Little House on the Prairie

By Laura Ingalls Wilder and Garth Williams

The third book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's treasured Little House series—now available as an ebook! This digital version features Garth Williams's classic illustrations, which appear in vibrant full color on a full-color device and in rich black-and-white on all other devices.

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 the big skies of the Kansas Territory. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their house. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Just when they begin to feel settled, they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict.

The nine Little House books are inspired by Laura's own childhood and have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9780062094889

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the Little House books based on her own experiences growing up on the Western frontier. Just like the characters in her stories, Laura and her family traveled by covered wagon across the Midwest and experienced many of the same adventures. She finally settled down in Mansfield, Missouri, with her husband Almanzo, where she lived until she was ninety years old.

Book preview

GOING WEST

A long time ago, when all the grandfathers and grandmothers of today were little boys and little girls or very small babies, or perhaps not even born, Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura and Baby Carrie left their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. They drove away and left it lonely and empty in the clearing among the big trees, and they never saw that little house again.

They were going to the Indian country.

Pa said there were too many people in the Big Woods now. Quite often Laura heard the ringing thud of an ax which was not Pa’s ax, or the echo of a shot that did not come from his gun. The path that went by the little house had become a road. Almost every day Laura and Mary stopped their playing and stared in surprise at a wagon slowly creaking by on that road.

Wild animals would not stay in a country where there were so many people. Pa did not like to stay, either. He liked a country where the wild animals lived without being afraid. He liked to see the little fawns and their mothers looking at him from the shadowy woods, and the fat, lazy bears eating berries in the wild-berry patches.

In the long winter evenings he talked to Ma about the Western country. In the West the land was level, and there were no trees. The grass grew thick and high. There the wild animals wandered and fed as though they were in a pasture that stretched much farther than a man could see, and there were no settlers. Only Indians lived there.

One day in the very last of the winter Pa said to Ma, Seeing you don’t object, I’ve decided to go see the West. I’ve had an offer for this place, and we can sell it now for as much as we’re ever likely to get, enough to give us a start in a new country.

Oh, Charles, must we go now? Ma said. The weather was so cold and the snug house was so comfortable.

If we are going this year, we must go now, said Pa. We can’t get across the Mississippi after the ice breaks.

So Pa sold the little house. He sold the cow and calf. He made hickory bows and fastened them upright to the wagon-box. Ma helped him stretch white canvas over them.

In the thin dark before morning Ma gently shook Mary and Laura till they got up. In firelight and candlelight she washed and combed them and dressed them warmly. Over their long red-flannel underwear she put wool petticoats and wool dresses and long wool stockings. She put their coats on them, and their rabbit-skin hoods and their red yarn mittens.

Everything from the little house was in the wagon, except the beds and tables and chairs. They did not need to take these, because Pa could always make new ones.

There was thin snow on the ground. The air was still and cold and dark. The bare trees stood up against the frosty stars. But in the east the sky was pale and through the gray woods came lanterns with wagons and horses, bringing Grandpa and Grandma and aunts and uncles and cousins.

Mary and Laura clung tight to their rag dolls and did not say anything. The cousins stood around and looked at them. Grandma and all the aunts hugged and kissed them and hugged and kissed them again, saying good-by.

Pa hung his gun to the wagon bows inside the canvas top, where he could reach it quickly from the seat. He hung his bullet-pouch and powder-horn beneath it. He laid the fiddle-box carefully between pillows, where jolting would not hurt the fiddle.

The uncles helped him hitch the horses to the wagon. All the cousins were told to kiss Mary and Laura, so they did. Pa picked up Mary and then Laura, and set them on the bed in the back of the wagon. He helped Ma climb up to the wagon-seat, and Grandma reached up and gave her Baby Carrie. Pa swung up and sat beside Ma, and Jack, the brindle bulldog, went under the wagon.

So they all went away from the little log house. The shutters were over the windows, so the little house could not see them go. It stayed there inside the log fence, behind the two big oak trees that in the summertime had made green roofs for Mary and Laura to play under. And that was the last of the little house.

Pa promised that when they came to the West, Laura should see a papoose.

