Module 2: Classic Children's and Young Adult Literature

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder


Wilder, L. (1932). Little house in the big woods. New York: Harper Trophy.

Summary

Wilder's first book in the Little House series focuses on her early childhood life in the woods of Wisconsin in the 1870's. Wilder tells her stories of growing up in a cozy log cabin from the third person, but maintains the personal perspective of Laura, the vivacious, spunky second child. Each chapter tells a different story involving life in that time period, including encounters with bears, wolves and panthers, daily chores, summer berry picking and other charming stories. Wilder captures the true personalities of each character and does a wonderful job of portraying the love and closeness of her family.

My Thoughts

My mother read all of the Little House books to my sister and I growing up and I couldn't resist revisiting the series. I find them to be endearing and engaging. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Laura's life in the "big woods". Although they are written for children and therefore lack the deep development, however each character maintains a unique personality and role in the book. You love Pa for his loving protector role and Ma for her strength and steadying presence. It is easy to imagine Laura running around the woods, playing under the trees and giving in to her curious nature. Pa's songs and fiddle playing bring a sense of involvement to the reader. Wilder uses extensive imagery to describe the flora and fauna of the region. She captures the nuances of the cabin, the food they eat, and the changing seasons. I think this book is also appealing to readers because it talks about a kind of life that is no longer experienced by the majority of children today and therefore represents a kind of fantastic, unknown world. I think this work absolutely deserves the title of "classic" and will be something that I read to my children. For use in a library, this could possibly be used as a read aloud for elementary students, however I think it might have limited appeal to some readers. It could be used as an example of 19th century America life and the move westward.

Review

The stories of the Ingalls family and their progress from Wisconsin to South Dakota, through good times and bad, unselfconsciously recall the expansionist era of American history. The books describe a self-sufficient, brave, and proud family. Most important in my mind, in book after book, they give precise, accurate details of changing life that shifted quickly from rural to agricultural on the way to industrial in the last third of the nineteenth century. If it is a time that is distant but still plausible to me, it is unimaginably remote to today's children. All the more reason to make the books a gift to children a century hence. There's no magic in the Little House books, no invisible railway platform leading to a fantastic place, no wizards at all. It's a plain account of ordinary lives, but that's just what makes it so thrilling and so engrossing. The Ingalls family's ordinary lives are so far from our own. The lesson they teach, without comment, is that there is dignity, honor, and pleasure in work well done. They teach it superbly. Lipson, E.R. Horn Book Magazine, December 2000.