I thought it might be nice to gather together some of our favorite series, in easy to find posts.
The Little House Series was a HUGE hit.
Little House in the Big Woods
Farmer Boy
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years
** We chose not to read The First Four Years at this time
Showing posts with label Little House Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little House Series. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sunday, November 21, 2010
These Happy Golden Years
We have finished all of the books (*that we are going to read - see note at the end of the post for explanation) in the Little House Series. What a joy! These Happy Golden Years is a lovely ending.
The Story: Laura passed her teacher's examination at the end of the last book, and at the beginning of this one, she is leaving for her first teaching job. It's her first time away from home, and it is hard. The family she is boarding with is not warm and inviting - at times, the wife seems close to a psychotic break, the students she is teaching are sometimes difficult, and she misses home terribly. Though she never asked him to, and quite by surprise at first, Almanzo Wilder comes to get her every Friday in his sleigh so that she can spend the weekends at home. He comes every week, even one Friday when they risked their lives to drive home - it was so cold that the thermometers froze, and Laura nearly got hypothermia on the drive. Almanzo had to stop several times to break ice off the poor horses' noses. But still, he came. After her teaching term ended, he still came for drives on Sundays, though Laura denied he was courting her. She rode with him when he was breaking (sometimes dangerous) new colts, and she drove with him on Sundays when Mary was home for the summer. They went to a singing school (really, Friday night community music lessons) together/ And still she denied they were courting. He went away for the winter to spend some time with his family, and she didn't realize how much she missed him until he showed up, unexpectedly, during a snow storm on Christmas eve! Though this book involves many other things, including her continued schooling, and teaching several terms at different schools, and getting some fine new clothes, in the end it really revolves around the fact that Almanzo was, in fact, courting Laura, and it ends with their marriage and moving into their own sweet little grey house.
The Good: The courting is portrayed in an innocent way, so there is nothing scandalous that would be inappropriate for younger children. Laura deals with her trials during her teaching well, and ends up being a really good teacher (though she didn't intend on teaching any more after she got married). The descriptions of life in that era continue to be enthralling. One of our favorite parts was when Pa bought Ma her very own sewing machine. Another was when they used some of Laura's teaching money to buy an organ for their home, to surprise Mary. The tone of the book is lovely, and it ended the series beautifully for us. (*Again, see note at the end of the post)
The Bad: The part where the wife in the house Laura was boarding at seemed to nearly have a psychotic break was kind of scary! She was standing over her husband's bed with a knife, begging to go back east. We felt so badly for Laura, because she had no other choice than to stay there, but she didn't sleep well for the rest of her teaching term. Who can blame her? I can't think of anything else really negative about the book. Perhaps some of the descriptions of the clothing that Laura was buying or sewing got a little long-winded, but Evalina never complained. There are a lot of songs written into the chapters that I don't know, but we just made up our own tunes and no one cared so much.
The Verdict: We loved it. Evalina really enjoyed the rides with Almanzo and loved the spirit of the new colts. She liked to read about how Laura became a more proficient teacher, and how wonderful it was when Mary came home for visits. Overall, a really really nice book.
*Now, the note, and why we are choosing not to read The First Four Years. I read some reviews, and that "final" book was published after Laura's death, and from what I read, the tone is much different. It focuses on some really tough times that Laura and Almanzo had when they first got married, between illness, the death of a newborn son, and a fire that destroyed their home, among other things. It also includes the birth of their daughter, Rose, which was happy, but I didn't want to spoil the glow and warmth of These Happy Golden Years. I spoke to Evalina about it, and told her that she could read it later by her own if she wanted to, but I let her know that I thought we should end on a happy note. She agreed. So, we are done with the Little House Series and on to our next book!
