Book Description

Laura Ingalls's story begins in 1871 in a little log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Four-year-old Laura lives in the little house with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack.

Pioneer life is sometimes hard, since the family must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But it is also exciting as Laura and her folks celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do the spring planting, bring in the harvest, and make their first trip into town. And every night they are safe and warm in their little house, with the happy sound of Pa's fiddle sending Laura and her sisters off to sleep.

And so begins Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.

Reviews (70)

If you love warm, family stories, this book is a good read
Little House in the Big Woods, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was fascinating. I think one of the reasons I liked it so much was because the Ingalls family was so close. One word that comes to mind is cozy. Maybe it's because they lived in a little house in the big woods. Or maybe it's becuase Pa used to play his fiddle by the fireside some evenings for Mary, Laura and Carrie. I remember when I read this book I was interested in the fact that they were pioneers. They might have moved from place to place but they always were positive about it. I loved reading about the three girls dancing at their Grandmother and Grandfather's house and having such a fun time. I remember Laura had a rag doll made out of a corncob that she loved so dearly. And it seemed as though the Ingalls family had such wonderful Christmases. In this book, there was nothing but simplicity. It didn't matter how much they moved or how they lived, as long as the family had each other.

Good book - but not as good as the ones that follow.
I'm a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and fondly remember reading the Little House books when I was a child. I've just started reading the series to my 7-year-old daughter, though, and while she loved Little House on the Prairie, she was far less fond of this one. In fact, although she's usually a good listener, I found her attention constantly wandering as we read this book.

And in all honesty, I could understand why. Laura Ingalls Wilder is without a doubt one of the best children's writers who ever lived, but I think she had barely begun to show her enormous talent when she wrote this book. Although there are wonderful little snippets of family life, and a few hints of the conflicts between the feisty Laura and her more reserved and perfect sister Mary, the truth is, there isn't much of a plot here. And Mrs. Wilder goes on for page after page describing how bullets were made, or butter churned. There are probably children who find that fascinating, God bless them, but my daughter was just bored by it.

I don't think this is a BAD book, but Little House on the Prairie is so much better, so much more interesting that I think if you want to read the series to a young child, that's the place to start, even though this is the first book in the series. This is a book for children who have already fallen in love with Laura and her wonderful family.

Wondeful series for Adults to read (or read again) too
I read these as a youngster and I am re-reading them after a trip near Independence, Kansas where we saw a house where Laura's family once setteld. They are great books! I am seeing the whole experience from a new perspective now that I am 35 (relating more with Ma I think) and I am enjoying the stories completely. It's also nice because the books can be read in a single afternoon or just a few hours. A wonderful look at the pioneer life with details about cheese making, maple suger harvests, and cabin building (in the later novels). I highly recommend these books but suggest reading them in order to keep the story of Laura's adventures straight.

Best of the series
I am an 8 year old girl who loves the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Why I liked it is because it's so happy and because I liked the little girls. My favourite part is when they go to a dance at Grandma's house and Laura danced with her uncle. I would recommend this book for people who like to read happy books.

Makes you go back in Time!!!
This book shows what it was like back in the 1800's. It tells when they had to travel by wagons and you couldn't go to town everyday. This is a GREAT book and I hope that everybody reads it. I recommend this especially to the people that lives in the cities because you see what the backwoods are like and how it is kind of today!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The set includes: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years.

Little House in the Big Woods

Wolves and panthers and bears roam the deep Wisconsin woods in the late 1870's. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Pa hunts and traps. Ma makes her own cheese and butter. All night long, the wind howls lonesomely, but Pa plays the fiddle and sings, keeping the family safe and cozy.

Little House on the Prairie

Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country! They travel from Wisconsin to Kansas, and there, finally, Pa builds their little house on the prairie. Sometimes farm life is difficult, even dangerous, but Laura and her family are kept busy and are happy with the promise of their new life on the prairie.

Farmer Boy

While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Almanzo and his brother and sisters work at their chores from dawn to supper most days -- no matter what the weather. There is still time for fun, though, especially with the horses, which Almanzo loves more than anything.

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Laura's family's first home in Minnesota is made of sod, but Pa builds a clean new house made of sawed lumber beside Plum Creek. The money for materials will come from their first wheat crop. Then, just before the wheat is ready to harvest, a strange glittering cloud fills the sky, blocking out the sun. Soon millions of grasshoppers cover the field and everything on the farm. In a week's time, there is no wheat crop left at all.

By the Shores of Silver Lake

Pa Ingalls heads west to the unsettled wilderness of the Dakota Territory. When Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and baby Grace join him, they become the first settlers in the town of De Smet. And Pa begins work on the first building in what will soon be a brand-new town on the shores of Silver Lake.

The Long Winter

The first terrible storm comes to the barren prairie in October. Then it snows almost without stopping until April. Snow has reached the rooftops, and no trains can get through with food or coal. The people of De Smet are starving, including Laura's family, who wonder how they're going to make it through this terrible winter. It is young Almanzo Wilder who finally understands what needs to be done. He must save the town, even if it means risking his own life.

Little Town on the Prairie

The long winter is over. With spring come socials, parties, and "Literaries." There is also work to be done. Laura spends many hours each day sewing shirts to help send Mary to a college for the blind. But in the evenings, Laura makes time for a new caller, Almanzo Wilder.

These Happy Golden Years

Laura is teaching school, and it's terrifying! Most of the students are taller than she is, and she must sleep away from home for the first time. Laura is miserable, but the money is needed to keep Mary in a college for the blind. And every Friday -- no matter what the weather -- Almanzo Wilder arrives to take Laura home to her family for the weekend. Laura and Almanzo are courting, and even though she's not yet sixteen, she knows that this is a time for new beginnings.

The First Four Years

Laura and Almanzo Wilder have just been married! Their life on a small prairie homestead begins with high hopes. But each year seems to bring unexpected disasters -- storms, sickness, fire, and unpaid debts. These first four years call for courage, strength, and a great deal of determination. Always, though, there is love, especially for the newest member of the family -- baby Rose.

Reviews (70)

Real Live History- Without Boring Nonsense
I love the Little House Books. I have read every one of them at least 5 times. They never get boring. The Litttle House Books are Non-Fiction- They are the best history books about the pioneer days. I am currently reading Farmer Boy, which is about Almanzo- Laura's future hustband. I just finished reading Little House on the Prairie to my kids- they loved it. They are asking questions about the pioneer days. If you want to get someone intrested in history start them on the little house books. Little House books are worth so much. I also like them because it is easier for children to understand history from another child's point of view. I hope every one reads the Little House books and learn about pioneer days in a fun and exciting way.

