Book Review: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

"Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs." 

With those words, Laura Ingalls Wilder invites young readers into her world, which included Pa, Ma, Mary, and baby Carrie. The Ingalls family has a Little House in the Big Woods, which is also where her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents live. 

Little House in the Big Woods opens the Ingalls family saga, which will span nine books, one of which will be published after Wilder's death (The First Four Years). Four-year-old Laura Ingalls shares what it is like growing up deep in the woods of Wisconsin: the industrious days getting ready for winter; visits with the cousins for Christmas; the stories her Pa tells her and her older sister, Mary, as they sit upon his knees; the thrill of going to town; the days of the growing season and harvesttime, and the nights falling asleep to the sound of Pa's fiddle. Readers follow Laura as she wanders through this year in her life as a child growing up on the American prairie. 

A beloved classic in children's literature, Little House in the Big Woods can often be found in classrooms and is popular with homeschooling families. Geared toward ages 5 - 9, Wilder's keen eye for detail, coupled with the delightful illustrations by Garth Williams, continue to engage young readers many years after it was published. 

Publisher: ‎ HarperCollins; 1st edition (January 1, 1971)

Language : ‎ English

Paperback: ‎ 256 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 0064400018

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0064400015

Reading age: ‎ 5 - 9 years, from customers

Lexile measure: ‎ 930L

Grade level: ‎ 4 - 7

This book is from my childhood book collection. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. 

The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set Remains a Bestseller at Amazon

Spending time around Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie fans, I've heard some interesting things over the years. One thing that came up recently is the continued popularity of the Little House series with a generation of children whose regular book picks include paranormal and fantasy titles.

When browsing through Amazon's bestsellers over the past couple of weeks, I discovered that The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set can sometimes be found on their Most Wished for list in Children's Books.

If I visit the set's Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Little-House-Nine-Book-Set/dp/0064400409/ it is listed as a bestseller in the Number 1 spot in two categories: Children's Books, Literature, Short Story Collections (that is an odd category for these) and Children's Books, History & Historical Fiction, Fiction & United States, 1800s. It also ranks as #20 in Children's Books, Literature, Classics.

Why is it that the books remain popular when GenYers and GenZers are coming farther and farther away from the times in which Laura lived? Perhaps one of the elements is what Dean Butler spoke of during our interview. He mentioned that Little House was old when it was new. That's one of the glories of historical fiction. But I also have to believe it largely has to do with the way the books are written. Wilder shared the pioneering experience--its struggles and triumphs--but as Dean pointed out, she did so with a healthy dose of romance and optimism. The sense, he said is, "that if we’re together, and if we stick together and work hard, we will survive and we will do well. We love each other so we are going to stand up for each other and help each other."

I know that's what attracted me to the show, and then to the books. Perhaps our children are looking for those ideals too.

What about you? Why do you believe the books remain popular? Do you know children who are reading them right now? What do they say about them?

Laura's Books Not on Library Shelves?

What if your son or daughter wandered into the local library to find one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic children's books, but couldn't find it? What if instead, he or she found row after row of empty library shelves?

Sounds crazy? Maybe not.

According to a notice posted at the Issues & Advocacy section of the American Libray Association's (ALA) website, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will not reach a decision on whether to exempt libraries from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)--which requires manadatory lead testing on all products targeted for children ages 12 and under--until next week. While being advised not to take any action at this time, American libraries could be forced to remove all children's books targeted for ages 12 and under from their shelves if the law remains unchanged.

The ALA is seeking library advocates to contact the CPSC to let them know how important this issue is to American libraries, and I must add, to our children.

Please see this notice at the ALA website for information on how you can help.

Columnist Believes Losing Yourself in Books Will Create a Bond with Kids

Tyra Damm, columnist for the Dallas Morning News, recently wrote an article about the thrill of discovering a new book or author with a child. Damm lists Laura Ingalls Wilder as one of her favorites, alongside Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and others, and provides insight into how reading with her children has created a special bond as they stay up late to finish a chapter and find out how the characters get out of various predicaments.

It's definitely worth a read. You'll find the article here.

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Garth Williams mention in IrishTimes.com

The work of Garth Williams and Laura Ingalls Wilder received a mention in a list of time honored classics in an IrishTimes.com article titled Bedtime tales--of past, present - and future.

Also mentioned were Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little--two other books illustrated by Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, and many other well known books.

You can read the article here.