Six by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Wilder in 1885, around age 18

This month I decided to reread the Little House on the Prairie series on audiobook.  I managed to read six of the eight, running straight through them with pure pleasure.

Wilder wrote from her experiences as a child living in Wisconsin, travelling West to Missouri and Kansas, and finally settling in the Dakota territory.  She was a gifted story-teller, bringing events vividly to life and creating memorable books.

So far, they've all been 4 star books for me and, despite dated attitudes, very entertaining.

Little House in the Big Woods 

Little House series, book 1

This sweetly written, gentle glimpse into the past is a pure pleasure to (re)read. 

Little House on the Prairie  

Little House series, book 3

Despite Ma's vehement dislike of Native Americans, it's still an enjoyable read, full of fascinating information and slices of life from a time so unlike today.

On the Banks of Plum Creek 

Little House series, book 4; Newbury Medal Nominee

Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, this is another enjoyable book with memorable characters and situations that details a way of life so far removed from ours now.

By the Shores of Silver Lake 

Little House series, book 5; Newbury Medal Nominee

It stars off depressing, and sensitive readers may have a hard time with the first couple of chapters.  (I know I did.)  However, it gives an interesting account of what went into settling the Dakota territory as the Ingalls family leaves their comfortable house at Plum Creek, near to a town, to go further West for a  homestead claim.

The Long Winter 

Little House series, book 6; Newbury Medal Nominee

This is one of my favorite books of the series, as, despite the dangers and deprivations of the harsh winter, the Ingalls family pushes through with determination, cheerfulness, and resilience.   It's a memorable story, serious but still enjoyable.

Little Town on the Prairie

Little House series, book 7; Newbury Medal Nominee

Following that long winter, the Ingalls family enjoys two prosperous summers, and two mild winters.  Laura makes good friends in town and works hard toward earning a teacher's certificate.  It's a more lighthearted story than previous ones, with less focus on homesteading than on the life of a new town.  It's another well-written and entertaining book, though with some dated attitudes.