Before there was Harry Potter ...
If memory serves me correctly, I discovered Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books around the age of seven. I do remember being the envy of my third-grade classmates when I received the entire boxed set AND "On The Way Home" for Christmas. Of course, newer generations only know Laura from the TV series, which, as an earlier reviewer remarked, was the epitome of schmalzy, rose-glassed views of pioneer life, but interestingly enough included some real incidents Laura never put in the books (the death of the baby brother and living in the hotel). The books, however, still stand the test of time. True, some of the harsher elements of frontier life are glossed over to an extent--these are books aimed at kids, after all--but overall the books are an fascinating study of life on the prairie in the post-Civil War years. Much like Harry Potter, the Little House books can be read and enjoyed by adults. My only quibble with the books is that I've always felt that there should have been another book between "On The Banks of Plum Creek" and "On The Shores of Silver Lake," since there's a jump of about five years between the two. According to some of Laura's biographers, however, Laura's family had some rough experiences during that time, so that might explain the lack.

Still, there's a reason these books are classics--the descriptions are top-notch, they're moralistic without smacking you over the head, and they're just plain fun to read. I still have the boxed set (not the same one I got for Christmas, alas), and on snowy days in my own little house I find myself curled up in front of the fire with "Farmer Boy" or "These Happy Golden Years." Enjoy!

Definately worth 25$
I first read these books when I was in first grade. Since then, my copies have disintegrated because they've been read so often. As an English teacher, I'm online right now looking for a new set to use in the classroom. Of course, at 23, I still plan on reading them again myself first. This set is amazing - it combines history and great writing.

A Childhood Favorite of Mine Too!
When I was a little girl in the 1970's I was a big fan of the Little House on The Prairie TV show and I was very happy when one Christmas, probably either 1974 or 1975 I received a boxset of the Little House book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I loved the books. I still have my books but no longer have the box they came in and the books have gotten a lot of wear and tear from many people reading them such as myself and with them being borrowed many times over the years by friends, cousins, my niece, etc but that just proves how well loved these books are. The set has 9 books which are all outstanding and are the true life stories and adventures of the real Ingalls family and written by Laura who wrote about her family, what life was like back in the mid to late 1800's etc and the books are Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, On The Banks of Plum Creek, By The Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years which introduces Laura Ingall's husband to be, Almanzo Wilder, The First Four Years which details Laura and Almanzo's married life and their daughter Rose plus there is also Farmer boy. Most of the books detail The Ingall's family from their life in their homestate of Wisconsin to their journeys to Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota and finally The Dakota Territory which is where Laura met Almanzo but there is also the book Farmer Boy which Laura wrote about Almanzo's account of his childhood on a farm in New York state. These books are great and I highly recommend them to people of all ages, but I especially recommend buying the boxset!

A childhood favorite!
Heroines: varied

Travel westward in a covered wagon with the Ingalls family and experience the joys of family reunions, the daily drudgery of feeding chickens and milking cows, and the terror of tornadoes, sudden blizzards which dump yards of snow around you, and "wild" Indians who appear at your doorstep.

What worked for me:

These books just thrilled me as a child and they thrill me still as I read them aloud to my own children now. I love watching their fascination at what a struggle it was to survive in the rugged American wilderness, and can't help but smile as they absorb their first history lesson in such a painless fashion.

Size-wise Laura Ingalls was described as being round like a French pony, but she really longed to be willowy with golden curls like her older sister Mary. From the very first book we hear how five year old Laura was so disappointed with her appearance and see how she always measured herself against her sister's paler beauty.

What didn't work for me:

The only disappointment I have had with this series is that the final book is so short and lacks the warmth of the earlier novels, probably because Mrs. Wilder passed away before it was rewritten.

Overall:

Fans of historical and juvenile literature should enjoy these books. (And fans of romance should enjoy the later books when Laura meets her husband.)

Note: The series was the basis of the popular television show, "Little House on the Prairie".

Warning: The story is sweet and easygoing, but also deals with the harsh realities of life in that era. It is less than "PC" at times because it accurately depicts the general attitude towards native Americans in those days. If you are planning to read this to a youngster, be prepared for possible questions on these matters.

If you liked the "Little House" series you might also enjoy the "Anne of Green Gables" series. ... Read more

Book Description

Set during the pioneer days of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Laura Ingalls Wilder's books chronicle her life growing up on the Western frontier. For the first time in the history of the Little House books, these new editions feature Garth Williams' interior art in vibrant, full color. Come along for the adventure with this collector's set of the first five Little House books.

Reviews (1)

Best book series ever.
This is truly a great set of books. The books were very well written. Adults and children will enjoy reading these. They are not to hard to follow for children and they are not to boring for adults. The books really take you back to another place and time. A must have for Little House fans.... ... Read more

Book Description

The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in their new little house.

Reviews (53)

real history
This is the story of one year in the life of a family long ago in America. They were happy in their "Little House in the Big Woods". Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura, baby Carrie and dog Jack decide to move west so Pa would have more room to hunt. Pa is a hunter extraordinaire and earns an excellent living for the family. But the woods where they live get more crowded every year so there are less animals to go around. They pack up and move away from their dear home to a new, unknown land.

Their covered wagon makes a great camping vehicle and they enjoy a nice camping trip on their way. They would stop driving for the day, Pa would go out hunting, Ma and the girls would set up camp, and Pa would come back with the evening's supper. They cooked it over a fire, ate the leftovers for breakfast, packed up, and were back on the road for the day.

When they arrived at what Pa said was "home", it was nothing but a big space of grass. Where would they live? No problem.
Pa knows how to build a house with logs, make furniture, dig a well, and build a stable for the horses. That Pa can do anything! The land is free, the hunting is free, building the house and digging the well is free. By the time they plant the garden, I guess they would have no need of money.

But they do get money. Why? Because Pa is a hunter, remember? And a good one. He sells the furs, and the hunting is so plentiful in this area that he has no trouble at all.

The neat thing about this book is that it describes how to do many things: How to build the house, How to make a rocking chair, How to cook over the fire, and describes a clever way to protect your home from a prairie fire that really works! Many popular songs are also included as Pa plays the fiddle in the evening. Some we remember and some we wish we knew.

Because of these things and because of the indians, this was a book that my boys enjoyed right along with my daughter. My husband, the couch potato, even became interested and rented some "Little House" videos.

