I really enjoyed my reread of Little House in the Big Woods for the Book For all Seasons challenge to reread the first chapter book we read as a child. Like so many kids of my generation, I loved these books!

What struck me most as an adult rereading this classic (besides the delightful and familiar illustrations by Garth Williams, which were engraved on my brain from so many readings as a girl), was how much work Ma and Pa had to do to survive in the isolated Big Woods of Wisconsin. Everything eaten and worn had to be raised, made or hunted - adults had to have a large skill set, farming, hunting, making tools, furniture, clothing, linens, cheese, baking, cooking, etc. also, everyone, child to adult had to help out if possible, and get by with so much less than we have today. Even for adults, this is a delightful book! I put it aside for several days to dive into a library book I couldn’t renew, but enjoyed diving back into Wilder’s lovely, warm world.

Oh, and I can't even begin to say how much I love these books. My favorites are "On the Banks of Plum Creek" and "These Happy Golden Years." Laura did such an amazing job of telling her story. A must read for everyone, old and young!

OMGosh, my first books as a young girl.

While I read these stories as a young girl. I had never read Farmer Boy or By the Shores of Silver Lake. This was my first time reading these as an adult. I can say that I enjoyed reading those 2 books for the first time. I can also say I enjoyed re-reading the other three books.

I will say that while I understand that these books are a reminiscence of childhood memories and growing up, that a lot details may be overlooked. As I can say for my own experiences there are things that stand out from my childhood that remember clear as day. I believe this is what is captured in the books and though they are partially fictionalized it is based on the stand out memories of Laura. So of course the stories and skipping between books from say the age of 8 or 9 in one book to the age of 12 or 13 in another book is understandable. Though from reading On the Banks of Plum Creek to By the Shores of Silver Lake, I understand that death is a hard topic but found it odd that Laura left out the birth and death of her brother. Death though hard is something that is part of life. It would have been unique to see her viewpoint of it from memory. It also skipped, though it was mentioned when the family got Scarlet Fever, how Mary lost her eye sight. There just seem to be so many missed opportunities within these books to explain how things were back in the 1870s to the 1890s (only mentioning young years of like 5 to the teenage years/early adult years). I understand wanting to keep things toned down for children, but I think children need to understand topics that may arise.

Overall I give these books an average altogether 4 stars. Think my interest gets heightened as Laura gets older is able to remember more.
Little House in the Big Woods 3.5
Farmer Boy 4
Little House on the Prairie 4
On the Banks of Plum Creek 4
By the Shores of Silver Lake 4.5

I love these books! I remember thinking that sharing the name with the protaganist in these books was AWESOME. I also love the TV show and wish I could watch reruns on cable on day when I call in sick. But I don't have cable. I've been thinking more and more about getting cable.

I love these books they are really worth it to get them

Having read and enjoyed “Little House in the Big Woods,” I bought a box set of the next five books in the series. While I did experience the pleasurable and comforting experience that reading a good series of books always brings me, I can’t say that I’m all too eager to seek out the remaining four books in the series (although if I came across some copies in a used bookstore, I’d probably buy them and read them happily enough). After the third book or so, I started to feel that the world of these books was a little too static for me. I realize that consistency is part of the charm of any good children’s book series, one does not want too much variation or complication, but I got tired of reading about the same blameless thrifty pioneer life, page after page after page. Also, while Laura Ingalls Wilder writes with great tenderness about food and animals and the changing of the seasons, she’s not much of a creator of strong, juicy characters. There’s something a little blank and pat about everyone except Laura herself. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t reach for these books again during some snowy weekend, if only to read about venison and mashed turnips and cornbread and maple candy and apple turn-overs and all the other lovely caloric things they’re forever eating.

Picked up a special edition version while in Boston last month and it was delicious to re-discover and reconnect with the Little House series. The books are just as good as when I first read them more than 30(!) years ago. Reading now, more conscious of the politics and history of the times.

My mom used to read these to David and I every night before bed. I remember she had one boyfriend that would come over to listen to the stories every night with us. He even kept coming over after they had stopped dating because he was so involved in the story. : ) They are THAT good!

My mom read the entire series to me as a little girl.
We both love Laura.

7/1/15
So I just finished Little House in the Big Woods. I can't say I've read all the books (I had a book of some of them when I was a little kid but I don't remember what they were) or really remember the TV series well but I think this book might have been my favorite... I don't know what it is about it but I just really liked it. I will continue in the series after I've finished The Raven Boys (for the Traveling Book Project).

7/12/15
I just finished Farmer Boy this morning. I really enjoyed it and I'm pretty sure this was the one book that I hadn't read when I was little or seen in TV form (if there is a TV version of it). I think I might actually like Almonzo's side of it all more than Laura and Mary's. I'll have to read further to decide but I really liked how Farmer Boy explained how they did things (I'm really into knowing how exactly things work so it was just AWESOME) and all the animals involved and such. I'll probably be forced into taking a break from the rest of the books since I'm moving in a few days and then I'm going camping for a week and a half but hopefully I'll finish it all soon!

Loved reading these when I was younger. Stories told from a children's perspective on the frontier. Very good