Little House on Plum Creek

Little House on Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder 358 pages

After the Ingalls family moves away from the little house on the prairie, they settle near plum creek. There is a lot of new adventures such as going to school for the first time. However, the land brings them many hardships as well.

I always feel more grounded and happier when I reread the little house books!

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 198 pages

"She thought to herself, 'This is now.' She was glad that the house was cozy, and Ma and Pa and the firelight and the music were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago."

Laura lives in the big woods of Wisconsin near Lake Pepin with her Ma, Pa, big sister Mary, and little sister Carrie. Laura talks about their chores, and daily life in the big woods and special events such as their Christmas, going to a dance at Grandma's during the sugar snow, and their first trip into the town.

I love these books and reread them about every other year or so. It makes me nostalgic for a time I never lived in but also is through the voice of a young girl which reminds me of when I was a child and it is just a sweet little book.

Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser -515 pages

Fraser's thorough biography clarifies the life and writing career of the beloved author. The book sheds light on how the Little House books differed from Wilder's actual life. The author also gives a lot of space to Wilder's relationship with her daughter, Rose, to address accusations that the latter actually wrote the series. Readers will learn a great deal about the harshness of frontier life as experienced by the Ingalls family, and how Wilder's perceptions of her parents and the frontier shaped her writings. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Little House phenomenon. The author will visit Jefferson County on October 16 and 17th. Visit https://libguides.jeffco.edu/jcmoprairie for information.

Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder

By William Anderson

395 pages

Many children and adults treasure the Little House book series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder between the years of 1932 to 1943. Although her readers know extensively about Laura’s childhood, this publication dives into Laura’s life as a mature and aging woman. This is accomplished by a selection of letters preserved by her daughter, Rose Lane Wilder, her publisher, and her young and old fans alike.