This is the best kind of history. It's like talking to your grandma and hearing the real story of what things were really like for real people. If you like history, you will love this book.

Laura Ingalls Wilder is an American treasure.
I've recently started reading the Little House books to my seven-year-old daughter and I'm thrilled to discover that I love them just as much now as I did when I was her age. There are a lot of reasons for that. Laura Ingalls Wilder was a wonderful writer. She's simple and always crystal clear, but at the same time, she uses so much detail and has such a great sense of the rhythm of language that her writing is beautifully poetic and always a joy to read aloud. And the characters, of course, are among the most beautifully drawn characters in literature: the feisty Laura who has such a hard time doing what she's supposed to do, her frustratingly perfect sister Mary, her strict but kind parents. Even the animals in the book come across as interesting characters. No matter how tired I am in the evening, I always look forward to getting out Little House and reading a chapter or two.

Those were the things I loved about it as a child, and still love now. But as an adult I've also come to appreciate how quintessentially American this book is. It's the kind of book that makes you think about our heritage, and makes you proud to be American. In these books, Laura and her family keep facing hardships and meeting them head on. When necessary, they pick themselves up and move on to a new place, starting from scratch. They don't expect anything from anybody, and yet they care about their community and their neighbors. You often hear the words "pioneer spirit" used to describe America's best values, but after you read Little House that's not an empty phrase. You, and the child you read it to, understand it in your heart.

Great for Adults too!
Laura's family once setteld. They are great books! I am seeing the whole experience from a new perspective now that I am 35 (relating more with Ma I think) and I am enjoying the stories completely. It's also nice because the books can be read in a single afternoon or just a few hours. A wonderful look at the pioneer life with details on cabin building and settling a piece of land. I highly recommend these books but suggest reading them in order to keep the story of Laura's adventures straight.

Life on the Frontier
Pa Ingalls is tired of how crowded the big woods are getting. So he decides to sell the house and move west with his family. Just before the ice breaks, the family loads up their wagon and heads out. They cross the Mississippi River and then head south, settling two days away from Independence, Missouri. Now they have to build a new house and survive the wilderness. Meanwhile, Laura is anxious to see a papoose. And with all the Indians in the area, she may get her chance.

This is a charming book. It's almost a collection of short stories with many chapters being a self-contained event. Still, through these pages, we get a good picture of life on the American frontier 130 years ago. The book gives plenty of detail about their everyday life without getting bogged down. And it is interesting. Frankly, some of the chapters are so harrowing I felt my pulse quicken. Often I found myself shaking my head in awe at what the Ingalls dealt with on a daily basis. This is a good way to make anyone appreciate just what we have today.

These books are still popular 70 years after they were first written for good reason. They are an entertaining and enlightening look at a bygone era.

Michelle from Richview Middle School
This story begins in the big woods of Wisconsin. A family lived there that consisted of a a dog Jack, a baby Carrie, the oldest daugter Mary and the yourner daughter Laura. The parents are known in this story as Ma and Pa. Ma and Pa are somewhat strict whils Mary is somewhat conservitive and Laura is very adventorous. They left the big woods and went to a new place out west. They traveled along the Mississippi and stopped in amny differnt places to rest. When they finally got there they met their new neighbor, Mr. Edwards. When Pa and Mr. Edwards met Pa asked if they wanted to help each other build their houses. For the next several weeks they helped each other build their houses. When they were finished with the houses Pa asked Mr. Edwards if he would help him build his stable in turn for food. He accepted and they built a sturdy nice looking stable. One night Pa and Laura were sitting in the doorstep and they heard something that sounded very close. It was cowboys! The cowboys were coming to ask Pa if he would help them keep the cattle out of the ravine in turn for fresh meat. He accepted and was back in no time. The next day they decided to go search for an indian camp. They found one eventually but there was no one there. They found some beads and took them home and then they made a necklace for baby Carrie. She loved it. The next few weeks the girls were'nt feeling well. They were very sicka dn needed someone to take care of them luckily htye had a good neighbor who came to just check up on them. It was Mrs. Scott. She took care of them until they became well. Now it was Christmas time. Pa went down to town and bought the girls Christmas presents. They didnt know it but Mr. Scott was on his way over there and he was also bringing him presents for Christmas. They loved all the presents they got and they were very thankful for them.
A week later Pa heard a loud screech from the Scott's house. Pa thought it was something awful like someone was hurt but it was just a panther and Pa ended up killing it anyways. About three weeks later there was a prairie fire. It burned about everything so they decided to leave the prairie. They were going to head West to Plum Creek. That's where the next story of this series begins. ... Read more

Book Description

While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town.

This is Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of how her husband Almanzo grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived.

Reviews (47)

A gem
If I could pick one book that every 7,8, or 9 year old MUST read, it would be this one. The story of Almanzo Wilder's life growing up on a farm in New York is totally compelling to children at this age. He's just a small boy, but he's strong, capable, and shoulders so much responsibility in the day-to-day on the farm. He works hard, and like all boys, is daydreamy and wistful to be off playing rather than hauling water or chopping wood, but there's such an intensity of life this brings him that the typical media and gizmo saturated child of today is genuinely envious of Almanzo and charmed to journey with him for the year retold in Farmer Boy.

He comes from a large family, his parents very loving yet very hardworking people who expect a lot of Almanzo. Nearly everything they eat, wear, and use is produced there on the farm, and it is one of the greatest pleasures of the book that the planting and weaving and washing and building and milking and all the other countless necessaries are vividly detailed and the reader can almost taste Almanzo's favorite apples and onions or smell the sweetly dusty air of the hay barn. I think every child who has read this book is eager to go out at once and grow a pumpkin just the way Almanzo does it--Almanzo has the secret for growing the biggest pumpkins in the county. And there's no greater inspiration than Almanzo to tempt kids into adventuring with some good wholesome food. The boy's mealtime accounts are absolutely mouthwatering. And working hard from sun up to sun down, that boy could eat!

But Almanzo is restless, and not so much to be free to play all day, but to be allowed to work with his father's prize horses. His father is known have the finest horses, and he's not about to let just anybody mess with them. Horses must be handled just right, otherwise you could easily ruin them, and Almanzo's not ready to be trusted with them. The 'coming of age' for Almanzo is one of the most touching and powerful in all of children's literature.

Please - if you've a child this age who hasn't yet read or heard Farmer Boy, don't let this book pass them by. By the end of the book you have come to know and love Almanzo so well, it's a sad good-bye indeed. Reader's won't meet him again until years later, as a young man who first meets Laura Ingalls in "By the Shores of Silver Lake".