What is a papoose? she asked him, and he said, A papoose is a little, brown, Indian baby.

They drove a long way through the snowy woods, till they came to the town of Pepin. Mary and Laura had seen it once before, but it looked different now. The door of the store and the doors of all the houses were shut, the stumps were covered with snow, and no little children were playing outdoors. Big cords of wood stood among the stumps. Only two or three men in boots and fur caps and bright plaid coats were to be seen.

Ma and Laura and Mary ate bread and molasses in the wagon, and the horses ate corn from nose-bags, while inside the store Pa traded his furs for things they would need on the journey. They could not stay long in the town, because they must cross the lake that day.

The enormous lake stretched flat and smooth and white all the way to the edge of the gray sky. Wagon tracks went away across it, so far that you could not see where they went; they ended in nothing at all.

Pa drove the wagon out onto the ice, following those wagon tracks. The horses’ hoofs clop-clopped with a dull sound, the wagon wheels went crunching. The town grew smaller and smaller behind, till even the tall store was only a dot. All around the wagon there was nothing but empty and silent space. Laura didn’t like it. But Pa was on the wagon seat and Jack was under the wagon; she knew that nothing could hurt her while Pa and Jack were there.

At last the wagon was pulling up a slope of earth again, and again there were trees. There was a little log house, too, among the trees. So Laura felt better.

Nobody lived in the little house; it was a place to camp in. It was a tiny house, and strange, with a big fireplace and rough bunks against all the walls. But it was warm when Pa had built a fire in the fireplace. That night Mary and Laura and Baby Carrie slept with Ma in a bed made on the floor before the fire, while Pa slept outside in the wagon, to guard it and the horses.

In the night a strange noise wakened Laura. It sounded like a shot, but it was sharper and longer than a shot. Again and again she heard it. Mary and Carrie were asleep, but Laura couldn’t sleep until Ma’s voice came softly through the dark. Go to sleep, Laura, Ma said. It’s only the ice cracking.

Next morning Pa said, It’s lucky we crossed yesterday, Caroline. Wouldn’t wonder if the ice broke up today. We made a late crossing, and we’re lucky it didn’t start breaking up while we were out in the middle of it.

I thought about that yesterday, Charles, Ma replied, gently.

Laura hadn’t thought about it before, but now she thought what would have happened if the ice had cracked under the wagon wheels and they had all gone down into the cold water in the middle of that vast lake.

You’re frightening somebody, Charles, Ma said, and Pa caught Laura up in his safe, big hug.

We’re across the Mississippi! he said, hugging her joyously. How do you like that, little half-pint of sweet cider half drunk up? Do you like going out west where Indians live?

Laura said she liked it, and she asked if they were in the Indian country now. But they were not; they were in Minnesota.

It was a long, long way to Indian Territory. Almost every day the horses traveled as far as they could; almost every night Pa and Ma made camp in a new place. Sometimes they had to stay several days in one camp because a creek was in flood and they couldn’t cross it till the water went down. They crossed too many creeks to count. They saw strange woods and hills, and stranger country with no trees. They drove across rivers on long wooden bridges, and they came to one wide yellow river that had no bridge.

That was the Missouri River. Pa drove onto a raft, and they all sat still in the wagon while the raft went swaying away from the safe land and slowly crossed all that rolling muddy-yellow water.

After more days they came to hills again. In a valley the wagon stuck fast in deep black mud. Rain poured down and thunder crashed and lightning flared. There was no place to make camp and build a fire. Everything was damp and chill and miserable in the wagon, but they had to stay in it and eat cold bits of food.

Next day Pa found a place on a hillside where they could camp. The rain had stopped, but they had to wait a week before the creek went down and the mud dried so that Pa could dig the wagon wheels out of it and go on.

One day, while they were waiting, a tall, lean man came out of the woods, riding a black pony. He and Pa talked awhile, then they went off into the woods together, and when they came back, both of them were riding black ponies. Pa had traded the tired brown horses for those ponies.