The Story: Laura passed her teacher's examination at the end of the last book, and at the beginning of this one, she is leaving for her first teaching job. It's her first time away from home, and it is hard. The family she is boarding with is not warm and inviting - at times, the wife seems close to a psychotic break, the students she is teaching are sometimes difficult, and she misses home terribly. Though she never asked him to, and quite by surprise at first, Almanzo Wilder comes to get her every Friday in his sleigh so that she can spend the weekends at home. He comes every week, even one Friday when they risked their lives to drive home - it was so cold that the thermometers froze, and Laura nearly got hypothermia on the drive. Almanzo had to stop several times to break ice off the poor horses' noses. But still, he came. After her teaching term ended, he still came for drives on Sundays, though Laura denied he was courting her. She rode with him when he was breaking (sometimes dangerous) new colts, and she drove with him on Sundays when Mary was home for the summer. They went to a singing school (really, Friday night community music lessons) together/ And still she denied they were courting. He went away for the winter to spend some time with his family, and she didn't realize how much she missed him until he showed up, unexpectedly, during a snow storm on Christmas eve! Though this book involves many other things, including her continued schooling, and teaching several terms at different schools, and getting some fine new clothes, in the end it really revolves around the fact that Almanzo was, in fact, courting Laura, and it ends with their marriage and moving into their own sweet little grey house.
The Good: The courting is portrayed in an innocent way, so there is nothing scandalous that would be inappropriate for younger children. Laura deals with her trials during her teaching well, and ends up being a really good teacher (though she didn't intend on teaching any more after she got married). The descriptions of life in that era continue to be enthralling. One of our favorite parts was when Pa bought Ma her very own sewing machine. Another was when they used some of Laura's teaching money to buy an organ for their home, to surprise Mary. The tone of the book is lovely, and it ended the series beautifully for us. (*Again, see note at the end of the post)
The Bad: The part where the wife in the house Laura was boarding at seemed to nearly have a psychotic break was kind of scary! She was standing over her husband's bed with a knife, begging to go back east. We felt so badly for Laura, because she had no other choice than to stay there, but she didn't sleep well for the rest of her teaching term. Who can blame her? I can't think of anything else really negative about the book. Perhaps some of the descriptions of the clothing that Laura was buying or sewing got a little long-winded, but Evalina never complained. There are a lot of songs written into the chapters that I don't know, but we just made up our own tunes and no one cared so much.
The Verdict: We loved it. Evalina really enjoyed the rides with Almanzo and loved the spirit of the new colts. She liked to read about how Laura became a more proficient teacher, and how wonderful it was when Mary came home for visits. Overall, a really really nice book.
*Now, the note, and why we are choosing not to read The First Four Years. I read some reviews, and that "final" book was published after Laura's death, and from what I read, the tone is much different. It focuses on some really tough times that Laura and Almanzo had when they first got married, between illness, the death of a newborn son, and a fire that destroyed their home, among other things. It also includes the birth of their daughter, Rose, which was happy, but I didn't want to spoil the glow and warmth of These Happy Golden Years. I spoke to Evalina about it, and told her that she could read it later by her own if she wanted to, but I let her know that I thought we should end on a happy note. She agreed. So, we are done with the Little House Series and on to our next book!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Little Town on the Prairie
After the rough time the Ingalls family had in The Long Winter, it was nice to read Little Town on the Prairie, about a calmer time in their lives.
The Story: After surviving the horrible, blizzard filled winter, life resumes for the Ingalls family in De Smet, Dakota Territory. In spring, Laura got her first job, and she was able to earn some money to help send Mary to the special college for the blind at long last. They got the homestead a little more settled, and they got some crops from it (though they had to battle blackbirds and gophers...) Pa managed to get a hold of a kitten (which were hard to come by out west) to help with their pest problem, after a mouse crawled into bed in the middle of the night and chewed off a hunk of Pa's hair to use in it's nest! For the winter, they moved back into town, and Carrie and Laura went back to school. Laura worked towards studying as hard as she could, in order to earn her teacher's certificate once she turned 16, but there were distractions to her studies. Through the mild winter (welcome after the terrible previous one), the town set up Literaries - meetings where they had entertainments and competitions, to help beat the doldrums. And all the time, Laura had to work towards her ultimate goal of earning her certificate so that she could earn money and help keep Mary in college.
The Good: It was a breath of fresh air after the tough times of the previous winter. Laura and the family were settling in nicely to life in their new town. The descriptions of everyday life were compelling and thorough. When Pa went after the blackbirds that had been eating their corn, it was something else! I can't even imagine that many blackbirds. Laura is growing up and getting more responsibilities. She has good friends at school (and her old rival, Nellie Oleson, has moved to De Smet. That's always fun reading). It's amazing reading about things that they learned in school - makes you feel humbled at the thought. Almanzo Wilder started taking an interest in Laura by the end of the book... and we all know how that turned out...