Farmer Boy
FARMER BOY
In Farmer Boy, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, there is a boy named Almanzo Wilder. He is spunky and loved the farm life and especially horses and colts. His father owned and trained them. Almanzo always wanted a colt, but his father wouldn't let him have one. When he goes to the county fair he sees horses there. He asks if he gets a colt, he could take it to the fair next year.
I think that Laura tries to tell us that hard work and being responsible really do matter. Also that if you try you can accomplish anything you want to. I also think that she tries to show us how hard life was in the 1800's. When they needed milk they have to go out and milk the cow in the cold. They can't go to the store and buy a half- gallon of milk.
I really enjoyed reading this book because Laura gives good descriptions and words it very well. She also shows how hard farm life was back then. So does his responsibility pay off? Does he get a colt or not?
By: Maura

Yikes!
I've never read any of Wilder's books except this one. I've never even seen "Little House on the Prarie." The first thing I thought while reading this book is, "Did people really live like this?" Sure, the kids in the book had some fun, but mostly their lives were work, from sun up to sun down. The father, in the winter (40 degress below zero) had to get up at midnight and make the cows move around, otherwise they would freeze where they stood. Thank God for modern technology, which has made our lives so much more easy and pleasant. I recommend this novel for everyone. Wilder writes in a simple, sparse style, one you might call "Hemingway for children." Hard to believe people had to live like this, just in order to have enough to eat.

One of the best from a great series!
Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Farmer Boy" is a departure from the rest of the famed "Little House" books in that it does not relate the story of her own family's hardscrabble existence on the western frontier, but instead tells the story of her husband's boyhood on his family's prosperous farm in upstate New York. Thus, it introduces readers to an entirely new family, the Wilders, and the Ingalls family is not even mentioned. However, this is one of the best books of the "Little House" series.

"Farmer Boy" details a year or so in the life of 9 yr old Almanzo Wilder. A good deal of this book is spent showing that life on a farm in the 1860's, even for a well-to-do family living in a civilized part of the country, still meant never-ending, hard, physical labor. Young Almanzo and his siblings spend their lives working on one chore after another- the work changing as the seasons change. Undoubtedly, modern children will read this book and be thankful that they don't live in a time where sleeping in past 5 AM was considered odd and children were expected to be seen (at work) and not heard.

In addition to describing day to day life on a farm, Mrs. Wilder also details the family relationships between the Wilders. Almanzo's parents are shown as loving, but, in contrast to Pa and Ma Ingalls, they come across as a little more stern and authoritarian with their children. For example, James Wilder, Almanzo's father, is always called "Father" never "Pa."

Almanzo's relations with his three siblings are also described. (Almanzo actually had five siblings, but oldest sister, Laura, and younger brother, Perley, were left out of the book.) Almanzo looks up to his 13 yr old brother, Royal. Ten yr old sister Alice is shown as being very spunky and loveable and was obviously Almanzo's favorite sib. (Alice, who was a very pretty girl, died at a fairly young age and this book is her younger brother's tribute to her.) And finally there is Eliza Jane, age 12, who comes across as every younger brother's nightmare of a bossy older sister. It's obvious that Laura Ingalls Wilder did not care much for her sister-in-law Eliza Jane because she portrayed her pretty badly in her books. However, one of the great moments of "Farmer Boy" involves Eliza Jane showing in her own way how much she truly loved her younger brother. The wonderful descriptions of familial relationships in the "Little House" books are one of the big reasons why this series is so beloved.

"Farmer Boy" exudes all the hallmarks of a great "Little House" book- the wonderfully detailed depiction of life on a farm, the loving but still realistic portrayal of family life, and it also exudes a warm-hearted sentiment for an era long gone. Yet, "Farmer Boy" shows some of the darker elements of mid-19th century life. An attempted burglary is a subject of one chapter and the book opens with a pretty scary depiction of an 1860's schoolhouse. The "Little House" books often present a fairly rosy picture of the one-room schoolhouse, yet "Farmer Boy" shows a darker side. In this book, the teenage sons of farmers are shown coming to school just to bust it up and pummel any teacher who gets in their way.

Finally, as an Irish-American, I've always been amused by the unconcious bigotry towards Irish immigrants found in the "Little House" books. The few Irish characters in these books are either shown as fall-down drunks or as fools- read the story about cutting-ice in "Farmer Boy" to see an example. I don't think Laura Ingalls was anti-Irish, but just writing down 19th century attitudes about certain ethnic groups. She did the same thing for American Indians, but even more blatantly.

The story of Alonzo Wilder's boyhood
In book three of the Little House series, Wilder turns her attention to the childhood of her husband Alonzo Wilder, who grew up in somewhat different circumstances in New York State. Although life for the Wilders is somewhat more settled and secure than it would be on the prairie, it is still a struggle to make a living off the land. But it is a good life, one that revolves around the family and the simple pleasures of rural life such as attending the fair. I found this book to be one of the more enjoyable of the series and find it unfortunate that Wilder did not write more about her husband. ... Read more

Book Description

Here, for the first time, is your very own collection of paper dolls inspired by the classic Little House books. Inside this book you'll find Laura, Mary, Baby Carrie, Ma, Pa, and their faithful bulldog, Jack. From helping Ma gather food in the garden to watching Pa play his fiddle, now you, too, can be a part of Laura and Mary's happy days in the Little House in the Big Woods.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Little Girl Play Day
The Big Woods Collection of My Book of Little House Paper Dolls is a charming and endearing set of paper dolls and props. You can either be inside the log cabin or outdoors in view of it. Either way, it will provide an afternoon of delight for any little girl ... Read more

Book Description

Summer is here!

The warm days of summer have arrived, and that means Laura gets to spend fun-filled days outdoors!

Book Description

In 1894, Laura Ingalls Wilder, her husband, Almanzo, and their daughter, Rose, packed their belongings into their covered wagon and set out on a journey from De Smet, South Dakota, to Mansfield, Missouri. They heard that the soil there was rich and the crops were bountiful -- it was even called "the Land of the Big Red Apple." With hopes of beginning a new life, the Wilders made their way to the Ozarks of Missouri.

During their journey, Laura kept a detailed diary of events: the cities they passed through, the travelers they encountered on the way, the changing countryside and the trials of an often difficult voyage. Laura's words, preserved in this book, reveal her inner thoughts as she traveled with her family in search of a new home in Mansfield, where Rose would spend her childhood, where Laura would write her Little House books, and where she and Almanzo would remain all the rest of their happy days together.

