Laura grew up so much in this book!

It’s my dream to eat a meal with them

For some reason, as a child, I never read the last three of the Little House series- possibly because I knew that Laura and the others were getting older, and I didn't want the stories to end. One of my goals this year is to finish this series and number seven didn't disappoint. It feels very much like its predecessor, The Long Winter- because it takes place in the same town, De Smet, South Dakota, with the same neighbors and dealing with similar problems like the elements and being settlers living in such a remote place. As always, the Ingalls greet every problem with a positive attitude and a can-do mindset, on top of their schooling and proper etiquette. In this installment, Laura has many firsts, including attending a sociable, attending a birthday party, getting kicked out of school, getting name cards, raising a kitten, attending a town literary club, and getting tested on her knowledge of school subjects. There are some "problematic parts" according to today's standards, but we have to remember that the events in this book took place in 1881, and the book was first published in 1941. Altering Laura's tale doesn't alter what happened, and we are the worse for it if we hide history instead of learning from it. (Those of you who have read this will know what I'm talking about, from politically incorrect/inappropriate language to overt racism.)
All in all, it was a pleasant tale and worthy to stand among the others in the series.

Ma Ingall's deep cleaning inspired some winter cleaning today. These books have been a nice remembrance of the better parts of my childhood. I had every book in the series as a kid and read them over and over. I recently read that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote these books in her 60s.