The Bad: The thread of the story wasn't as strong as in previous books. It seemed a much longer read than the others, though it was about the same length or shorter. It was a little sad to know that Laura is going to have to teach school, even though it wasn't really what she wants to do with her life. But, that's just how it was.
The Verdict: A lovely book exploring the everyday life of the time, without the strife of the long, terrible winter. It connected with Evalina, and she began to want to play Laura and Carrie every day when we walked to school. I am continually amazed by her comprehension. It makes me happy to know that she understands, and it verifies that she is the perfect age to be reading these books with. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
The Story: After surviving the horrible, blizzard filled winter, life resumes for the Ingalls family in De Smet, Dakota Territory. In spring, Laura got her first job, and she was able to earn some money to help send Mary to the special college for the blind at long last. They got the homestead a little more settled, and they got some crops from it (though they had to battle blackbirds and gophers...) Pa managed to get a hold of a kitten (which were hard to come by out west) to help with their pest problem, after a mouse crawled into bed in the middle of the night and chewed off a hunk of Pa's hair to use in it's nest! For the winter, they moved back into town, and Carrie and Laura went back to school. Laura worked towards studying as hard as she could, in order to earn her teacher's certificate once she turned 16, but there were distractions to her studies. Through the mild winter (welcome after the terrible previous one), the town set up Literaries - meetings where they had entertainments and competitions, to help beat the doldrums. And all the time, Laura had to work towards her ultimate goal of earning her certificate so that she could earn money and help keep Mary in college.
The Good: It was a breath of fresh air after the tough times of the previous winter. Laura and the family were settling in nicely to life in their new town. The descriptions of everyday life were compelling and thorough. When Pa went after the blackbirds that had been eating their corn, it was something else! I can't even imagine that many blackbirds. Laura is growing up and getting more responsibilities. She has good friends at school (and her old rival, Nellie Oleson, has moved to De Smet. That's always fun reading). It's amazing reading about things that they learned in school - makes you feel humbled at the thought. Almanzo Wilder started taking an interest in Laura by the end of the book... and we all know how that turned out...
The Bad: The thread of the story wasn't as strong as in previous books. It seemed a much longer read than the others, though it was about the same length or shorter. It was a little sad to know that Laura is going to have to teach school, even though it wasn't really what she wants to do with her life. But, that's just how it was.
The Verdict: A lovely book exploring the everyday life of the time, without the strife of the long, terrible winter. It connected with Evalina, and she began to want to play Laura and Carrie every day when we walked to school. I am continually amazed by her comprehension. It makes me happy to know that she understands, and it verifies that she is the perfect age to be reading these books with. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Long Winter
Next in the Little House Series was The Long Winter, and it was a really good one. Kind of a tough read, emotionally, but worth it to show how lucky we are to live with modern conveniences, that's for sure!
The Story: After moving to the shore of Silver Lake to set up their homestead claim, the Ingalls family faces a difficult decision. In order to survive what is predicted (by an old Indian who visits the town) to be a very long and hard winter, they move from their claim shanty into the building that Pa built in town. In town, they will be close to the stores, near the incoming trains, and near other settlers, instead of in a poorly built shanty not made to withstand the harsh weather. When the winter comes, it is harder than any of them could have imagined. The blizzards come right on top of one another. The trains can not get through. No one has any food. The stores run out of groceries. There's no kerosene, and no coal for heat, and no trees anywhere in the big wide prairie to burn for heat. The Ingalls family, and all the other settlers in the town, must do everything they can just to survive until the trains can finally get through again. The blizzards last from October until April with nary a break, so that is no small task.
The Good: If nothing else, this book sure makes you appreciate how much comfort we have in modern times. The Ingalls family works together amazingly to do everything they need to in order to survive. Laura helps Pa twist hay into sticks to use for heat when the coal runs out. She then teaches Mary to twist the hay, even though Mary cannot see, she does everything she can. They all take turns grinding seed wheat in a coffee grinder so that Ma can make bread. They sing and tell stories to pass the long, cold days and nights. It goes to show that we shouldn't take anything for granted.