Reviews (11)

The Wilder family moves
'On the Way Home' is Laura's diary as they traveled from DeSmet to their new home in Mansfield, Missouri. There are pictures included in this book that take you back to Laura's time and can make you feel even more like you know Laura.

This book is very interesting and is a quick read. The book starts with Rose Wilder Lane telling us about the events leading up to the Wilder's move to Missouri in 1894.

The majority of the book is Laura's actual diary. It begins on the day they set out (July 17, 1894) and continues through to the day they arrived in Mansfield (August 30, 1894). Laura includes in her entries things such as the temperature, what time they started in the morning, how many emigrant wagons they saw, what towns they drove through and what rivers and creeks they crossed. Laura also wrote down things that occurred along the way. For example, a lame horse, a lost dog, conversations with strangers and wading in creeks.

Also included in the book is a map of their journey. I found this interesting and referred to it often as Laura named the towns they drove through and stopped at. It was nice to see the route they took. At the end of the book, Rose wrote some more. She wrote about the search for a home, an important thing being lost and then found again, a description of Mansfield, moving into the new home and so on.

This book is not an 'edge of your seat' type, but it is interesting for those who are fans of Laura Ingalls and the Little House books and for those who like to learn about days gone by.

On The Way Home
For the children who loved Little House on the Prairie series;this is for you. On the Way Home is about an eight year old girl traveling with family toward her new home. There were many adventures that the Wilder family encountered "on the way home." there are parts in this book that would keep you on edge. This book would appeal to children under the age of ten. Laura Ingalls Wilder has published many interesting books for children including this one. On The Way Home is a book that would teach a child about the hardships of life in the eighteen hundreds. On the Way Home is a book that would interest children to read more books like this one. HAPPY READING!

A wonderful mother-daughter collaboration
"On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894," by Laura Ingalls Wilder, really brings to life this era in American history. The book is actually a collaboration between Laura and her daughter, writer Rose Wilder Lane; Rose's introduction and concluding chapter "sandwich" Laura's journal entries.

As the author of the "Little House" book series and as the subject of a long-running television series based on those books, Laura Ingalls Wilder is a truly beloved figure in American popular culture. "On the Way Home" offers an excellent opportunity to "hear" her speak directly from a real-life adventure. Her trek with her husband, Almanzo, and daughter Rose is a classic pioneer tale.

The book is well complemented by a wealth of black-and-white photographs of the family, as well as of the architecture, artifacts, landscapes, and animals that were part of their world. There is also a map of their route.

Laura's prose is very engaging. She writes of the natural landscape, plants, and animals they encountered along the way. She also gives a sense of the ethnic and religious diversity of that time and region. Her journal entries capture the excitement of the growing cities and towns.

This is a short book (120 pages), but it is full and fascinating. When Laura writes of such pleasures as wading in a warm river or picking wild blackberries, you can imagine yourself standing beside her. Recommended as a companion text: "O Pioneers!", by Willa Cather.

A little dry, but interesting reading
I personally wouldn't recommend this book for the younger Little House readers, unless they are really keen. As it is a transcription of a diary that Laura kept during her long journey to the "Land of the Big Red Apple," it is more interesting than gripping. Laura would have been trying to save paper by being fairly tacit in her records, so while there's a number of interesting happenings they aren't fleshed out in great detail or with the rich descriptions that she's known for. I certainly did enjoy it, however.

(Additionally, she probably intended this diary for her own use, so she goes into a lot of things like the state of the crops and price of land in different places.)

A Happy Ending
I always wondered what happened after The First Four Years and this book lets us in on what happened to the Wilders. Because of high debts and failing crops, the Wilders lost everything. After a friend visited the Ozarks and told of the fertile land and milder climate, Almanzo and Laura decided to start over. Laura kept a diary of their journey for memories sake. Because so many readers were curious of what happened to Laura and Almanzo, Rose Wilder Lane wrote a wonderful setting leading up to the diary and after they arrived in the Ozarks. The diary was written as a diary for it was never intended to be a book but only as a memory of their travel. It was comforting to know that they were finally starting to move forward with their lives instead of backwards like what happened in South Dakota. The diary was found after Laura's death and Rose had it published to let us know that Almanzo and Laura had a hard but happy life. I didn't expect Laura's writings to be more detailed because it was still seventeen years before Laura started writing for the farm magazines. She only wrote what she found necessary to make sure she had enough paper for the whole journey. The pictures in the book are excellent for then you can see the real Almanzo, Laura and Rose. I consider this book the true ending of the Little House series. ... Read more

Book Description

The little settlement that weathered the long, hard winter of 1880-81 is now a growing town. Laura is growing up, and she goes to her first evening social. Mary is at last able to go to a college for the blind. Best of all, Almanzo Wilder asks permission to walk home from church with Laura. And Laura, now fifteen years old, receives her certificate to teach school.

Reviews (14)

The Best Little House Book
Little Town on the Prairie is my favourite book out of all the "Little House" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I enjoyed this book more than the other books because it was happier, for there were not so many depressing times the Ingalls family had to endure.
The title is self-explanatory, a little town on the prairie, which is in Dakota, USA. The story is set during the 1880's. The Ingalls family, consisting of six people, was always moving from place to place. When they came to Dakota, they were very happy with it. Their little "shanty" that they stayed in during the summer was built into a new, improved house. Mary, the oldest sister, is accepted into the college of the blind, and Laura continues school and has a summer job. Things are going very well at the Ingalls household. There is enough food for everyone, and there wasn't another hard winter, like everyone expected. Most problems have solutions like when there were gophers eating their corn, they got a cat to kill them. The only problem is school, because of the new teacher, Eliza Jane Wilder. She is Almanzo Wilder's sister. She turns out to be horribly mean to Laura and her younger sister, Carrie, because Nellie Oleson (Laura's enemy mentioned before in "The Banks of Plum Creek") told the teacher negative remarks about Laura. Soon, a new teacher replaces her. All of the problems work themselves out somehow, which is what I like about this book.
In my opinion, Laura Ingalls Wilder does an exquisite job captivating all her readers with her refined choice of words, meticulous detail, and up-beat plot. This is absolutely the best piece she's written. She does an admirable job of describing the setting so it makes you feel like you're right there, witnessing the whole scene. The book also has a good balance of good times and bad times, because if it was all bad times the book would seem depressing, and if it was all good times, the book would seem hard to believe. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy realistic fiction or historical fiction. I think a possible theme for this story would be hold on, things will get better. This theme is displayed throughout all the "Little House" series. This is my all time favourite book, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

Definitely my favorite Little House book...
Since I've first read this book when I was a little younger than Laura, so I was really excited to read what life was like 'back then' for kids my age.

