Pollyanna

Stories loved for generations come to life for today's young readers in the Core Classics series. Faithful to the style, plot, and themes of the originals, Core Classics are designed for use as classroom editions of the literary works listed in the Core Knowledge Sequence. They include introductions by E. D. Hirsch Jr., editor of the Core Knowledge© Series (What Your Kindergartner — Sixth Grader Needs to Know).

The Core Classics are generally considered suitable for fourth and fifth grade students. The texts are illustrated, annotated, and include a brief biography of the author.

From the Introduction:

When Pollyanna was published in 1913 it created an amazing sensation among readers and rapidly sold more than a million copies. People were very attracted to the story’s cheery main character. They wished they had her outlook on life.

Since then, Pollyanna’s name has become a word in the English language that is used to mean someone who tries to find good in everybody and every situation, someone whose optimism is so blind that it seems a little silly.

Pollyanna’s story is not that of a pampered princess, but a lonely orphan. In her young life she has already faced too many sad facts to think that all of life is happy or easy. When she stops to play what she calls “the glad game,” it is not out of fun. She hopes to find a silver lining in a stormy cloud overhead, a consolation for a hard blow. No one has harder blows to cope with than Pollyanna does, and being cheerful is not easy for her either.

Pollyanna believes that everyone naturally wants to be good, because it’s by being good that we are most likely to be happy. So she tries to help others to look for good, especially when things seem only wrong. Her message is familiar: when life is disappointing or even painful, stop and count your blessings. There are still things to be thankful for.