Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: The First Four Years Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 0-06-440031-X Publisher: Harper Trophy Part of a Series: Little House Series Type of book: 1885-1889, farming life, sickness, storms, tragedies, prairie, pioneer Year it was published: 1971 Summary: Laura and Almanzo Wilder begin married life on their small prairie homestead with high hopes. The beautiful prairie world seems like a paradise. There are wildflowers in the spring, wild geese in autumn, pony rides, and warm and happy times together. But each year brings unexpected disasters as well- storms destroy the crops; there is sickness, fire, and always, always, unpaid debts. The first four years often prove heartbreaking for the Wilders. Still, they have each other, and their little daughter Rose, and a fierce determination succeed. Characters: I didn't understand why Laura couldn't set Rose to working on things like Ma did on Laura and other sisters. I also am shocked that for so...

Name of Book: These Happy Golden Years Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN:  0060264802 Publisher: Harper Trophy Book Part of a Series: Little House Series Type of book: Settled, courting, prairie, pioneer, working, schooling, growing up, marrying, 1883-1885 Year it was published: 1943 Summary: Laura, not yet sixteen, takes a job teaching school in a drafty shanty twelve miles from home. It's a terrifying job. Most of her pupils are taller than she is- and she has to board with a hateful, crazed lady. Laura is miserable, but she must help to keep her blind sister Mary in school. And every Friday, when the school week is over, Almanzo arrives in his sleigh-come all twelve miles across the desolate icy slough to take her home to her family for the weekend. Could it be love? Characters: Just like Laura is growing up, so we are growing up with her and we see her start caring for the trends, getting jobs and staying busy, all to help the family. The family no longer...

Name of Book: Little Town on the prairie Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 006-440007-7 Publisher: Harper Trophy Book Part of a Series: Little House Series Type of book: pioneer, town life, 1881-1882, young adult, fashion, school life Year it was published: 1941 Summary: The long hard winter was over. The people of De Smet, South Dakota, came outdoors and began to live again. They held church socials, dances, and "literaries." In the summer, Laura took a grueling job-making shits, through long hard hours. She wanted the money to help send Mary to the college for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. Suddenly, Laura was a young lady. And who but the dashing Almanzo Wilder escorted her home in the evenings! Characters: In this book Laura doesn't appear to be as good as possible but instead the reader will witness her anger towards Ms. Wilder, her struggles and resignation to do what she can for her sister Mary, her procrastination, her family's preoccup...

Name of Book: The Long Winter Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 0-06-440006-9 Publisher: Harper Collins Part of a Series: Little House Series Type of book: 1880-1881, prairie, blizzards, living in town, young adult Year it was published: 1940 Summary: Gray clouds to the northwest mean only one thing-A blizzard is moments away...The first terrible storm comes to the barren prairie in October. THen it snows almost without stopping until April. Snow has reached the rooftops, and no trains can get through with food or coal. The people of De Smet are starving, including the Ingalls family, who wonder how long they're going to make it through this terrible winter. It is young Almanzo Wilder who finally understands what needs to be done. He must save the town, even if it means risking his own life. Characters: In this book we start seeing Carrie becoming Laura's responsibility and a friend as well. Pa and Ma are described as creative and we get to see that...

Name of Book: By the Shores of Silver Lake Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN:  0590488147 Publisher: Harper Trophy Part of a Series: Little House Series. Little House in the Big Woods, ... prequels. Sequels: The Long Winter, Little Town on the prairie Type of book: 1879-1880, pioneer, railroads, prairie, growing up, homestead, kid to young adult Year it was published: 1939 Summary: The Ingalls family had fared badly in Plum Creek, Minnesota. They were in debt. Mary was blind now. So Pa went West to work at a railroad camp in Dakota Territory where he could make as much as fifty dollars a month! Then he sent for his wife and four children, and they became the first settlers in the new town of De Smet. But the railroad brought hordes of land-hungry people from the East. Had Pa waited too long to file his homestead claim? Characters: The girls at last have grown up now and we can see the different personalities they exhibit, or at least Mary and Laura. Mary is...

Name of Book: On the Banks of Plum Creek Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 0-06-440004-2 Publisher: Harper Trophy Part of a Series: prequels; Little House in the big woods, Little house on the prairie, Farmer Boy. Sequels; By the shores of silver lake Type of book: 1874?-1876? kid to young adult, isolated, Minnesota Year it was published:  1937 Summary: The family's first home in Minnesota was made of sod. But Pa builds a clean new house beside Plum Creek. The money for materials will ceom from their first wheat harvest. Then, just before the wheat is ready to harvest, a strange glittering cloud fills hte sky, blocking out the sun. Soon millions of grasshoppers cover the field and everything on the farm. In a week's time, there is no wheat crop left at all. Characters: The characters are more rounded and don't seem to be goody-goody two shoes. Laura is more braver and a tomboy character, while Mary becomes more of a ladylike character. Mary also see...

Name of Book: Farmer Boy Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 0-06-440003-4 Publisher: Harper Trophy Book Part of a Series: Little house in the big woods, Little house on the prairie prequels; on the banks of plum creek Type of book: pioneer, New York, 1866-1867, kid to adult, 19th century America, farming cycle Year it was published: 1933 Summary: Ten years in the future, Laura Ingalls will marry Almanzo in the town of De Smet, South Dakota. But now, Almanzo is miles away, growing up with his brother and sisters on his father's farm in New York. Almanzo's chores get him up at dawn and keep him working till dinner-summer and winter. But it is fun, and it builds character. And was there ever a boy who loved horses more? Was there ever a boy with a bigger appetite? Characters: It has been awhile since I read the latter Little House books, so I can't remember if Almanzo's obsession with horses remained constant or changed. There is strength and d...

Name of book: Little house on the prairie Author Name: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 0-06-440002-6 Publisher: Harper Trophy Part of a Series: Little House series; Little House in the big woods prequel, Farmer Boy and On the Banks of Plum Creek, are sequels. Type of book: Young adult, kid, prairie, 1871?-1872? Year it was published: 1935 Summary: The Big Woods was getting too crowded. So Pa sold the little log house and built a covered wagon. The family was moving to Indian Country! They traveled from Wisconsin to Oklahoma, and there, finally, Pa built the little house on the prairie. All year long, Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura and Baby Carrie put their hearts into the land and their safe little house. But the prairie belonged to the Indians, and in the end the government made them move on again. Characters: At the moment it's not evident how the characters have changed or grown. This book also marks the first appearance of Mr. Edwards who will be shown in differen...

Name of book: Little House in the Big Woods Author Name: Laura Ingalls Wilder ISBN: 0-06-44001-8 Publisher: Harper Trophy Part of Series: Little House series (9 original books) Type of book:  woods,1872?-1873? semi-autobiographical, memoir Year it was published: 1932 (version I have 1971?) Summary:  Deep in the woods of Wisconsin...Wolves and panthers and bears roamed the deep Wisconsin woods in the 1870s. In those same woods, Laura Ingalls lived with her Pa and Ma, and her sisters Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Pa hunted and trapped. Ma made her own cheese and maple sugar. All night long, the wind howled lonesomely, but Pa played his fiddle and sang, keeping the family safe and cosy. Characters: Most of the characters are one dimensional or else there was not enough screen time to form opinions about them. Laura's Ma and Mary as well as Carrie do not exhibit a lot of personality. (Perhaps it might change in future seri...