The Bad: Some parts are really distressing, when blizzard after blizzard hits, and they are going hungry, and when Pa can't play the fiddle anymore because his fingers are too cramped and sore. The monotony got to Laura after a while, and the reader can feel that. There are some tense moments when Almanzo Wilder and another young man from the town are out in search of wheat (at the home of a settler who wintered in his claim shanty, with seed wheat in hand) and they get caught in a blizzard on their way home. The blizzards play the role of an ominous evil character. The more sensitive reader could be really bothered by the hardships they endure. I have definitely been thinking about it, as we look ahead at winter...
The Verdict: An amazing book in an amazing series. Although it was not an easy read, it was an exceptionally educational and inspirational one. Amazon recommends this for ages 4-8, and I think that's a bit on the young side for the hard issues dealt with. Evalina didn't have a hard time with it, but it absolutely got her thinking. I'm hoping the next one brings more happy moments, though. That's for sure.
The Story: After moving to the shore of Silver Lake to set up their homestead claim, the Ingalls family faces a difficult decision. In order to survive what is predicted (by an old Indian who visits the town) to be a very long and hard winter, they move from their claim shanty into the building that Pa built in town. In town, they will be close to the stores, near the incoming trains, and near other settlers, instead of in a poorly built shanty not made to withstand the harsh weather. When the winter comes, it is harder than any of them could have imagined. The blizzards come right on top of one another. The trains can not get through. No one has any food. The stores run out of groceries. There's no kerosene, and no coal for heat, and no trees anywhere in the big wide prairie to burn for heat. The Ingalls family, and all the other settlers in the town, must do everything they can just to survive until the trains can finally get through again. The blizzards last from October until April with nary a break, so that is no small task.
The Good: If nothing else, this book sure makes you appreciate how much comfort we have in modern times. The Ingalls family works together amazingly to do everything they need to in order to survive. Laura helps Pa twist hay into sticks to use for heat when the coal runs out. She then teaches Mary to twist the hay, even though Mary cannot see, she does everything she can. They all take turns grinding seed wheat in a coffee grinder so that Ma can make bread. They sing and tell stories to pass the long, cold days and nights. It goes to show that we shouldn't take anything for granted.
The Bad: Some parts are really distressing, when blizzard after blizzard hits, and they are going hungry, and when Pa can't play the fiddle anymore because his fingers are too cramped and sore. The monotony got to Laura after a while, and the reader can feel that. There are some tense moments when Almanzo Wilder and another young man from the town are out in search of wheat (at the home of a settler who wintered in his claim shanty, with seed wheat in hand) and they get caught in a blizzard on their way home. The blizzards play the role of an ominous evil character. The more sensitive reader could be really bothered by the hardships they endure. I have definitely been thinking about it, as we look ahead at winter...
The Verdict: An amazing book in an amazing series. Although it was not an easy read, it was an exceptionally educational and inspirational one. Amazon recommends this for ages 4-8, and I think that's a bit on the young side for the hard issues dealt with. Evalina didn't have a hard time with it, but it absolutely got her thinking. I'm hoping the next one brings more happy moments, though. That's for sure.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
By the Shores of Silver Lake
We were waiting to start the next Little House book, By the Shores of Silver Lake, until school started, because we could get it out of the library there. Since then, we've been reading it. And tonight, we had a marathon reading session to finish it - reading about 80 pages in one sitting! It was worth it.
The Story: This one starts with a bit of tragedy, I'm warning you. Illness has visited the Ingalls. They all had Scarlett Fever. Most of them came out of it ok, but weakened. But Mary was struck blind. Those of us who had seen the television series knew this was coming, but it was still sad. And then, to top it all off, the faithful dog, Jack, who had been with them all the way from the Big Woods, died. Amidst all of this, the Ingalls decided to move again. After the grasshoppers ravaged their place near Plum Creek, they just couldn't recover well enough. And, there were homesteads to be claimed further west, and good work preparing for the railroad to come through. So, off they went - this time by train! There is no shortage of adventure and historical learning to be had in their journey and their adventure in setting up their new homestead in the brand new town of Desmet in the Dakota Territory.
