Public reader discussion about Pollyanna in the WeRead Catalog by Eleanor H. Porter.
By blue_tiger
I’m 22 and I’m trying to find more books that actually inspire me and have good theories and interesting facts. I know I can’t read everything though—so if you were able to go back to being 22, what books do you think you would’ve picked up earlier, and how did they end up changing things for you?
By greencat
This story is set in 1913, and they introduce this young woman with these really weird details—like her cheeks are way too pink and her hair is super yellow. She’s always in high heels and wearing kind of cheap-looking jewelry. She keeps going on about how people like Ms. Polly and everyone in town don’t really mix with people like her, and that if they did maybe there wouldn’t be as many “people like her” around. At first I was thinking she might be some kind of showgirl or maybe a courtesan type, but then it says she’s married and has kids, and she talks about herself as Mrs. Tom Payson. So now I’m confused—what do they mean when they say she has a “bad reputation”? And what is she basically supposed to be in the book?
By lucky-cup
Every time I see someone trying to justify a pronatalist point of view, I can’t help thinking of that Pollyanna/positivity bias thing—like people end up remembering or focusing on the good stuff more than the bad. I’m not totally sure how far you can take the comparison, but the idea that the “mind” seems to lean optimistic underneath while being more negative when you’re aware of it feels pretty close.
By eclipselunar
When I say similar, I mean books with a young girl or boy as the main character, with that kind of hopeful/uplifting vibe. I know they’re meant for kids, but I ended up loving both anyway. If anyone has recommendations, I’m all ears.
By TealWolf1979
Would love to hear what your favorite childhood books were. What made you like them, and how did you feel about the main character? I’ve been kinda stuck in a reading hiatus because my life got busy, but I’m trying to get back into it. I want to think of reading as something I genuinely enjoy, not just another thing on a list. So for now I’m flipping back through some of the books I loved as a kid, just for fun, and also mixing in some other genres I’m into 😊 Really excited to hear everyone’s picks! Also, I’m so impressed by the responses so far—this is honestly such a nice way to go back and connect over books we grew up with 😊 I’m definitely making a long list 😁 Hopefully I can get through a bunch of them and just enjoy getting totally absorbed in the stories 😊
By john_chicago8904
What’s everyone’s take on reading levels? I’m not really a fan. A lot of the time it feels like kids are pushed toward books that match their “level,” but I’d rather see them reading based on their maturity or just what they actually want to read. It seems like school can really drain the fun out of reading when they force kids to pick from a limited set of books. If a kid wants to read something (as long as it’s not totally crazy), I think they should be allowed to, even if it’s above or below where they’re “supposed” to be.
By bronzepanda
I’ve got four Pollyanna books that my Nanna was given back in 1947, but the copies themselves seem to be older than that. From what I can tell: “Pollyanna Grows Up” looks like it was printed in 1915, “Pollyanna” is 1940 (73rd impression), “Pollyanna’s Jewels” is also 1940 (ninth impression), and “Pollyanna’s Debt of Honor” is 1940 (sixth impression). They’re not in great shape, either—pretty worn and well-used, since they were read a lot up until I got them in the early ’90s. I’m just not sure what they might be worth, or how I’d even go about getting them appraised. If anyone has any ideas, I can share more photos. Thanks!
By mercyharbor1988
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter—I’m thinking it’s mostly about being optimistic.
By LucasLovesBooks
Hey, could someone help me figure out a book I read like ten years ago? I read it in a translation into my native language, but I can’t remember the original title or the translation one. From what I remember, the main girl grew up on a farm, and the title was something like “wind.” The story had two parts/books. In the second one, she ends up falling for the boy who’s basically been around since they were kids. I *think* it was Australian, but I’m really not sure.
By Carries1983
That ending quote is kind of hitting me. The way it’s worded makes it feel like if you’ve only got one book you truly care about, that’s still enough. Not sure why, but it made me pause.
By falconQuantum
Sounds like a spot to talk about and even nerd out over classic books and stuff—plays, poems, stories, novels, all that. I’m not totally sure where the line is on what counts for discussions, but it looks like you can do analysis or criticism, talk history of the work/author, or even bring in the social and political background too.
By Green-Water
I kept running into people talking about The Fourth Wing everywhere, and I figured at some point I’d stumble on it and just see what the hype was about. Then the other day I was on Libby looking for audiobooks that were available now, and I swear I saw the title I was thinking of. I grabbed it assuming it was the same thing, and what I actually picked was The Four Winds. I thought, okay, no big deal—I’ll just listen while I do stuff around the house and decide for myself. After a couple hours though, I was like… wait. Where are the dragons? I couldn’t really picture dragons in Dust Bowl-era Texas, so I finally realized I’d mixed it up. Even so, I was already in it, and surprisingly I ended up really liking the book. Has this happened to you before? Like, what was the book, and did you end up enjoying it anyway?
By looksbridge
Those books in the title are totally from my childhood and I still have a soft spot for them, but I feel like I’m past that phase now. I’m kind of craving something a bit more grown-up. What I want is hopeful and pretty laid-back, even when things are rough—like the hardship is real but there’s no lingering “kid” vibe. I keep thinking about adult characters who somehow still match that cheerful orphan-type energy, and how their view of life shifts once they’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m fine if it gets darker too, because… life—just hoping it still keeps that spark of hope and some humor. Also, please—nothing like Jane Eyre, if possible. Thanks, everyone!
By RestlessBlue72
As a parent getting back into kids’ books, I’m honestly surprised by how good a lot of them are. I even kind of feel like we should send a copy of *Goodnight Moon* up to the moon in some sort of capsule, just to show off what humans can make. Are there any other children’s books you’d call timeless, like real pieces of art?
By AmberPanther
Honestly it kind of gave me the creeps.
By MintReason
I’ve been stuck in bed, so I’m really trying to find something that’ll cheer me up instead of just focusing on the struggles. I’m open to romance or a mystery, or even fantasy—something with a twist maybe. Also, I’d really love it if there’s a solid audio version.
By Bucket-Bridge69
You can either regret something or not, so why can’t we name the exact opposite of regret? Edit: I guess the point is you can’t really express it with a clean opposite the way “high” has “low.” It doesn’t work like “not having a bath” = being “dirty,” ya know? So instead of one true opposite word, you just get stuff like “not regretting” or “being glad you did it.” Thanks for all the discussion, everyone!