They were beautiful little horses, and Pa said they were not really ponies; they were western mustangs. They’re strong as mules and gentle as kittens, Pa said. They had large, soft, gentle eyes, and long manes and tails, and slender legs and feet much smaller and quicker than the feet of horses in the Big Woods.

When Laura asked what their names were, Pa said that she and Mary could name them. So Mary named one, Pet, and Laura named the other, Patty. When the creek’s roar was not so loud and the road was drier, Pa dug the wagon out of the mud. He hitched Pet and Patty to it, and they all went on together.

They had come in the covered wagon all the long way from the Big Woods of Wisconsin, across Minnesota and Iowa and Missouri. All that long way, Jack had trotted under the wagon. Now they set out to go across Kansas.

Kansas was an endless flat land covered with tall grass blowing in the wind. Day after day they traveled in Kansas, and saw nothing but the rippling grass and enormous sky. In a perfect circle the sky curved down to the level land, and the wagon was in the circle’s exact middle.

All day long Pet and Patty went forward, trotting and walking and trotting again, but they couldn’t get out of the middle of that circle. When the sun went down, the circle was still around them and the edge of the sky was pink. Then slowly the land became black. The wind made a lonely sound in the grass. The camp fire was small and lost in so much space. But large stars hung from the sky, glittering so near that Laura felt she could almost touch them.

Next day the land was the same, the sky was the same, the circle did not change. Laura and Mary were tired of them all. There was nothing new to do and nothing new to look at. The bed was made in the back of the wagon and neatly covered with a gray blanket; Laura and Mary sat on it. The canvas sides of the wagon-top were rolled up and tied, so the prairie wind blew in. It whipped Laura’s straight brown hair and Mary’s golden curls every-which-way, and the strong light screwed up their eyelids.

Sometimes a big jack rabbit bounded in big bounds away over the blowing grass. Jack paid no attention. Poor Jack was tired, too, and his paws were sore from traveling so far. The wagon kept on jolting, the canvas top snapped in the wind. Two faint wheel tracks kept going away behind the wagon, always the same.

Pa’s back was hunched. The reins were loose in his hands, the wind blew his long brown beard. Ma sat straight and quiet, her hands folded in her lap. Baby Carrie slept in a nest among the soft bundles.

Ah-wow! Mary yawned, and Laura said: Ma, can’t we get out and run behind the wagon? My legs are so tired.

No, Laura, Ma said.

Aren’t we going to camp pretty soon? Laura asked. It seemed such a long time since noon, when they had eaten their lunch sitting on the clean grass in the shade of the wagon.

Pa answered: Not yet. It’s too early to camp now.

I want to camp, now! I’m so tired, Laura said.

Then Ma said, Laura. That was all, but it meant that Laura must not complain. So she did not complain any more out loud, but she was still naughty, inside. She sat and thought complaints to herself.

Her legs ached and the wind wouldn’t stop blowing her hair. The grass waved and the wagon jolted and nothing else happened for a long time.

We’re coming to a creek or a river, Pa said. Girls, can you see those trees ahead?

Laura stood up and held to one of the wagon bows. Far ahead she saw a low dark smudge. That’s trees, Pa said. You can tell by the shape of the shadows. In this country, trees mean water. That’s where we’ll camp tonight.

CROSSING THE CREEK

Pet and Patty began to trot briskly, as if they were glad, too. Laura held tight to the wagon bow and stood up in the jolting wagon. Beyond Pa’s shoulder and far across the waves of green grass she could see the trees, and they were not like any trees she had seen before. They were no taller than bushes.

Whoa! said Pa, suddenly. Now which way? he muttered to himself.

The road divided here, and you could not tell which was the more-traveled way. Both of them were faint wheel tracks in the grass. One went toward the west, the other sloped downward a little, toward the south. Both soon vanished in the tall, blowing grass.

Better go downhill, I guess, Pa decided. The creek’s down in the bottoms. Must be this is the way to the ford. He turned Pet and Patty toward the south.

The road went down and up and down and up again, over gently curving land. The trees were nearer now, but they were no taller. Then Laura gasped and clutched the wagon bow, for almost under Pet’s and Patty’s noses there was no more blowing grass, there was no land at all. She looked beyond the edge of the land and across the tops of trees.

