Very sweet. I knew what the "big surprise" was, but it was still kind of an innocent feel good book that didn't necessarily pull me in, but I know that if I had come across this in fourth grade I would have read and reread it over and over.

A loan/recommendation from a friend, and what a joy it was. Another story that was reminiscent of books I read as a young one. The simplicity of the storyline was a sweet simplicity, it made me think of Little House on the Prairie series. The only thing that would have made it even more enjoyable would have been if I had read it in the proper season, winter of course.

Such a lovely and wholesome story.

While a bit predictable, the gathering of the misfit characters and the unveiling to Lucy of her true self was most enjoyable, offering insights into life as it could and should be lived. Loved Winter Cottage.

For the most part, I liked it. I found the visit to the Indian village pretty awful. I am glad she had another practical, useful person in Joe to get them through the winter.

Why I didn’t like this book is because: it was boring at the beginning, they just found the house and nothing really happened.

Why I liked the book: it was fun and mysterious in chapter 7

I am 7 years old

Delightful winter read of simpler times and people enjoying non-electronic pastimes. Great read-aloud.
"What a lot of fun you could have, Minty discovered, if you made unimportant things seem important and went about them with enthusiasm!"

A sweet story. Anyone who has had the pleasure of living in a Summer Cottage will appreciate the ambience created in this book (even though it is winter!). A bit dated but perhaps that’s the charm.

Read this in one sitting!

A beautiful old book! Read it in a day. The drawings are a nice touch also. The characters were very likable and I love the simplistic approach to this story. Such capable & reliable children. A great story!

The family is down and out in the winter of 1932. While on the way to horrible Aunt Amy's in Minneapolis, the car breaks down and the Sparkes family are forced to stop in the snowy woods on Wisconsin. They find an empty summer cottage and move in to spend the winter. Pops is sure his ship will come in soon and he'll be able to leave rent at the end of the winter. Thirteen-year-old Minty isn't so sure. She's the practical one of the family while her father, a poet, and sister "Eggs" are dreamers. When Minty finds a picture of the girl who lives in the house in the summer, Marcia Vincent, it becomes all the more important to her to pay Marcia back.

This is a sweet little story. It shows some of the realities of the Depression in a gentle kid-friendly manner. It could seem a little dark to adults since Pops is a dreamer and unable to support his family, but it's not meant to be. I could really relate to Minty. I'm the rational sibling in my family. I couldn't put the book down for worrying how Pops would come up with the money and whether the Vincents found them. I skipped ahead to the end but found it a little confusing without having read the middle! Part of the ending was a bit of a surprise but the rest wasn't really. It's a typical children's book of this period. The story makes camping in the winter woods without technology or newspapers sound like fun. If I hadn't already been craving pancakes, I would be now after reading this book. I want Pops' secret recipe for gollwhollickers! I love diner pancakes the size of a dinner plate. I've never seen a whale before but it sounds really good.

The story features a visit to an Indian reservation. There's some typical stereotypical content of the period "squaw", "brave" and "heathen" (this from the nuns at the mission). A "heathen" Indian dance scene is portrayed from the point-of-view of a child who is having a great time. It didn't come across as terribly bad and it did acknowledge that the Indians were there and had their own culture. The scene is as much fun as the scenes in the cabin.

Fans of classic children's literature will enjoy this one and reading it with a young child.

I reread this recently for the first time in years, and it did not disappoint. It's still an amazing book.

I wasn't able to write a review like I wanted, but I recommend it to anyone who likes classic middle-grade historical fiction and stories about strong, loving, lively family relationships. It also has an interesting and unique, though simple plot; well-developed, unique, real characters; and themes of determination, family, friendship, and trust.

Winter Cottage is by the author of Caddie Woodlawn. Not many people know about her other books, but they're amazing as well. If you enjoyed Caddie Woodlawn, you should check out some of her other books! I recommend this one, Family Grandstand, and a couple others, but especially the sequel to Caddie. All of her books are about wonderful, fun, close family relationships.