By Joann Hamilton-Barry Leah Boudreau

Nimbus Publishing

May 19, 2026

Non-Fiction

ThemesBiography

Age / Grade 6-8 / Grades 1-3 Early Reader 6-8 / Grades 1-3

Before she wrote the bestselling Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery was just a girl from Prince Edward Island, dreaming of becoming a writer. She Was the Story Girl: How L.M. Montgomery Learned to Never Give Up! tells the fascinating true story of young Maud’s difficult childhood and her unstoppable enthusiasm for writing. Before Maud was two years old, her mother died and her father moved out west, leaving her to be raised by her strict grandparents. They didn’t believe children should read or write stories. But Maud couldn’t resist a good tale. She found inspiration everywhere, from gossip overheard at the post office to ghostly laundry hanging on the line. Everything she experienced or imagined helped her to become the beloved writer we know today.


With informational sidebars and charming, full-colour illustrations throughout, this early chapter book will inspire budding young writers and kindred spirits alike.