The road turned there. For a little way it went along the cliff’s top, then it went sharply downward. Pa put on the brakes; Pet and Patty braced themselves backward and almost sat down. The wagon wheels slid onward, little by little lowering the wagon farther down the steep slope into the ground. Jagged cliffs of bare red earth rose up on both sides of the wagon. Grass waved along their tops, but nothing grew on their seamed, straight-up-and-down sides. They were hot, and heat came from them against Laura’s face. The wind was still blowing overhead, but it did not blow down into this deep crack in the ground. The stillness seemed strange and empty.

Then once more the wagon was level. The narrow crack down which it had come opened into the bottom lands. Here grew the tall trees whose tops Laura had seen from the prairie above. Shady groves were scattered on the rolling meadows, and in the groves deer were lying down, hardly to be seen among the shadows. The deer turned their heads toward the wagon, and curious fawns stood up to see it more clearly.

Laura was surprised because she

Reviews for Little House on the Prairie

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder; (4 1/2*)My G'ma gave one of the 'Little House' books to me when I was a youngster way back in the 1950s. I don't even remember which one it was but today at 70 I am still reading them. They enrapture me and I love how Ingalls minutely describes the manner in which they built the items they needed to accomplish their tasks.Stories such as these remind you of what family ties, loyalty, respect and responsibility mean.

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic of children's literature that has an unusual air of distinction about it in the present day and age. It is simultaneously incredibly simple to read in terms of its language use, and yet very complex in terms of the social situation it presents. This book continues the story of the Ingalls family as they move from Wisconsin to Indian Territory and start a new life there. In its depiction of pioneer life, it provides an unparalleled glimpse for young readers into a time in American history when things were very different. In terms of the family and their everyday tasks, the story is quaint, charming, and fun to read, with a dash of humour and love. In terms of the status of Native Americans in the area at the time, however, the story is forthright and hard to fully grasp from a modern point of view. The overall picture of Native Americans in the story is a relatively balanced one, with the family's fear of the local tribes pitted against a couple of instances in which Pa comes to believe that some of the natives are all right. However, the common saying that "the only good Indian is a dead Indian" is uttered by other characters in the story, and it is definitely apparent that feelings during this period were tense. It would be impossible to say for sure whether Wilder cleaned up her portrayal of her family, as they appear to take a kinder view of Native Americans than others in the story, but she does do modern readers a favour by offering an honest look into the difficulties of Anglo-Native relations at the time. The book deals openly with a very sensitive issue, which makes it an important contribution to youth literature. It might simply be wise, though, to guide young readers through their understanding of what is conveyed in this work and how it is appreciated from a modern perpspective, rather than letting children read this on their own and formulate their own ideas about the subject.

[imperfectcj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book began to develop a little beyond just the catalog of everyday activities that Little House in the Big Woods basically was.

It touches on issues of racism and politics as it affects individuals. I enjoyed seeing how Ma and Pa handled their difference of opinion about their Native American neighbors. Each held to his or her own convictions on the matter, but each was respectful of the other person's view. Pa turned out to be right (thank goodness...I don't know how I would have explained it to my daughter had it turned out the other way), but he didn't lord it over Ma.

Wilder's descriptions grew more effective and more emotionally real in this book. She does a lot to convey emotion with a minimum of words. There was more than one scene along the trail in front of the house in which the tension was just so apparent. Wilder never had to come right out and explain that the situation between the natives and the white settlers was a tenuous one, she just let those scenes speak for themselves.

[the_hibernator · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The area around the Ingalls' little house in the big woods is getting crowded, and Pa decides to hop in the wagon and head off to "Indian country" in Kansas. The family find a nice place to settle and spend months building a home there. But just as things are beginning to settle down to a normal life, they begin to have troubles with the natives in the area, who are angry about all the settlers moving into their territory. This plot was a lot less passive than the story from Little House in the Big Woods, and as a result I enjoyed it a good deal more. This is my first time reading the series and it's exciting to experience the story that so many people rave about. Maybe I'll even check out the TV series, though I hear it's nothing like the books. One thing I had trouble with in this story was the handling of the Native Americans and their culture. Obviously, this book was written in a time when there was a lot of tension between Natives and white settlers, and the language and attitude expressed in Little House was acceptable. However, this may be one of those books that I would discuss with a young child if they were reading it. I don't believe in telling a child not to read a book, but I do believe in discussing certain points of books with children if it's possible for them to misunderstand the context. This is definitely one of those books. In the long run, though, I'm really enjoying this series and am eager to move on to the next book.

