Book Review: A Little House Reader
A Little House Reader
By Laura Ingalls Wilder, edited by William Anderson
Copyright 1998
ISBN: 0-06-026358-X
A collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder's writings, most from the years before she published the well-known Little House books.
This collection starts with a selection of writings by Laura's family, and continues with a cross-section of her writings covering her entire life. The first section of her work consists of essays and poems that she wrote as a child and young woman living in the Dakota Territory. This is followed by a much larger selection of articles and poetry that were written for publication in The Missouri Ruralist and similar newspapers. In the next section the editor placed two articles that Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, wrote about her mother; and an letter that Laura wrote to her readers after she decided that she would not be publishing any additional Little House books. The last section of the book consists of poems and short essays that Laura wrote expressing her faith and personal values.
This book was interesting, but patchy. The early selections were obviously written by a novice writer, but it was interesting to compare them to the later ones. It's definitely a children's book (aimed at the same age that reads the Little House books), but if you loved Laura Ingalls Wilder's novels as a child, you will probably appreciate this.
Rating: 8 out of 10 for kids; 6 out of 10 for adults.
By Laura Ingalls Wilder, edited by William Anderson
Copyright 1998
ISBN: 0-06-026358-X
A collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder's writings, most from the years before she published the well-known Little House books.
This collection starts with a selection of writings by Laura's family, and continues with a cross-section of her writings covering her entire life. The first section of her work consists of essays and poems that she wrote as a child and young woman living in the Dakota Territory. This is followed by a much larger selection of articles and poetry that were written for publication in The Missouri Ruralist and similar newspapers. In the next section the editor placed two articles that Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, wrote about her mother; and an letter that Laura wrote to her readers after she decided that she would not be publishing any additional Little House books. The last section of the book consists of poems and short essays that Laura wrote expressing her faith and personal values.
This book was interesting, but patchy. The early selections were obviously written by a novice writer, but it was interesting to compare them to the later ones. It's definitely a children's book (aimed at the same age that reads the Little House books), but if you loved Laura Ingalls Wilder's novels as a child, you will probably appreciate this.
Rating: 8 out of 10 for kids; 6 out of 10 for adults.