The hard winter is finally over, and the Ingalls family finally moves out to their claim, where Laura enjoys the outside work and the sunshine. But then she is offered a job as a seamstress in town, and takes it even though she misses the outdoors. The work is hard, and the environment is unpleasant, but Laura sticks it out.

Ma=ry finally has a chance to go to the blind college in Iowa, and while Ma and Pa take her there, Laura, Carrie and Grace clean the house.

School finally begins again, and an unpleasant surprise comes along on the first day - Nellie Oleson from Plum Creek, who schemes and causes trouble. The high point of this situation is the troble between Laura and Ms. Wilder, the teacher, who only hears unpleasant things about Laura from Nellie, and Laura's short temper, especially where Carrie is concerned, does not help the situation... But Ida, the new girl, is nice enough to make up for Nellie's unpleasantness.

Laura is grown up enough to want fashionable cloths and all other fashionable things other girls her age in school have, such as name cards. She is invited to parties and attends her first evening sociable.

We start seeing the relationship between Laura and Almanzo Wilder start developing (even though I think her relationship with his sister, her unpleasant ex - school teacher, might give things an interesting twist).

I was wrong - THIS book is the best Little House book!
(...) But this next book, Little Town on the Prairie, is outstanding. The Ingalls have a short winter this year and everything seems to go right. But like we all know, even though we are warm and fed, problems just seem to come along. Now that Laura is 14 and 15 years old, she learns to care about and appreciate other people besides just her immediate family. She likes Ida, Cap, Mary Power and Minnie. She goes to a fancy birthday party for a boy named Frank. We see that she is becoming a beautiful young lady and she starts describing clothes and hairstyles in detail.
She even buys the latest thing - name cards. And when she sees Almonzo,she says "I was just picking up my name cards". MY name cards. Like she was so totally in fashion forever. She is very smart and can do long division in her head. There are many fun social occasions in this book and some exciting power struggles with the teacher, Eliza Jane(Almonzo's sister), Nellie Oleson, etc. This is absolutely the most enjoyable book in the series. But I said that last time. Next will be "These Happy Golden Years". It can't be better than this one, but I've just got to see what happens! I can't close without again mentioning how much you learn in this book. This book teaches social history. You learn how to operate a corsett, hoop skirt, and what a lunatic fringe is, and how to curl your hair without a curling iron. You find out what to do when plagued by blackbirds and gophers, what to do when you're "home alone", and how to behave at your first paying job. This book is the beginning of the end of the little Ingalls family. Mary goes away to college, and soon Laura will become a teacher. We all have to face it sooner or later, our children will grow up. See how an ideal family handles it, with grace and love.

Loved it!
I have to admit that I never really cared to much about this series. I read all of them though (except for the last two) for lack of things better, and, out of all of them,this is the only one I really liked. I have no idea why! I just loved it! Totally reccomended!

school days
Laura's teenage years, her feelings and thoughts and actions, are memorably recorded in this book. Laura's feud with her unfair teacher (and future sister-in-law!) is hilarious! And her equally strong feud with an old childhood rival, who somehow managed to end up traveling from Minnesota to South Dakota at roughly the same time as Laura, is also amusing. Nellie wants to ride behind Almanzo Wilder's beautiful horses, but Laura ends up *marrying* the guy! (Not in this book, but you can pretty much see where it's going.) And the baby kitten, and Mary's desire to go to college and Laura's desire to sacrifice for that goal....Well, this is just a good, good book. ... Read more

Book Description

The set includes: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, and The Long Winter.

Little House in the Big Woods

Wolves and panthers and bears roam the deep Wisconsin woods in the late 1870's. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Pa hunts and traps. Ma makes her own cheese and butter. All night long, the wind howls lonesomely, but Pa plays the fiddle and sings, keeping the family safe and cozy.

Little House on the Prairie

Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country! They travel from Wisconsin to Kansas, and there, finally, Pa builds their little house on the prairie. Sometimes farm life is difficult, even dangerous, but Laura and her family are kept busy and are happy with the promise of their new life on the prairie.

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Laura's family's first home in Minnesota is made of sod, but Pa builds a clean new house made of sawed lumber beside Plum Creek. The money for materials will come from their first wheat crop. Then, just before the wheat is ready to harvest, a strange glittering cloud fills the sky, blocking out the sun. Soon millions of grasshoppers cover the field and everything on the farm. In a week's time, there is no wheat crop left at all.

By the Shores of Silver Lake

Pa Ingalls heads west to the unsettled wilderness of the Dakota Territory. When Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and baby Grace join him, they become the first settlers in the town of De Smet. And Pa begins work on the first building in what will soon be a brand-new town on the shores of Silver Lake.

The Long Winter

The first terrible storm comes to the barren prairie in October. Then it snows almost without stopping until April. Snow has reached the rooftops, and no trains can get through with food or coal. The people of De Smet are starving, including Laura's family, who wonder how they're going to make it through this terrible winter. It is young Almanzo Wilder who finally understands what needs to be done. He must save the town, even if it means risking his own life.

Reviews (11)

Never to late to enjoy these great books.
This one will be short and sweet. I just completed reading all five of the boxed set. I feel I knew the Ingalls family as I shared their lives, dangers, joys, and challenges. But, why, oh why, did I wait over fifty years to discover these wonderful stories. Laura waited until she was 65 years old to start writing them, so I think it safe to say that 65(my age) is not too late for me to read them.

To say this is about a pioneer family moving west, or about a little girl who lived in the big woods, on the prairie, near a creek, on the shores of a lake, and in various structures including a sod house dug into the side of a hill - misses the point. These stories are about adventures and goodness and have successfully warmth the hearts of generations of all ages since they were written.

I recommend anyone of any age read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Series. The best part of all is that the stories are based on her family and her life and capture the time and a spirit of those strong and determined folks who moved west in the 19th Century.

Wonderful Way to Look at Simpler Times
I remember devouring these books as a young girl, I'm 35 now and have begun reading the books with my 5 year old daughter. The first in the series is written so that she can read a great deal herself. Laura wrote such a wonderful recount of her life that you can really imagine, even if you are five, how much simpler life was . . . or complicated depending on how you look at it. We've had several discussions about the husstle and busstle of our life, brought on by the togetherness and importance of family that these books demonstrate.

