Little House in the Big Woods

Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, 238 pages

I remember watching "Little House on the Prairie" on tv- but I don't think I ever read the books.  So I decided to read the first book, just to get a feel for what it was like and whether it stands up.  Like, when kids check it out, is it because they like it or because their moms think they should like it?  But I was surprised to find that it really did hold up- I can see why this is one of those classics that kids keep checking out. Laura is one of three girls- she has an older sister, Mary, and a younger sister, usually called baby Carrie.  They live with their Ma and Pa in the titular big woods.  The book really feels more like little stories strung together over the course of a year rather than one big story arc- which is good for breaking the book up for a young reader.  And the stories are interesting- the reader hears about how butter was made, how Pa fought a bear that turned out to be a bush and how Ma smacked a cow who turned out to be a bear, and how maple syrup is made.  The appeal is that readers get to hear the little details of a lifestyle long gone.  It's simple and "wholesome," but without being purposefully so.  I'm not going to finish out the series, but I'm glad to have revisited it and gained the perspective.