these books made my childhood amazing

This is a nice classic, and I read the very first book in this series years ago for school. I will admit that any book I was forced to read for school was not one I enjoyed as much as I could/should have, because of the quizzes, projects, and the like which for most people, would lessen their enjoyment of said book. (I'm sure we all remember that kind of experience!) Even as a major bookworm, required classroom reading always dampened my enthusiasm.

However, I did read the rest of the series on my own through the next few years, and I very much enjoyed the series. As a kid, I did not realize that this was only semi-autobiographical, and I learned years later that some of the real-life events that happened to the Ingalls family had been sanitized, or wiped out - no mention of Laura's dead baby brother, or just how Mary became blind (in one book, she can see. In the next, she is blind. No mention of how it happened IIRC) Some of the characters in the series are composites of real-life people, and some of the events are described in a more subjective manner.

Even knowing this, I still think it's a good series for children to read, especially with the illustrations by Garth Williams. Although some of the darkest stuff was cut out of the story, there's still plenty enough difficulties experienced by the Ingallses to make today's average kid appreciate the conveniences they have. Back then, the Ingallses could not just pop by Wal-Mart when they needed something, there were no video games or Netflix for entertainment, no AC/heating system, medicine was very limited especially if you lived in the backcountry, etc etc.

One caveat is that the series was written in the 1930s, and PC was not a thing back then, so there is some derogatory language associated with Native Americans, and there is also a slanted view regarding the government and homesteading. So if you're getting this series for kids, it's important to have a discussion with them about that.

Overall a good series, educational so far as to how difficult life could be in these times, and different cultural/societal norms of the 1870s-1880s.

The loveliest part of the Little House Books are that the vocabulary grows with the ability of the child to read Laura's tales. Little House in the Big Woods is told so simply and engagingly, but by the time you reach These Happy Golden Years, you are ready for the tale of a young woman. Americana at its best.

I loved the entire Little House collection as a child and teen and read them over and over. I admired Laura and her courageous attitude, and she always put her family first, no matter what the situation. I was fascinated by the family's journey west and the day to day details of living in the frontier. In the later books, I connected with her growing up and marveled at how she began teaching at fifteen. I had a literary crush on Almonzo and adored their courtship and early marriage. I've remained a fan of the series as an adult, and have researched details about the Ingalls and Wilder families and hope to visit some of Laura's homes someday. My love of historical fiction (her books are a mix of fact & fiction, as she sanitized or skipped some times in her life) is built on my love of these books and the Anne of Green Gables series.

Always a good read!

[image error]
I literally have read this entire set at least 10 times throughout my childhood. I love how Laura Ingalls Wilder made the simplest things sound wonderful: such as receiving a shiny new penny and peppermint stick for Christmas, singing around the fire while pa played the fiddle, the joy of a new dress - hand sewn out of fresh calico, and homemade biscuits. Her life was full of challenges and great hardship, yet her positive attitude permeates her narrative. I gained such an appreciation of our pioneer and frontier ancestors. I have enjoyed reading these to my children at bedtime.
Definitely a MUST read!!
BTW - these classic books bear little resemblance (thank goodness!) to the "Little House in the Prairie" TV series other than the names of the characters.

I actually read these books at the interesting age of 8.

I was completely obsessed with Laura and Mary. For some reason I liked to relate myself to Mary but then she went blind after getting scarlet fever and it kinda ruined it for me if I’m being honest. Typical Mary *eyeroll*

I loved them so much that I literally dressed up as Laura for world book day and I wore a bonnet and pinny with a FLOOR LENGTH GOWN. I was dedicated.

When the dog died a large part of me died with it. Same with the cat who was mentioned a couple times and they just LEFT IT BEHIND IN THEIR STUPID CABIN IN THE WOODS

Also Mary and Laura do be #girlbosses for walking 7 miles to school everyday

But yes, between the ages of 8-10 I probably would have given an arm and a leg for this book series

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder is an exquisite set of books that I cherished growing up. Read until they were dog-eared, this series has to be one of my childhood favorites. A story about a young girl growing up on the frontier, it was so popular they made it into a T.V. series even though the series didn't do it justice. Stories as a young girl I could relate to, the mean girl in town, fights with my sisters, and just the struggles of everyday life of any family. The love Ma and Pa had for each other showed through so much so, that even today I can still see Caroline's eye's sparkling bright blue as Pa whirled her around the dance floor. This series is a perfect example of a story well told. When you're there in Laura's life so much that you can feel her fear when in trouble, or you can taste the penny candy on Christmas, that's a story. I have no doubt this will be a children's classic for years to come. I highly recommend it.

ClassicsDefined.com

I know my mom read these to me, but I don't know if I read them myself. If I did, I was really little. I'm enjoying the series. I like how she describes everything they did to make a life, how much their lives revolved around simply surviving. However, the little moral lessons I could do without ("children should be seen and not heard" etc). I think Laura passive aggressively describes Mary on a regular basis, making her seem really anal and unpleasant. And the way she describes herself is almost arrogantly flattering. When she starts seeing Almanzo (saying she wasn't courting him, but basically doing so), I don't really see why except for the convenience. I don't see really much personality in him nor attraction between the two. All in all, I found the books thought-provoking as they really did make me contemplate the history of our country and how far we've come.

Very good book series that has excellent morals. I would recommend it to anybody.

A wonderful collection of books. We have read and would recommend this whole series. It will especially be enjoyed by those who loved the TV series of Little House on the Prairie. I have reviewed each of the books in this collection individually.

Okay, I'll admit it. I still re-read these. I just finished a ramble though the pioneer prairies with Laura and enjoyed it throughly.

I know there is an outcry about the treatment and representation of Native Americans in these books, not to mention women, African Americans, and children. But let's calm our politically correct minds for a moment and think about the treasure of literature these books are. Specifically, they are WONDERFUL for educating young people about how people of color, minorities, women, and children were treated and thought of in the late 1800s.

It's not like Laura is out there advocating Native American oppression! These books are her memories (or maybe her daughter's interpretations of the stories she heard) and that's how it was for her and her pioneer family. It's not how it is today, thank goodness. Laura gifted us with these memories - let us use them wisely.