The Good: There was lots of great moments to explain some historical facts to the girl while I read - homestead claims, claim jumpers, the process of preparing to build a railroad, and generally how people survived in that time. The fact of Mary's blindness is not dwelled upon. It's just another part of life, and one that they learned to deal with. Laura is growing up, and is still spunky, but is showing growth and maturity.
The Bad: The part explaining the railroad grading and preparation got kind of tedious and long (for me to read), but the girl didn't complain about it. The part where Jack died was terribly sad. We both cried together about it.
The Verdict: Another chapter in the story of Laura and her family, this one is another winner, even with the sad bits. Amazon recommends the book for ages 9-12, and I think that if she were reading it on her own, that might be more appropriate, but she liked it all the same at age 7 1/2, and got a lot out of it. It turns out that her first unit in school this year is on early American history, so it's a great time to be reading this series! We absolutely are looking forward to reading the next one.
The Story: This one starts with a bit of tragedy, I'm warning you. Illness has visited the Ingalls. They all had Scarlett Fever. Most of them came out of it ok, but weakened. But Mary was struck blind. Those of us who had seen the television series knew this was coming, but it was still sad. And then, to top it all off, the faithful dog, Jack, who had been with them all the way from the Big Woods, died. Amidst all of this, the Ingalls decided to move again. After the grasshoppers ravaged their place near Plum Creek, they just couldn't recover well enough. And, there were homesteads to be claimed further west, and good work preparing for the railroad to come through. So, off they went - this time by train! There is no shortage of adventure and historical learning to be had in their journey and their adventure in setting up their new homestead in the brand new town of Desmet in the Dakota Territory.
The Good: There was lots of great moments to explain some historical facts to the girl while I read - homestead claims, claim jumpers, the process of preparing to build a railroad, and generally how people survived in that time. The fact of Mary's blindness is not dwelled upon. It's just another part of life, and one that they learned to deal with. Laura is growing up, and is still spunky, but is showing growth and maturity.
The Bad: The part explaining the railroad grading and preparation got kind of tedious and long (for me to read), but the girl didn't complain about it. The part where Jack died was terribly sad. We both cried together about it.
The Verdict: Another chapter in the story of Laura and her family, this one is another winner, even with the sad bits. Amazon recommends the book for ages 9-12, and I think that if she were reading it on her own, that might be more appropriate, but she liked it all the same at age 7 1/2, and got a lot out of it. It turns out that her first unit in school this year is on early American history, so it's a great time to be reading this series! We absolutely are looking forward to reading the next one.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
On the Banks of Plum Creek
We are really loving the Little House series, and On the Banks of Plum Creek was no exception!
The Story: After Laura and her family had to leave their house in Kansas, they made their way North, to Minnesota. There, they first moved into a dugout house, and eventually built a wonderful new house on the Minnesota prairie. Laura and Mary began going to school, and they were finally close enough to a town to go to church and Sunday school. They face hardships (like grasshopper swarms and seemingly endless blizzards), but it's all part of getting used to their new home.
The Good: As with all of the other books, this book teaches some fantastic history in a fun way. We really got some basis in what life was like for the settlers, and how different it was - Laura and Mary walked 2 1/2 miles by themselves to school, following only wagon ruts. They are something like 8 and 10 years old (maybe younger) at the end of the book, and are left at home for a day to take care of Carrie. The amount of responsibility they have is astounding and somber. I used it as a learning experience more than once. We did a lot of talking about the history and the way they lived. We visited a couple historical places in our area to see some more about it. This book (and the series) just makes learning about history effortless. The people are easy to relate to, and it was exciting and fun to read.
The Bad: There are some slightly scary parts. There's a plague of grasshoppers which moves in and destroys everything. The winter brings blizzard after blizzard after blizzard. Then, of course, there's Nellie Olson. She's such a bully, she serves a good example of how not to behave, that's for sure. Not much bad, in my opinion. Just good life lessons.
The Verdict: This book brings the reader to the place we know from the television series. The way that it brings early American history into focus is wonderful, because it doesn't lecture or beat anything into the reader. It just makes it a great story that you want to know more about. We highly recommend it.
