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Little House On The Prairie
Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Narrated by Cherry Jones
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The third book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's treasured Little House series.
The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for the big skies of the Kansas Territory. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their house. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Just when they begin to feel settled, they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
The nine Little House books are inspired by Laura's own childhood and have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories.
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
Little House On The Prairie
Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Narrated by Cherry Jones
Description
The third book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's treasured Little House series.
The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for the big skies of the Kansas Territory. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their house. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Just when they begin to feel settled, they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
The nine Little House books are inspired by Laura's own childhood and have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories.
About the author
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Reviews
Once more, Pa is restless--too many people, too few wild animals, too many tree stumps on their farm in Wisconsin he explains to Ma and Ma, who loves her hard--working, loving, talented husband reluctantly prepares for the move to the flat prairie of Kansas--Indian Country. We follow them on the difficult journey, learn about the mechanics of building a cabin and a well, share encounters with unfriendly Indians and dangerous animals. One of the best descriptions of life on the frontier available for children. This is my third reading--to a child and now two grandchildren--and it is still a pleasure.
Rating: 4I can't believe I've lived my entire life without reading this book. A charming story - autobiographical - about a young girl whose family decides to leave Wisconsin and move by covered wagon to the Indian Territory where it is less crowded. They settle on the Verdigris River, 40 miles from Independence, Kansas in the southeastern corner of the state. It explains how Mr Ingalls built their cabin, the fireplace, the furniture and the stable for the animals. It told about the neighbors who lived near them and came to help when it was needed. It also described a prairie grass fire and how the family worked to save their home from the flames. The references to the Indians, though, were a little disturbing. One of the neighbors states that "the only good Indian is a dead Indian". Although Mr Ingalls chides him for that comment, he is of the opinion that since the white settlers have come, it is time for the government to move the Indians farther west. The book was first published in about 1935, so I suppose it would express views of another generation. I had an illustrated edition, and enjoyed it very much.
Rating: 4My favorite part of this book had to be the pictures. Garth Williams does an excellent job or showing what prairie life must have been like. I also liked how the book can be read through the eyes of a little girl, but inbetween the lines you can see what it would have been like to an adult. When I was a little girl, these books made me want to be a pioneer. Now, I realize how crazy that wish was. Being a pioneer meant putting your life on the line and not being attached to material things. I can't fathom it.
Rating: 4My 8 year old daughter loves these stories.
Rating: 5The "title book" of the Little House series was actually the 2nd in the set (or 3rd, depending on where you put "Farmer Boy"), and was the first destination (of several) of the Ingalls family after leaving the Big Woods of Wisconsin, settling in Kansas to farm where there are no trees, but there are Indians.Working sun-up to sun-down makes a hard life, but the parents transmit their ideals and industry to the girls, as well as their courage and resolve.As with all Laura's books, this is a faithful depiction of pioneer life in all its harshness and beauty, softened only a bit for young readers.The life of the country's early settlers would be impossible in today's cosseted nanny-state, and the parents would all be in jail for child abuse just for the normal events of their lives (unsupervised free play, hard work, and strict although loving discipline).I do not think what we have now is progress.
Rating: 4Read aloud to the boys, just as enjoyable as the first volume, looking forward to the rest.
Rating: 5The 2nd in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. Follow the Ingalls family as they leave the big woods of Wisconsin and make their way to the prairie of Kansas. Another delightful book with insights into the daily lives of the pioneers. We think moving is hard when we throw everything on a truck and schlepp it to the next place. Imagine life when you had to build your home from the ground up.
Rating: 5The area around the Ingalls' little house in the big woods is getting crowded, and Pa decides to hop in the wagon and head off to "Indian country" in Kansas. The family find a nice place to settle and spend months building a home there. But just as things are beginning to settle down to a normal life, they begin to have troubles with the natives in the area, who are angry about all the settlers moving into their territory. This plot was a lot less passive than the story from Little House in the Big Woods, and as a result I enjoyed it a good deal more. This is my first time reading the series and it's exciting to experience the story that so many people rave about. Maybe I'll even check out the TV series, though I hear it's nothing like the books. One thing I had trouble with in this story was the handling of the Native Americans and their culture. Obviously, this book was written in a time when there was a lot of tension between Natives and white settlers, and the language and attitude expressed in Little House was acceptable. However, this may be one of those books that I would discuss with a young child if they were reading it. I don't believe in telling a child not to read a book, but I do believe in discussing certain points of books with children if it's possible for them to misunderstand the context. This is definitely one of those books. In the long run, though, I'm really enjoying this series and am eager to move on to the next book.
Rating: 4See review for Little House #1
Rating: 5Laura Ingalls Wilder introduces us to the beloved Ingalls family. The family travels from their house in the Big Woods to find a new life in the Prairie. We see deeply into the lives of Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, and their dog, Jack, as they travel in their covered wagon to find a new home.
Rating: 5The second in this series was better than the first and the adventures across the on the prairie were captivating. We met Mr. Edwards in this book and I was delighted that the kids liked him as much as I remember liking him. I was pleased with how the book addresses what was happening with the Native Americans at that time, with compassion but also with a healthy dose of fear and apprehension that was probably quite typical at the time. We are excited to start the next book in this series.
