sweetpea3829 Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Any good novels out there with a somewhat relevant story line similar to Anne of Green Gables, but with a male protagonist? You know, orphaned youth, making their own way, etc. Probably along the lines of Oliver Twist, but Oliver Twist is perhaps a bit too advanced for my middle schoolers (particularly the 11 yr old). What I'm kicking around right now is having my Bigs (11 yr old girl and 10 yr old boy) read Anne of Green Gables and then follow up with a similarly themed story with a male protagonist. I would want to compare the similarities and differences, discuss the roles of gender, etc etc. ***Side note...if you know of amazing, awesome lit guides for Anne of Green Gables, please do share. Last year I used Discovering Literature Series' The Hobbit teaching guide (Challenging level) and it was the best lit guide I've ever used. Concise, no fluff, got right down to literary elements, etc. Unfortunately, they don't have Anne, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Following Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I don't think it's enough like Anne of Green Gables for what you want but I was going to suggest "My Side of the Mountain." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Well, orphaned and making his own way--Johny Tremain. Different time period and style. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Man of the Family by Ralph Moody might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I used to read Horatio Alger books when I was a kid. But I was a weird kid and read Russian novels in high school for fun. I think the Alger books were when I was in middle school, but I was very advanced as a reader, so I'm not sure if they were on middle school level, or if I was reading ahead. And I have no idea if the books were really any good or not. I loved them, though, when I read them as a kid. They're always about orphan boys who somehow or other make their way to success in the world. Horatio Alger is the author's name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 You know what would have been an awesome companion novel if it existed. August Rush. And for what it's worth, there IS a novel titled "August Rush" but it is absolutely most definitely not related to the movie of the same name, lol. Too bad, because that story line would fit perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Blood On The River follows a young Sam picked up off the streets and apprenticed/adopted to a man going on the Jamestown voyage(Capt. Smith). It may draw some comparisons to Anne as his new guardian is not the overly loving sort, and the story follows him through a few years of his teens. He was also based on a real apprentice on the ship. I'll have to go through my kids' books when the house is more awake, but I'm sure there's something out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Ranger's Apprentice series. Totally different time period because it's set in the middle ages but the protagonist (Will) is an orphan apprenticed to a King's Ranger. The Ranger seems quite anti-Will at first but warms up to him during the course of his apprenticeship. Great adventure series. My kids love it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebonnetgirl Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Sign of the Beaver or Hatchet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Huh. I can't think of a thing. I'll be curious if anyone else can. There were a lot of boy adventure stories that were written or read contemporarily to Anne... but most of them were more like Howard Pyle's Robin Hood... or they were things like GA Henty's various adventure stories for every time and place - he churned out books a little before Montgomery and his books have largely been forgotten for good reason - they weren't that good (plus, racism, so much racism). It's the female-centric stuff that has made it through from that time period - Secret Garden, Anne, Rebecca of Sunnybrook, even the Oz books have a female heroine. I mean, we remember Horatio Alger... but as a sort of stereotype, not because we think of the books as being very good. Of course, there are many contemporary orphan boy tales - but nearly all the ones I'm thinking of are fantasy, like Harry Potter, which is just a different kettle of fish. I don't think Oliver Twist is too much necessarily if you do it on audio or read it aloud. And then you can watch Oliver! because it's actually quite a fun little movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Huh. I can't think of a thing. I'll be curious if anyone else can. There were a lot of boy adventure stories that were written or read contemporarily to Anne... but most of them were more like Howard Pyle's Robin Hood... or they were things like GA Henty's various adventure stories for every time and place - he churned out books a little before Montgomery and his books have largely been forgotten for good reason - they weren't that good (plus, racism, so much racism). It's the female-centric stuff that has made it through from that time period - Secret Garden, Anne, Rebecca of Sunnybrook, even the Oz books have a female heroine. I mean, we remember Horatio Alger... but as a sort of stereotype, not because we think of the books as being very good. Of course, there are many contemporary orphan boy tales - but nearly all the ones I'm thinking of are fantasy, like Harry Potter, which is just a different kettle of fish. I don't think Oliver Twist is too much necessarily if you do it on audio or read it aloud. And then you can watch Oliver! because it's actually quite a fun little movie. Farrar, I've come up with a few but interestingly, what I'm finding is that most male-orphan novels trend towards following the male protagonist through misadventures and hijinks (think, Tom Sawyer) while most female-orphan novels do not. In Anne, she is "adopted", settles into her new life, adjusts, and grows up. She has some adventures along the way, but not necessarily the kind of trouble Tom Sawyer would get into. I'm going to screen Oliver Twist and see what I think. I may just stick with it. I'm kicking around Tom Sawyer but...we listened to that on audiobook and some of the content is just wholly inappropriate. Others: Freckles; Maniac McGee; Bud, not Buddy; Blood on the River; and a couple of other more obscure ones that I've come across. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Someone mentioned Man of the Family, but I'd start with the first book of the series, Little Britches. I believe there are 8 books total. They are excellent! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Tom Sawyer, though it might not be appropriate for a few years, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredluvsjoanie Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 David Copperfield is still too advanced, but that could go on a list for later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fardo Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Maybe a young reader version of David Copperfield or Oliver Twist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 (edited) Where the Brook and River Meet is a 1-year high school unit study of the Anne of Green Gables books (subjects covered include: Lit, Writing, Grammar, History, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Bible/Religion, Occupational Ed, and Health). I know that Silver Moon and a few other WTMers have used it with an advanced 7th or 8th grade girl. Not necessarily orphans, but these are super boy titles listed by previous posters: - My Side of the Mountain -- and sequels! - Hatchet, or other books by Paulsen - Maniac Magee (Spinnelli) -- orphan - Bud, Not Buddy (Curtis) -- orphan - Little Britches (Moody) More boy books that might fit well as an Anne of Green Gables counterpart: - Summer of the Monkeys (Rawls) - The Great Brain (Fitzgerald) -- and sequels - Soup (Peck) -- and sequels - The Great Turkey Walk (Karr) - Little Lord Fauntleroy (Burnett) -- Secret Garden author -- not orphan, but virtually - Stout-Hearted Seven (Frazier) -- true story of 7 children orphaned on the Oregon Trail - The Jungle Book (Kipling) -- orphan boy, but talking animals, so very dissimilar from Anne - Little Men (Alcott) -- Jo from Little Women raises orphan boys Don't know anything about these books, but they feature orphan boys: - Dave at Night (Levine) - Milkweed (Spinnelli) Two Little Savages: Being the Adventures of Two Boys Who Lived as Indians and What They Learned (Seton) might be a possibility -- similar time frame as Anne, boys making their own way in the woods (like My Side of the Mountain), but not orphans. Author Ernest Thompson Seton "established a youth group called the Woodcraft Indians that combined his love of the outdoors and his artistic talent. The activities of the Woodcraft Indians directly led to the formation of the Boy Scouts of America, which Seton co-founded in 1910. He was the author of the first Scout Manual." — from a Google books bio I only remember this book from childhood, so I honestly can't remember anything racist or inappropriate (other than the title!!) because I wouldn't have been very aware of those things at that time. Rather than what the title might suggest, two turn of the century boys spend the summer carefully learning about and recreating culture and items from the Native tribe of their area, which seems more respectful and honoring than anything else. LOTS of details and diagrams about how they go about actually making/doing things. Full text is free online through Gutenberg, and at https://archive.org/details/twolittlesavages00setouoft Edited June 27, 2017 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 You know what, Lori? I think Little Lord Fauntleroy might just be the ticket. It has similar feel to Anne in that he is brought to an environment that is very very different from the one he was used to, and he is away from his mom. It does not involve much of the mischief that novels such as Tom Sawyer are heavy with. I'm going to add it to my summer screening list, lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 - Dave at Night (Levine) I was going to recommend it, with the caveat that it's not written in the same style as Anne at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX Native Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) Not so much like Anne of Green Gables, but the Little Duke (free on public domain) by Yonge, is an orphaned Duke at a young age and the book takes you through his struggles and character growth. It is a bit hard to follow the story line (old school writing), but I LOVE it. There are notes to help with the storyline on the Ambleside site. Haven't read these books, and am only familiar with the Little Women movie, but a friend told me Little Men and Jo's Boyss are good books to entertain boys. Feel free to disagree, it wasn't a homeschool mom who said so. I have Little Women and Little Men on our lit family read aloud agenda for next school year. My son liked Johnny Tremain and will be reading My Side of the Mountain soon, both mentioned in prior posts. Edited June 28, 2017 by TX native 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) TX native's Little Duke suggestion is beautiful: that book is a worthy read, and hones in on the growing-up of a boy, not on hijinks &c. ETA: lots of folks find Oliver Twist more-or-less relentlessly depressing. I'm skipping it for my sensitive middle-schooler. Edited June 28, 2017 by serendipitous journey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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