The Story: After Laura and her family had to leave their house in Kansas, they made their way North, to Minnesota. There, they first moved into a dugout house, and eventually built a wonderful new house on the Minnesota prairie. Laura and Mary began going to school, and they were finally close enough to a town to go to church and Sunday school. They face hardships (like grasshopper swarms and seemingly endless blizzards), but it's all part of getting used to their new home.
The Good: As with all of the other books, this book teaches some fantastic history in a fun way. We really got some basis in what life was like for the settlers, and how different it was - Laura and Mary walked 2 1/2 miles by themselves to school, following only wagon ruts. They are something like 8 and 10 years old (maybe younger) at the end of the book, and are left at home for a day to take care of Carrie. The amount of responsibility they have is astounding and somber. I used it as a learning experience more than once. We did a lot of talking about the history and the way they lived. We visited a couple historical places in our area to see some more about it. This book (and the series) just makes learning about history effortless. The people are easy to relate to, and it was exciting and fun to read.
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| Evalina and a friend at a one-room schoolhouse at a local museum. |
The Bad: There are some slightly scary parts. There's a plague of grasshoppers which moves in and destroys everything. The winter brings blizzard after blizzard after blizzard. Then, of course, there's Nellie Olson. She's such a bully, she serves a good example of how not to behave, that's for sure. Not much bad, in my opinion. Just good life lessons.
The Verdict: This book brings the reader to the place we know from the television series. The way that it brings early American history into focus is wonderful, because it doesn't lecture or beat anything into the reader. It just makes it a great story that you want to know more about. We highly recommend it.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Little House on the Prairie
We just read Little House on the Prairie, the third book in the Little House Series. We got it out of the library, and I am trying to bust through them to get the series read before school starts again.. we'll see if we make that goal, but this one only took about a week! Super fun.
The Story: Laura's family decided to leave their little house in the big woods, and set out across the countryside in their covered wagon, to settle in the prairie in Kansas. Pa built a new log cabin for them there, and they set up their new home. There were challenges, not the least of which was the fact that their new home was in the middle of Indian territory..
The Good: Wonderful historic detail! The ins and outs of building a log cabin, complete with chimney and fireplace, forging a homestead in the middle of the wild prairie, traveling cross-country by covered wagon, American Indian-settler relations... there was a lot to learn here, and it was learned in wonderful ways. As a character, Laura is very easy for Evalina to relate to. I asked her what her favorite part of the book was, and she said "Laura!" There were a lot of teaching moments - especially about American Indians. She hasn't really learned much about native Americans in school yet, so it was good to learn a bit here. The story is compelling and very well written.
The Bad: Right in the beginning, there was a near tragedy, and the outlook didn't look so good for a bit (I will not spoil it here), and there were tears. There are some tense moments - a prairie fire, a bout of malaria, scary moments with the Indians... but, nothing enough to make me not want to read these books to her!
The Verdict: Love it. Evalina loved it. We learned a lot (yes, I learned some, too!) and can't wait to read more of the books. We plan to make some trips to local places this summer to reinforce some of the learning - I think there is a working farm in the area where she can learn about milking cows and such. And there's a log cabin in the area as well that we want to go check out. Totally classics, that I think would be fun for a boy or a girl. It might be better for a slightly older child, with a little more historical background, but it wasn't too far over her head. I can't wait until we are all done reading the books, and then I want to get the television series for the kids to watch. I cannot believe I never read these books myself. That's one great thing about reading to your kids - you get to read some of the books you always meant to read as a child but never got around to! The fun is never ending!
The Story: Laura's family decided to leave their little house in the big woods, and set out across the countryside in their covered wagon, to settle in the prairie in Kansas. Pa built a new log cabin for them there, and they set up their new home. There were challenges, not the least of which was the fact that their new home was in the middle of Indian territory..
The Good: Wonderful historic detail! The ins and outs of building a log cabin, complete with chimney and fireplace, forging a homestead in the middle of the wild prairie, traveling cross-country by covered wagon, American Indian-settler relations... there was a lot to learn here, and it was learned in wonderful ways. As a character, Laura is very easy for Evalina to relate to. I asked her what her favorite part of the book was, and she said "Laura!" There were a lot of teaching moments - especially about American Indians. She hasn't really learned much about native Americans in school yet, so it was good to learn a bit here. The story is compelling and very well written.
