Dan in Green Gables written by Rey Terciero and illustrated by Claudia Aguirre - OPTIONAL

Dan in Green Gables: A Modern Reimagining of Anne of Green Gables written by Rey Terciero and illustrated by Claudia Aguirre, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Penguin Workshop (Penguin Random House), 2025. $18.

Language: R (10 swears, 1 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (adult drinking and smoking, child abandonment, homelessness); Violence: PG-13 (homophobic language, high school bullies, off-page reference to one instance of parental physical abuse, references to parent’s physical abusive relationships).

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A modern, gender-bent retelling of Anne of Green Gables, this graphic novel follows Dan, a 15 yr old boy who has a mom with a drinking problem and itchy feet. She drops him off at his paternal grandparents house in Eastern Tennessee in the mid-90s. He has to figure out how to put down roots in a place he’s never been, when he doesn’t necessarily look or act like everyone else.

I loved Anne of Green Gables growing up, and also I loved this modern(ish) retelling. For many of our students, the 90s are just as historic as the 1890s. I thought it was very clever how the creators were able to gender-swap the story, and keep so much of Anne’s passion for life and her impact on those around her still in this new version, with Dan and his story.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes