Farmer Boy tells the story of young Almanzo Wilder and his large family. It is the third book in the Little House on the Prairie Series and is perhaps the most under-rated of all nine books.
Synopsis of Farmer Boy
Almanzo lives in New York with his brothers and sisters on a large farm. He loves being outside and perhaps loves horses more than anything else. He longs for a horse of his own, but his father believes he is too young. He spends his winter days going to school and his evenings doing chores on the farm. His responsibilities are to change the hay in the cow barn and to comb and curry the older horses. Almanzo and his family deal with hardships just like the Ingalls family. They wake up one winter morning and find that their corn is frozen early and they must race against the sun to save it. Almanzo also learns lessons that include what to do when you find a man's wallet in the street. He does the right thing and returns it, only to find out that good things happen to people who do the right thing.
Review of Farmer Boy
Farmer Boy is one of the most under-rated books in the Little House on the Prairie Series because it has nothing to do with Laura Ingalls Wilder or her family. Writing a book about her husband, Almanzo, was a gamble on the author's part, but it ultimately paid off because it allows readers to see another perspective on life during the time period. Almanzo and his family were quite well off financially while Laura and her family worked very hard just to make ends meet. This alone shows children that diversity exsisted even in the 1800's.
Overall, Farmer Boy is an intriguing story about a boy growing up just as any other boy, only aspiring to be a horseman when he grows up. Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the book comes when his father gives him his favorite colt, Starlight, to train and raise as he pleases. The author gives us so much detail and emotion that readers are sure to feel like they are standing right beside Almanzo.
Other Books in the Little House on the Prairie Series
- Little House in the Big Woods
- Little House on the Prairie
- Farmer Boy
- On the Banks of Plum Creek
- By the Shores of Silver Lake
- The Long Winter
- Little Town on the Prairie
- These Happy Golden Years
- The First Four Years
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Farmer Boy. HarperTrophy, 1933. 372 pages. ISBN: 9780064400039
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