Annie: An Old-Fashioned Story

by: Thomas Meehan

Recommended Age: 8 years and above

Lexile: N/A

Content Warning(s): Neglect, abuse

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"It's a hard-knock life for America's favorite orphan! Everyone knows the story of the irrepressible Annie, who lives at Miss Hannigan's orphanage until she beats the odds and finds a new life with the benevolent and wealthy Daddy Warbucks. Annie has enchanted millions of readers from her original comic strip appearance to the hit Broadway musical.

Now, with a Tony-nominated revival playing on Broadway, Puffin is reissuing this novelization of the classic story, with a new introduction by Tony and Emmy Award-winning author Thomas Meehan. This is an adaptation that delves even deeper into Annie's story, as she lives on the streets during the Great Depression, finds Sandy the dog, and encounters characters both familiar and new." (book summary)

My Thoughts:

Annie truly is an old-fashioned story and a classic, too. Set in New York City in 1933, right in the midst of the Great Depression, it revolves around the story of Annie – a character that many of you may be familiar with. The book dives deeper and introduces new characters that aren't in the Broadway musical. The plots at times were unrealistic, and I guess that maybe things were done differently in the 1930s in comparison to these days. President Roosevelt and Mr. Warbucks had a very close relationship in the book, but I just can't imagine that President Biden and Elon Musk would have that same relationship ;) Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable story and you'll happily follow Annie through each journey she, though very spontaneously, takes. The story starts at the orphanage but when Annie starts to try to find her parents, she becomes this very strong character that not everyone would be at age 11 with only a few cents to her name. Maybe, after reading Annie, you will be inspired to go on your own journey...