[bensdad00 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read aloud to the boys, just as enjoyable as the first volume, looking forward to the rest.

[sofia · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

racist ass book, dont show this to anyone at all, like please

[kaethe_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My least favorite, I think, which explains why although I watched the show for a bit, I never really loved it.

[beammey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book! Laura had a way that she wrote that is easy for children to understand and see in their minds just what she was trying to describe. Another beautifully written story. I would recommend this book and the rest of the series.

[classyhomemaker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The kids and I finished reading this a couple weeks ago---so fun to revisit this old favorite!

[quinton.baran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished reading this to my children last night. I have somewhat regularly read them a chapter each night. I enjoyed reading this book and series when I was a boy. It is interesting to see it from an adult perspective, and see the historical perspective (I understand that the books were somewhat conglomerations by Laura and her daughter Rose, and that the sequence was actually Prairie THEN Big House in the Woods).

My kids enjoyed the stories about the birth of the pony, the Indian stories, and the story of Mr. Edwards encountering Santa Claus and bringing back things to them. I explained to them the wealth that they live in, compared to the poverty that these children and family experience; nevertheless, they were happy and enjoyed life. One phrase that was interesting to me was after planting gardens, they would "eat like kings". We truly eat like kings today, as we have many of the privileges that Monarch and/or Nobility once held to themselves.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ma and Pa Ingalls and their three children, Laura, Mary, and baby Carrie are packing their wagon, leaving behind the Big Woods of Wisconsin, and heading out to Indian country.

Along the way the Ingalls family experience a dramatic wagon crossing, build a house, confront Indians many times, succumb to fever, and have one very special Christmas with a new neighbor. A sense of community is forged and the isolation of pioneer life shines against the good nature of fellow settlers and even the Indians, who often prove more compassionate and wise than Laura is able to truly understand.

The characters who populate these books are drawn from Wilder's own family and neighbors, including her sisters Mary, Carrie and Grace, pastor Reverend Alden, and detestable schoolmate, Nellie Oleson. Though rooted in Wilder's experiences, the books are not strict autobiography. Viewpoints in this book are taken from a settler’s perspective during the 1800s. Indians are viewed with fear and sometimes contempt.

It's always interesting reading a favorite book from your childhood.

[atreic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Despite this book being an epic tale of wilderness life, I found myself getting a bit bogged down in places - oh look, another chapter where they will all survive a Terrible Thing! Mostly everyone is superhumanly stoic and bold and content with their fiddle music under the stars, and there are only tiny glimpses of people not being happy with their lot (like when Laura feels she has to give all her pretty beads to her baby sister because Mary did.)

There is a prairie fire, malaria, nearly drowing in river crossings, nearly dying in a well.. it makes me very grateful for (and slightly embarrassed of) my own privileged existence!

The complete lack of challenge that Pa is anything other than a good and wise father figure is very kind and christian, but really, viewed with a bit of perspective, he makes some very bold decisions, minister - he takes his family away from all their friends and family, goes into disputed Indian territory, spends a miserable brutal year trying to build a house from scratch, and then loses it all because (turns out!) he was an illegal settler and can't stay there. His wife is a saint.

I feel I ought to warn it is completely of its time in its treatment of, well, everything, but mostly Native Americans. Although the bit where Laura watches them pass and sees the baby as some kind of delightful pet that she just wants to own is an excellent description of how you can other and exoticise things, that could be a good jumping off point for a more nuanced conversation.

