Pollyanna Shows Kids Power of Positive Thinking

Pollyanna is Norman Vincent Peale for children.

Orphaned at 11, Pollyanna Whittier comes to stay with her spinster aunt in Vermont. Aunt Polly never approved of her sister’s marriage to a penniless preacher, but she feels it is her duty to give her niece a home.

Friendly and outgoing, Pollyanna was taught by her father to look for something to be glad about in every bad situation. Before long, she’s taught dozens of people in Beldingsville to “play the glad game.”

Pollyanna assumes her aunt is kind and generous, leaving Aunt Polly little choice but to live up to her expectations.

Aunt Polly lets Pollyanna bring home a stray kitten and stray mutt, but draws the line at adopting orphan Jimmy Bean.

When bachelor John Pendleton wants to adopt her, Pollyanna gets the idea he was once Aunt Polly’s suitor. She’s wrong. Pendleton was in love with Pollyanna’s mother.

Aunt Polly’s suitor was Dr. Thomas Chilton. When Pollyanna is struck by a car, need you guess what doctor comes to the rescue?

Of course, the plot and characters are totally implausible, but Pollyanna herself is totally engaging.

And the cliché that you can be happy by looking for happiness has enough truth in it to make Pollyanna worth rereading.

© 2013 Linda Gorton Aragoni