The Long Winter
Have you ever been trapped in your home the whole winter and only getting out between blizzards? The author Laura Ingalls Wilder has in the book The Long Winter. Laura's family had to move off of the lonesome praire into pa's builing in town for the long winter. Ma told Laura and Carrie that they would have to go to school while they were living in town. After a while they loved school. They didn't go to school for long because blizzards hit and it was only clear for one day or less between blizzards. There was also no coal in town. One night it snowed so bad that there was snow all the way up to the second floor window. Laura saw the wild hores's hooves pass the window. With all the blizzards the train was stopped till the Spring. There was hardly any food left in town. There was no meat, crackers, wheat, flour and nothing left in the shops. The townspeople thought Spring would be in March but it didn't come till April. Laura's family and the Boasts had Christmas dinner in May. They got a barrel from the church in the big woods. How long could you be trapped indoors with only bread and potatoes for every meal?

Good for elementary age
I devoured these books when I was in 2nd grade. My mom bought me the complete set in 3rd grade. I think that these books helped me to become very interested in museums and history, which I still am to this day. The only gripe I have about this set is that it does not include "Farmer Boy" and "These Happy Golden Years." They are very important books to be read along with this series. For the curious, "The First Four Years" lets the reader know what happened to Laura when she married Almonzo. Also, there is a diary of Laura's journey to Missouri with her family, "On The Way Home." Please do not let your children grow up without reading these books!

Down Memory Lane
I remember reading the "Little House" books when I was a little girl. I am now 28 and looking forward to reading them with my 6 year old. We now live about 40 miles from Walnut Grove, MN and my daughter can't wait to read about that town and how life was in the pioneer days! I definitely recommend these books! ... Read more

Book Description

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they leave their little house on the prairie and travel in their covered wagon to Minnesota. Here they settle in a little house made of sod beside the banks of beautiful Plum Creek. Soon Pa builds a wonderful new little house with real glass windows and a hinged door. Laura and her sister Mary go to school, help with the chores, and fish in the creek. At night everyone listens to the merry music of Pa's fiddle. Misfortunes come in the form of a grasshopper plague and a terrible blizzard, but the pioneer family works hard together to overcome these troubles.

And so continues Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.

Reviews (25)

The best book you'll ever read
I think this book is the best book this has a sweet little girl named Laura. She lives with her Ma, Pa, two sisters, one is named Marrie and one is Carrie,and thay have a bulldog named Jack!
There is a mean girl that always gets her way,she is so mean!
Guess What! Even a boy likes this book, so I would give this book five stars! Everyone would love this book! Even younger children will like the books in the library because they have thinner books. I've read American Girl books and Girl Hood Journey books are similar. The best book is On the Banks of Plum Creek, By:Laura Ingllas Wilder! It's a five star I guarntee!

Just Like the TV Show Little House on the Prairie
Remember that show "Little House on the Prairie"? Well, this is the book that it's all about. Here is the family: Pa, Ma, Mary 8, Laura 7, and Carrie 2. Baby Grace isn't born yet in this book. All their childhood adventures happen here: First day of school, mean Nellie Oleson, party with their friends, and their first real house with a doorknob! Through anything that ever happens, they know they have each other. That's why even though some things go terribly wrong, it is an adventure to them. Even so, by the end of this book, I wished they had never moved from their "Little House in the Big Woods". By the way, this is a true story. It covers approximately 2 years.
The next book in the series, By the Shores of Silver Lake, takes place about 4 years later when Laura is about 13. This large gap makes watching the show enjoyable because there is a long time period not covered in the books and these are things that could have happened during that unrecorded time. It is fun to read real history and this book is one of the best. Find out just what people do when home is a hole in a hill. What's it like to go to school in your bare feet when most people don't have shoes? What do you do when a fireball rolls into your house? What do you do for fun when TV's haven't been invented, the family owns one book, and oh yeah, there are no toys? Read this book and find out!

JINC'S CHILDREN'S BOOK CLUB
This book captured our attention, but some club members thought the book was just "okay." We liked many aspects of the book. We liked the good descriptions of nature and people such as the one about Nellie Olesen who we thought was asinine. We also liked how the characters really cherished things that are common to us like candy. It made us realize how lucky we are. Nature plays a huge role in this story, and it made us realize how powerful yet precious nature is. The characters in the story cared for nature unlike today when we pollute our environment. Families back then had a totally different life style than we have now. In our world today it seems there are two equal sides: inside and outside. To the Ingalls there were two completely unequal sides. Outside was much greater than inside. We had one big criticism of the book. The Ingalls family seemed too perfect compared to modern families. We thought it was a little fake how everyone was always so loving and never fought. Like many true stories, this one doesn't really have just one plot or story line. It just goes from one event to the next. All in all, though, it was a good story.

On the banks of plum creek
Dig in it

...
Imagine you are sitting on a hill on the grass, You stand up and walk around, You are surprised you see a door, You want to open the door but you think someone lives there; But you do look inside anyway. It is a little house. You go inside. It is called a dugout (a house under ground). This is where the Ingalls live. This is where most of the action happens in On the Banks of Plum Creek.
Nowthen, ON the Banks of plum creek is about a family. That's moves from Kansas to Minnesota. The Ingalls lives in a dugout. They harvest for a living. They have oxen and it take forever to plow the flied. Something also me happens so if you want to know what happened that get the book and read it.
Also, My evaluation of ON The banks Of Plum Creek is that it is a great book. There are many happy parts & sad parts too. A happy part is that the Ingalls have a good harvest. A sad part is that Laura almost drowns. You can read it you might not like it but I did.
Meanwhile, On the Banks of Plum Creek really don't connect to my life. I don't live in a dugout. I don't harvest for a living. I don't have oxen and a cow. Pretty much they are framers. My family is totally different. I live in a house. My dad delivers & my mom works at family dollar for a living. My family has 1 dog & 5 horses.

After all, I recommend you to read On the Banks of Plum Creek. Everyone that can read would like On the Banks of Plum Creek. Mostly 10 & up would like it the most. Both boy/men & girls/ladies would like On the Banks of Plum Creek. People that don't like to read would not like to read On the Banks of Plum Creek.

Can you see the door, did you go inside, are you in the house.

more excitement for Laura and Mary and their family
I think this one is one of the best little house books becasue of the excitement of the terrible blizzard. You will have to read this book to find out about all the trouble and adventure they have with the snow. I used to think snow was fun but now i know it can be a mighty bad thhing if there is too much. I also liked the part about the awful grasshopper plague. ... Read more

Book Description

"It is like a fairyland." So Laura Ingalls Wilder described her 1915 voyage to San Francisco to visit her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Laura's husband, Almanzo, was unable to leave their Missouri farm and it is her faithful letters home, vividly describing every detail of her journey, that have been gathered here. Includes 24 pages of exciting photographs and completely redesigned jacket art.

