Anne of Green Gables has been described as the "sweetest creation of child life ever penned." It follows Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is brought to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had planned to adopt a son to help them on their farm in the fictional village of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island.

The story follows Anne's interactions with the Cuthberts, at school, and in the community.