Review of Little House in the Big Woods

By Laura Ingalls Wilder, Beloved Author of 9 Books for Children

Jan 6, 2009

Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in a nine book series by author Laura Ingalls Wilder. She uses biographical information mixed with fiction.

Laura Ingalls Wilder is a beloved American author because of her groundbreaking nine book series for children. The first novel, Little House in the Big Woods masterfully blends the first years of her life in Wisconsin with just enough license to make it interesting for children to read.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder covers her childhood at age five in the deep woods of Wisconsin. It begins with Pa (Charles Ingalls), Ma (Caroline), Mary, Laura, and babie Carrie and their life in their little log cabin. Children will learn about what happens when its butchering day, how to make chesse, and the intricacies of life as a child in the 1800's. In addition to learning about the day-to-day activities of the family, readers are also treated to little stories told by Pa to entertain the children.

This first book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's nine book series is a rare gem. It offers children a simplified, but often accurate view of what it was like to live in a different century. This book, for ages five and up, is bound to get kids wanting to make their own maple candy, play with the pig's bladder (although this seems to be a stretch), help their own mother with the laundry, and even the proper procedure to hold a "sugaring off" party. In short, Little House in the Big Woods is not just lighthearted reading material, it is material that will teach children valuable life lessons.

Perhaps one of the best chapters in the book is the chapter called "Sundays," which expresses Laura's disdain for the day because she was not allowed to run around the house and play as usual. This, perhaps is one of the most important messages for children in the five and up age group because it can apply to them directly. They ultimately have the potential to learn that it is important to obey authority figures, making this book more useful than many other children's books.

Links to More Information on Laura Ingalls Wilder

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