The Bad: Right in the beginning, there was a near tragedy, and the outlook didn't look so good for a bit (I will not spoil it here), and there were tears. There are some tense moments - a prairie fire, a bout of malaria, scary moments with the Indians... but, nothing enough to make me not want to read these books to her!
The Verdict: Love it. Evalina loved it. We learned a lot (yes, I learned some, too!) and can't wait to read more of the books. We plan to make some trips to local places this summer to reinforce some of the learning - I think there is a working farm in the area where she can learn about milking cows and such. And there's a log cabin in the area as well that we want to go check out. Totally classics, that I think would be fun for a boy or a girl. It might be better for a slightly older child, with a little more historical background, but it wasn't too far over her head. I can't wait until we are all done reading the books, and then I want to get the television series for the kids to watch. I cannot believe I never read these books myself. That's one great thing about reading to your kids - you get to read some of the books you always meant to read as a child but never got around to! The fun is never ending!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Farmer Boy
It took us a while to get through Farmer Boy, the second book in the Little House Series. It was long, and dense, and Evalina was reading other books at the same time, sometimes with her father (they are re-reading Narnia together. He's never read them).
That doesn't mean we didn't love it!
The Story: This is the story of Almanzo Wilder's childhood, in upstate New York, near Malone, when he was 9-10 years old. It went into a lot of detail about what life on the farm was like. Almanzo is the youngest of four children, and his family runs a very successful farm. His father is a very smart and capable farmer, and wants to raise Almanzo to be a good farmer, too. Almanzo wants the same thing. He learns all of the tricks of the trade, and works very very hard. It's a very educational book in that regard.
The Good: There was lots of information about what it was like to grow up on a farm in the 19th century. Almanzo as a character was really likable, and he felt very real (I know, based on a true story, so...) The level of detail was amazing. We have an illustrated version, so there were some pictures to show Evalina what certain things were. She really enjoyed the story.
The Bad: I have never read these books before, but it felt out of flow with the story of Laura and her family. I enjoyed reading about Almanzo's childhood, but I missed the people from the first book. I had to do some explaining about the "children not speaking until they are spoken to," and some other bits.. for instance, when Almanzo's parents left them for a week in charge of themselves and the farm and they did a lot of making ice cream and toffee and not a lot of anything else until it was right before their parents came home... I suppose that was the Risky Business of the era. Of course some of the parenting skills since then have changed, and there were some tanning of hides, etc, that I had to explain. Still, I think it is good for her to know about.
The Verdict: Good book, with a lot of historical background and some good characters that I know we will read about later on in the series. Almanzo's growth throughout the book was palpable. He matured a lot in the year or so that the book covered, and it was very interesting to see. I kind of wanted to get back to the "main" story, though, with Laura's family and the story I am more familiar with because of the tv show. As part of the series, a good part. Somehow, I don't think it will be my favorite of the series.
That doesn't mean we didn't love it!
The Story: This is the story of Almanzo Wilder's childhood, in upstate New York, near Malone, when he was 9-10 years old. It went into a lot of detail about what life on the farm was like. Almanzo is the youngest of four children, and his family runs a very successful farm. His father is a very smart and capable farmer, and wants to raise Almanzo to be a good farmer, too. Almanzo wants the same thing. He learns all of the tricks of the trade, and works very very hard. It's a very educational book in that regard.
The Good: There was lots of information about what it was like to grow up on a farm in the 19th century. Almanzo as a character was really likable, and he felt very real (I know, based on a true story, so...) The level of detail was amazing. We have an illustrated version, so there were some pictures to show Evalina what certain things were. She really enjoyed the story.
The Bad: I have never read these books before, but it felt out of flow with the story of Laura and her family. I enjoyed reading about Almanzo's childhood, but I missed the people from the first book. I had to do some explaining about the "children not speaking until they are spoken to," and some other bits.. for instance, when Almanzo's parents left them for a week in charge of themselves and the farm and they did a lot of making ice cream and toffee and not a lot of anything else until it was right before their parents came home... I suppose that was the Risky Business of the era. Of course some of the parenting skills since then have changed, and there were some tanning of hides, etc, that I had to explain. Still, I think it is good for her to know about.
