Review of By the Shores of Silver Lake

By Laura Ingalls Wilder, Author of Little House on the Prairie

Jan 7, 2009

Laura is quickly growing up in By the Shores of Silver Lake. Her family leaves Minnesota for the unsettled Dakota Territory where her Pa helps build a new town.

By the Shores of Silver Lake is the fifth book in the Little House on the Prairie series and can be often considered boring by children in some age groups because Laura is growing up faster than they are. Nevertheless, adults who have grown up with By the Shores of Silver Lake find it to be a classic.

Pa gets restless in Minnesota and plans to move his family (Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Baby Grace) to Dakota Territory. He believes a man cannot feel confined in a place where the sky is so large. The only problem, however, is that Mary contracted scarlet fever and is now blind. So, Ma and the girls must travel to Dakota Territory by train, which will be Laura's first trip. She has more responsibility now that Mary is blind and there is a small baby to take care of. But, like always they make it through. They all arrive in Dakota Territory where Pa has gotten a job running a small store and boarding house. It is here that Laura learns all about the railroad and how rough the men are out west.

Will Pa be able to file his claim on the homestead he found before another man? Anything can happen in the west.

This fifth book in the Little House on the Prairie series is often overlooked by children because Laura is growing up faster than they are. When reading the books in order, back to back, children at the five and up age group often struggle with By the Shores of Silver Lake because it is the first book where Laura begins acting like an adult. To combat this, the series should be broken down as follows:

Of course, every child develops at a different speed, so these are only relative age groupings.

With that being said, if a child in the right age group reads By the Shores of Silver Lake, they are sure to love Laura's development into womanhood because their own development is just around the corner. It offers just enough excitement, intrigue, and nervousness to capture the attention of almost any child. But then again, Laura is such a beloved character that those who are dedicated followers are often lifelong followers.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. By the Shores of Silver Lake. HarperTrophy, 1939. 290 pages. ISBN: 9780064400053

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