[marse_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unlike the TV show, the book "Little House on the Prairie" does not take place anywhere near a town (the nearest town is 40 miles away, a two-day journey). The only neighbors live several miles away, and the closest people are the Indians that sometimes come uninvited to the home to take food, and the ones that are congregating down by the creek.

Pa Ingalls builds a house from scratch with some help from the neighbors. They start growing food, Pa goes hunting.

The most interesting part of the story is, in my opinion, how the Indians are presented. The first meeting with some Indians happens while Pa is away. Two men, wearing skunk loin clothes, but little else, come in and take food -- no words spoken. Caroline (Ma) is terrified and lets them take what they want. Mary and Laura are also afraid, they smell bad and leave an unpleasant impression. When Pa comes back, he tells Ma she did right not to protest their actions, but from then on they lock up there supplies in a cabinet with a lock.

Overall, Pa seems to feel that nothing bad will happen, as long as they don't do anything to irritate the Indians -- this means chaining up Jack the dog because he growls and lunges at the Indians when they go by the trail. Laura hears the neighbors say that the only good Indian is a dead Indian, which Pa does not agree with. Later, when Laura starts asking about why the Indians have to move west, her father cuts her off, basically saying the Indians will have to move because the government has given the land to people like themselves, settlers. Without getting into details, political or otherwise, Laura's question plants the idea that something is very unfair, even immoral about what they are doing there.

By the end, the Ingalls watch as a long, long trail of Indians move past their little House to another settlement, away from their homes and what they had always known. This is a telling chapter. Laura watches with excitement at the ponies going by with the men. The descriptions of the Native Americans is somewhat stereotyped, but not necessarily negative. Then come the women, the mothers and children and last, a lone woman with a baby -- and Laura wants that baby. She is hushed by her father, but she cries. She can't explain what she is feeling. She knows they are gone forever.

After all the work of building a house, digging a well, planting crops, dealing with a prairie fire, Ingalls packs up the family to move west when he finds out the government will remove the settlers from Indian Territory. Once again the family is traveling in a covered wagon to new horizons.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There are some sweet, lovely passages of writing, and the tone is so gentle and calm that I feel like I'm hitting a puppy to only award it 3 stars, but it's lack of plot momentum (it's really just one of those "and then, and then, and then, and then" kind of books) keeps it in the decent column.

It's definitely an improvement over the first two, as it has slightly less of a pioneer family how-to manual tone to it, and there's even some evocation of history and social issues. (Unlike some, I don't have a problem with the story's take on indigenous people--I thought it was rather deft how Wilder managed to convey, through young Laura's uncomprehending listening, that dear old Pa may have been a bit in the wrong on this issue).

I've never watched the show (it looked boring, to me, when I was growing up, earnest and not funny and not sci-fi or fantasy).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

With Laura Ingalls Wilder's third book in the Little House series, she discovers the concepts of plot and story. Unlike "Little House in the Big Woods" and "Farmer Boy," both of which were sort of how-to manuals for survival in the early 19th century, things actually happen in this best known of her books.
Young Laura's family moves out to Indian Territory in a covered wagon to set up a homestead. They face troubles with illness, fire, wild animals, and Native Americans. The portrayal of the Native Americans is the book's downfall. Though not 100% negative, it leans heavily in the negative direction. It is hard to read phrases like, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian," without that casting a heavy cloud over the rest of the book.

[linyarai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite childhood books

[threadnsong · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had watched an author of Laura Ingalls Wilder recently discuss her biography, and I also learned that the prize for children's literature has recently dropped reference to Laura Ingalls Wilder because she is writing as a product of her time. So when I finished "Big Woods" I eagerly jumped into "House on the Prairie" to see if this book also stood the test of time.

In a lot of ways, it does: Pa and Ma are able to navigate across the prairie to a part where there is accessible water, Pa shows a neighbor why a candle lowered into a well that you're digging is a good thing, and Laura watches all of the meadowlarks and sage grouse and is enchanted by the nature and the sky around her. Mr. Edwards and his song "Ol' Dan Tucker" were running through my head thanks to a recording by Bruce Springsteen.