The Verdict: Good book, with a lot of historical background and some good characters that I know we will read about later on in the series. Almanzo's growth throughout the book was palpable. He matured a lot in the year or so that the book covered, and it was very interesting to see. I kind of wanted to get back to the "main" story, though, with Laura's family and the story I am more familiar with because of the tv show. As part of the series, a good part. Somehow, I don't think it will be my favorite of the series.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Little House in the Big Woods
Some of Evalina's good friends got her the first two books in the Little House series for her birthday. We just finished the first one - Little House in the Big Woods. I watched the Little House on the Prairie show as a child, but never got around to reading the books, so I'm enjoying this quite a lot as well!
The Story: Laura Ingalls is the young daughter of a pioneer family. She lives with her parents, her older sister Mary, and her baby sister Carrie, in a (you guessed it) little house in the big woods in Wisconsin. She had never been to a town. She has no concept of neighbors like we do. The story of this book lays some great historical basis about what everyday family life was like, how they worked to make and catch their food, and more.
The Good: The detail is fantastic. I want to make butter and cheese and Johnycakes and tap trees and make maple syrup and maple sugar. Laura and her family are written vibrantly (not surprising, since they were real people), and I think it got Evalina more interested in history. Really thinking about what it was like before there were cars and electricity and 24-hour grocery stores was a very positive thing. We take so much for granted.
The Bad: Some of the things portrayed are a little raw for a sensitive modern kid. Still, it's good for her to know about them. She was alarmed by all the hunting (even though her daddy hunts), and some other things led us to some very frank discussions. The fact that Pa smoked a pipe was a problem for her, but I explained that they had no idea that tobacco was bad for you, so many people smoked. Good history lessons all around, so these things are not really "bad."
The Verdict: Wonderful, and we can't wait to read the next one! I truly enjoyed it, and want to try some of the "pioneer" recipes and crafts. When we get to the Little House on the Prairie, I'm looking forward to sharing the television series with Evalina. The book is 238 pages long and recommended for ages 8-12, and I would agree with that. Evalina's 7, but a very advanced reader, so it was no trouble for her. (We did read it together - she read a couple paragraphs per page) I would recommend this series to anyone. As you can see with our reading history, most of what we have read is fantastical, and I am thrilled to be reading something more historical, to get some enthusiasm for that into her. Next!
The Story: Laura Ingalls is the young daughter of a pioneer family. She lives with her parents, her older sister Mary, and her baby sister Carrie, in a (you guessed it) little house in the big woods in Wisconsin. She had never been to a town. She has no concept of neighbors like we do. The story of this book lays some great historical basis about what everyday family life was like, how they worked to make and catch their food, and more.
The Good: The detail is fantastic. I want to make butter and cheese and Johnycakes and tap trees and make maple syrup and maple sugar. Laura and her family are written vibrantly (not surprising, since they were real people), and I think it got Evalina more interested in history. Really thinking about what it was like before there were cars and electricity and 24-hour grocery stores was a very positive thing. We take so much for granted.
The Bad: Some of the things portrayed are a little raw for a sensitive modern kid. Still, it's good for her to know about them. She was alarmed by all the hunting (even though her daddy hunts), and some other things led us to some very frank discussions. The fact that Pa smoked a pipe was a problem for her, but I explained that they had no idea that tobacco was bad for you, so many people smoked. Good history lessons all around, so these things are not really "bad."
The Verdict: Wonderful, and we can't wait to read the next one! I truly enjoyed it, and want to try some of the "pioneer" recipes and crafts. When we get to the Little House on the Prairie, I'm looking forward to sharing the television series with Evalina. The book is 238 pages long and recommended for ages 8-12, and I would agree with that. Evalina's 7, but a very advanced reader, so it was no trouble for her. (We did read it together - she read a couple paragraphs per page) I would recommend this series to anyone. As you can see with our reading history, most of what we have read is fantastical, and I am thrilled to be reading something more historical, to get some enthusiasm for that into her. Next!
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