Children's Books of 1974 (Library of Congress) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Sparkling recollection of San Francisco in 1915
Thank God this is still in print. Sure, lots of fans of the "Little House"
series will find this a charming alternative. But Laura Ingalls Wilder was
already an accomplished writer by this time, and her recorded impressions
during a family visit to her daughter and son-in-law during the 1915 Pan
Pacific International Exposition was a godsend for anyone who wants to know
of San Francisco history.

The city was devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire; the PPIE
was a chance for the city's residents to show how quickly they could
recover and rebuild, and they put their souls into it. The city fairly
sparkled for the Exposition's visitors that summer. Wilder's letters home
to her husband were an accurate and very personable observance of the city
as it was. She described the big events as well as the telling little
details that made San Francisco unique among American cities. The photos
accompanying her letters add to the authenticity.

This is book not just a "niche gem" for Wilder fans, but also for
those who love San Francisco, and those who live history. Her record of a
vacation to the coast may've seemed to her like trivial family
correspondence, but for this native son of Baghdad by the Bay, her letters
were a vivid portrait of a time that will not be seen again. This is one of
the top ten historical recollections of a major, turn of the century
American city.

A look into Laura's adult life, and her writing skills
For those out there who feel that Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, did most of the actual writing of the "Little House" books - well, you should read this book, which consists of letters written to her husband, Almanzo, while she was visiting San Francisco in 1915. Even though they were not written for publication, her descriptions of the events of the Pan-Pacific Expo, as well as San Francisco itself, are vivid, captivating, and colorful. You can also feel the great love and affection that existed between the couple, even though there are no letters from Almanzo himself. I also found this book interesting as I live in the San Francisco Bay Area myself, and am interested in its history.

Interesting
This is a very sweet and interesting book. Laura is visiting Rose in San Francisco for a few months and writes letters to Manly to fill him in on all she is doing and seeing.

The letters are detailed and filled with much information about San Francisco at the time. This is very interesting since it was 1915 and the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition was in progress.

I was thrilled to read it as I can't seem to read enough about Laura and her entire family! This is another wonderful and interesting book with the spirited Laura Ingalls Wilder as the star!

Lively and colourful letters
This book compiles a group of wonderful letters written from Laura to Almanzo in 1915 while she was staying with her daughter Rose (now married) in Los Angeles. The letters are long and detailed, since she rather missed him and was also trying to give him the full experience as much as possible. As a result, this book is a feast for both fans of LIW's work and people with an interest in the culture of the period.

At this time, Laura is in her forties and has begun writing freelance for at least one magazine, but has not started on her famous Little House books yet. Her daughter is working entirely as a writer, particularly of serialised stories/biographies.

Warning: Anyone reading the Rose series by Roger Lea MacBride should leave this book until after they finish, as there are spoilers.

Great details
West of Home is a series of letters that Laura wrote to Almanzo while she was visitng Rose Wilder Lane in 1915 San Fransisco. Due to the farm, it was decided that Almanzo would stay at home while Laura went out for a long visit with Rose. Laura wrote in great detail of all the happenings. She was Almanzo's eyes in the same way as she was her blind sister Mary's eyes. She described the landscape, the 1915 Expo, Rose's life and work and the great foods of the California area. Rose was homesick for her parents and sent Laura the money for train fare and money home to help with Laura's absence. You can tell by the letters to Almanzo that he had written her about the happenings on the farm. It's too bad they weren't published along with these. You can tell Laura and Almanzo greatly miss each other but Laura is enjoying her time with Rose and Rose's husband Gillette. A wonderful look of San Francisco in the year 1915. ... Read more

Book Description

Long, long ago, a little girl named Laura Ingalls headed west toward the prairie with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters, Mary and Carrie, and their good old bulldog, Jack. They traveled far each day in their covered wagon, driving through tall grass until they found just the right spot for their new home. With the help of their kind neighbor, Mr. Edwards, Pa built a snug little house for the family in the middle of the wide-open prairie.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers. Now for the first time, the youngest readers can share her adventure in these very special picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story-books. Renee Graef's warm paintings, inspired by Garth Williams' classic Little House illustrations, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life.

Renée Graef recieved her bachelor's degree in art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is the illustrator of teh paper dolls and the Kirsten books in the American Girls Collection. She is also an avid hat collector, with over 150 hats at last count. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her huisband, Tim, and thier children, Maggie and Maxfeild.Join the Ingalls family as they pick a special spot on the prairie and build their snug log cabin home. Their new neighbor, Mr. Edwards, comes by to help, and after the hard work is through, everyone sings and dances to the joyful music of Pa's fiddle. Renee Graef's enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth William's classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in this eleventh title in the My First Little House Books series, adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved storybooks.

... Read more

Reviews (3)

Adaptive book versions for "Little House".
The Series "My First Little House Books" is a great tool for Special Education adaptations of the Core Literature "Little House in the Big Woods". I've used this series in general education classrooms, too, to supplement the Core Lit text. The children's positive responses to the beautiful illustrations made my day! The beautifully portrayed color illustrations capture essential details from the book chapters and make the stories come alive for all of the students. Two thumbs up for this series!

A Little Prairie House (my first little house books)
I bought this book for my 1st grade daughter, hoping she would love the Laura Ingalls Wilder tradition as I had as a child. She did and I was excited because she could read this book herself and she was empowered! I only wish that you could buy the other 13 titles of the "first books" in a collection or gift set like you can the original series.

An Exceptional Series!
I ordered the whole series for my soon to be 4 year old for Christmas. She is absolutely delighted with the stories. The illustrations are beautiful. A must have for younger children. ... Read more

Book Description

Join the Ingalls family as they celebrate little Laura’s fifth birthday in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. There are special presents from everyone, and that night Laura falls asleep to the merry music of Pa’s fiddle. Renée Graef’s enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams’s classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in our tenth My First Little House Book, adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved storybooks. It’s a Little House birthday to remember!

... Read more

Reviews (1)

My Daughter Loved It
I gave this book to my 3 yr old for her birthday and she really liked it. She has virtually all the First books. She loves the drawings and I like the no playing on Sunday part, my daughter and I have a discussion everytime we read. I highly recommend this and other First Little House Books for little ones. ... Read more