But yes, there are the problematic parts: where is the prairie grass and where are the meadowlarks now? Tilling up the stiff roots to plant potatoes and peas is exactly what led to the Dustbowl, something not foreseen (or ignored) in 1870. And then there are the discussions about the Indians. I remembered the visits from the two Indian warriors to the little house, and admonishments to "wear your sunbonnets, girls, or else . . . " but those were the kinder ones. Yep, I know that Laura was recording a time period, and reading her descriptions and overheard conversations between adults does definitely show how far we've come (and how far we have to go). As a result, the beauty is outweighed by the attitudes and I have to give it this low rating.

[eldang-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having grown up outside the US, I never read these books as a kid, and they're actually very interesting as an adult still learning about the country. In fact, I'm not convinced this should be a childrens' book, because being written from a small child's perspective means it only vaguely hints at the evil backdrop of the story. But the first-person perspective brings the experience of being a Pioneer much more alive than any historical text I've read, and as someone who very much buys into the "the Pioneers perpetrated gross acts of ethnic cleansing" view espoused by that linked article it was actually kind of refreshing to read an account that humanises them.

This book romanticises the Pioneer life considerably, but not to the point of airbrushing out all the difficulties and discomforts, and it was actually a lot less of a propaganda tract than I had expected it to be. Definitely worth reading as an adult, with knowledge of the background.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I remember enjoying the first book in the series, Little House in the Big Woods, as a child and loving both it and the TV series, Little House on the Prairie. I didn't quite remember if I had read Little House on the Prairie, so I decided to listen to the audio book, seeing how it fit into my remembrances. This book takes place mostly in Kansas, on the prairie, before the family settles back in the town of Walnut Grove where the beloved TV series is set. As an adult, I can understand it as a historical memoir, complete with lots of details of the adventures of surviving and homesteading out West. But the way indigenous people are depicted needs companion discussions.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series is such a delight. Each of their adventures and struggles is seen through the eyes of young Laura. I love the honesty and innocence that comes from that. I love her Pa's strength and character. Laura's parents are a team and despite their hardships, they never stop supporting and loving each other. This book covers their time in Indian country. There's a scene where they cross the river in their covered wagon that was particularly harrowing.

[nicolewbrown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book starts off with the family leaving Wisconsin and heading west where there aren't so many people. They leave behind grandparents and friends and leave in a covered wagon and cross the frozen Mississippi at the end of winter. The family consists of Charles and Caroline, the parents, and Mary, Laura, and baby Carrie. They make the dangerous journey across the country to land in Kansas in Indian Territory and find a nice spot near a creek and decide to make a house.



This is where the kinda boring part comes in where if you ever wanted to know how a log cabin was built you will be thrilled to know that this book tells you how. From laying down the logs with notches in them in order to lay the logs on top of each other to how to pull the logs up on top of each other once they reach a certain height. Also how to build a roof and a fireplace and a stable.



In the midst of this, they have adventures with Native Americans and wolves who surround the house and howl most of the night. The Native Americans come and take food and tobacco from them and scare the daylights out of them. But that won't be the only interactions they'll have with the Native Americans. They'll also meet neighbors who help out in times of need and trade services like helping to get your well dug if you help to get his well dug.



I first read this book when I was eight or nine years old. My book club decided to read this book for its selection this month which is why I reread it. It's interesting to go back and reread your childhood favorite books from a different perspective. I was a little bored at first by the simplistic writing and the how-to-build-a-log-cabin bit, but it picked up and became compelling and exciting to the point that you forgot the writing and got caught up in the story. There's a reason this book is a classic and read by so many even today. I recommend this book to people of any age.

[citizenjoyce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can see why these books were so popular - they give detailed descriptions of the way pioneer life worked. I've heard criticism that they are racist. Prairie has lots of second-hand racism with someone even saying the only good Indian is a dead Indian, but I thought it subtly shows the horror of the removal of Native Americans from their homes. The dad especially is so in love with the land they've come to with its abundance of game and water, kind of foreshadowing the plight of the Indians who were removed from that land to areas of starvation. The mom says how sad she would be if they had to leave their beautiful home, while the book depicts streams of Indians doing just that. However, the extreme authoritarianism and sexism is almost too much. Whatever dad says goes, the kids are to remain silent at table unless spoken to - children should be seen and not heard, and it is beaten into the children that they are to obey their parents' commands unquestioningly. Laura thought of disobeying, even though she didn't actually do it, and was punished for the thought. Plus, the girls'' dresses are buttoned down the back so that they can't dress themselves. So, interesting reads if you can take the worship of authority.

