet reimagined characters from Green Gables. Those new to the enduring story will meet an endearing and intersectional version that shines thanks to Tamaki's authentic storytelling; she crafts a cinematic and self-aware Anne whose chatty and charming voice sears with modern sensibility. Optimistic, orange-haired Anne should have readers rooting for her with every polyester-clad step as she finds her "true true" and brings Greenville along in the process. --Kit Ballenger, youth librarian, Help Your Shelf