[shadrachanki · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I know I read this in elementary school, most likely before I was ten years old. And I'm sure I enjoyed reading it at the time. However, I remembered nothing of the book beyond the cover illustration and the cover copy text, so reading it now was basically like reading a new book.

I enjoyed reading this as an adult, but there were definitely parts that came across as...dated and a bit simplistic. Also, while I realize that the views expressed by various individuals in the book are very much representative of the time period in which the book is set, I found myself shaking my head more than once.

As other reviewers have commented, I would definitely want to have discussions with any children I gave this book to. There are a lot of good lessons to be learned, but there needs to be a good sense of context as well.

[maryreinert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After reading "Prairie Fires" I was inspired to reread at least one of the Little House books. I loved this just as much as I loved it when I was young. The writing is so descriptive and LI Wilder does an excellent job at creating a mood whether it be the coziness of a cabin or the fear of a wolf or Indian attack. And, the illustrations by Garth Williams are the best. These books are well deserving of the acclaim they have received.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I liked this more than the first one! It's amazing how they build their home and almost everything in it! I can't even imagine doing all of that! And the ending was so sad. I can't imagine doing that either! I'm also enjoying reading this with my daughter and feeling so connected with her. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG what a wonderful book, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE by Laura Ingalls Wilder. As I wrote that i only now realized that the family's last name was Ingalls, taken from the author's name. I was with the family every moment as they moved west and settle in Indian Territory. The self sufficiency of the family is impressive. They represent basic American values. I never read this novel as a child but highly recommend it for adults.

[punxsygal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The 2nd in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. Follow the Ingalls family as they leave the big woods of Wisconsin and make their way to the prairie of Kansas. Another delightful book with insights into the daily lives of the pioneers. We think moving is hard when we throw everything on a truck and schlepp it to the next place. Imagine life when you had to build your home from the ground up.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What I love about these books is that Wilder doesn’t completely sugarcoat life in the mid-to-late 1800s. There is plenty of hard work, danger and disappointment. The family endures many hardships including flood, fire, wild animals, disease and weather. But this is a strong family unit. Ma and Pa are steadfast, competent, hard-working, and protect their children as best they can. They are also thoughtful in answering the young Laura’s questions as she begins to understand that there are different ways to see things, and that complicated issues may have more than one “right” side. There’s also a strong sense of independence in these people. The adults are setting out for a totally new experience, and do not let hardship dissuade them. If they have to make a change to their plans, they do so with continued hope that their hard work will pay off. As Ma and Pa frequently state to their children, “All’s well that ends well.”

Cherry Jones does a great job of the narration on the audio book. She gives us a sense of adventure and excitement on the journey, with an underlying feeling of safety and security. I can’t help but delight in the joy of a simple surprise, whether it’s discovering prairie dogs, leftover beads or a special treat in a Christmas stocking.

There’s a good reason these books have endured. I highly recommend them for all ages.

[librisissimo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The "title book" of the Little House series was actually the 2nd in the set (or 3rd, depending on where you put "Farmer Boy"), and was the first destination (of several) of the Ingalls family after leaving the Big Woods of Wisconsin, settling in Kansas to farm where there are no trees, but there are Indians.
Working sun-up to sun-down makes a hard life, but the parents transmit their ideals and industry to the girls, as well as their courage and resolve.
As with all Laura's books, this is a faithful depiction of pioneer life in all its harshness and beauty, softened only a bit for young readers.
The life of the country's early settlers would be impossible in today's cosseted nanny-state, and the parents would all be in jail for child abuse just for the normal events of their lives (unsupervised free play, hard work, and strict although loving discipline).
I do not think what we have now is progress.

[icepacklady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My 8 year old daughter loves these stories.