Rating: 4I loved this book. Laura's "voice" jumps out at every page. She makes you feel and experience Prairie life. Just terrific. Full of fun, humor, hardship, suspense and charm.
Rating: 5I'd forgotten how good this book is. When I was younger I didn't like it as much as other books in the series, so I didn't read it as often. This audio version really makes the book come alive with the excellent narration and fiddle music. A few parts even brought tears to my eyes.
Rating: 5The little house books are one of my favorite series, and now my boys are enjoying them just as much! Especially for my autistic son these have helped him to understand people's feelings and how people live differently from us and that is a good thing. I love these books!
Rating: 5this story is great, and with an awesome twist at the end!
Rating: 5The narrator does a fantastic job with this classic sorry. The children and I are mesmerized every night at bed.
Rating: 5This book is a wonderful classic! And I loved the reader!
Rating: 5Best audiobook reader I've ever heard. She makes it so fun and lively!
Rating: 5With Laura Ingalls Wilder's third book in the Little House series, she discovers the concepts of plot and story. Unlike "Little House in the Big Woods" and "Farmer Boy," both of which were sort of how-to manuals for survival in the early 19th century, things actually happen in this best known of her books. Young Laura's family moves out to Indian Territory in a covered wagon to set up a homestead. They face troubles with illness, fire, wild animals, and Native Americans. The portrayal of the Native Americans is the book's downfall. Though not 100% negative, it leans heavily in the negative direction. It is hard to read phrases like, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian," without that casting a heavy cloud over the rest of the book.
Rating: 3Having grown up outside the US, I never read these books as a kid, and they're actually very interesting as an adult still learning about the country. In fact, I'm not convinced this should be a childrens' book, because being written from a small child's perspective means it only vaguely hints at the evil backdrop of the story. But the first-person perspective brings the experience of being a Pioneer much more alive than any historical text I've read, and as someone who very much buys into the "the Pioneers perpetrated gross acts of ethnic cleansing" view espoused by that linked article it was actually kind of refreshing to read an account that humanises them.
This book romanticises the Pioneer life considerably, but not to the point of airbrushing out all the difficulties and discomforts, and it was actually a lot less of a propaganda tract than I had expected it to be. Definitely worth reading as an adult, with knowledge of the background.
Rating: 4This book romanticises the Pioneer life considerably, but not to the point of airbrushing out all the difficulties and discomforts, and it was actually a lot less of a propaganda tract than I had expected it to be. Definitely worth reading as an adult, with knowledge of the background.
This series is such a delight. Each of their adventures and struggles is seen through the eyes of young Laura. I love the honesty and innocence that comes from that. I love her Pa's strength and character. Laura's parents are a team and despite their hardships, they never stop supporting and loving each other. This book covers their time in Indian country. There's a scene where they cross the river in their covered wagon that was particularly harrowing.
Rating: 5I remember enjoying the first book in the series, Little House in the Big Woods, as a child and loving both it and the TV series, Little House on the Prairie. I didn't quite remember if I had read Little House on the Prairie, so I decided to listen to the audio book, seeing how it fit into my remembrances. This book takes place mostly in Kansas, on the prairie, before the family settles back in the town of Walnut Grove where the beloved TV series is set. As an adult, I can understand it as a historical memoir, complete with lots of details of the adventures of surviving and homesteading out West. But the way indigenous people are depicted needs companion discussions.
Rating: 2I can see why these books were so popular - they give detailed descriptions of the way pioneer life worked. I've heard criticism that they are racist. Prairie has lots of second-hand racism with someone even saying the only good Indian is a dead Indian, but I thought it subtly shows the horror of the removal of Native Americans from their homes. The dad especially is so in love with the land they've come to with its abundance of game and water, kind of foreshadowing the plight of the Indians who were removed from that land to areas of starvation. The mom says how sad she would be if they had to leave their beautiful home, while the book depicts streams of Indians doing just that. However, the extreme authoritarianism and sexism is almost too much. Whatever dad says goes, the kids are to remain silent at table unless spoken to - children should be seen and not heard, and it is beaten into the children that they are to obey their parents' commands unquestioningly. Laura thought of disobeying, even though she didn't actually do it, and was punished for the thought. Plus, the girls'' dresses are buttoned down the back so that they can't dress themselves. So, interesting reads if you can take the worship of authority.
Rating: 4There are some sweet, lovely passages of writing, and the tone is so gentle and calm that I feel like I'm hitting a puppy to only award it 3 stars, but it's lack of plot momentum (it's really just one of those "and then, and then, and then, and then" kind of books) keeps it in the decent column.
It's definitely an improvement over the first two, as it has slightly less of a pioneer family how-to manual tone to it, and there's even some evocation of history and social issues. (Unlike some, I don't have a problem with the story's take on indigenous people--I thought it was rather deft how Wilder managed to convey, through young Laura's uncomprehending listening, that dear old Pa may have been a bit in the wrong on this issue).
I've never watched the show (it looked boring, to me, when I was growing up, earnest and not funny and not sci-fi or fantasy).
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
Rating: 3It's definitely an improvement over the first two, as it has slightly less of a pioneer family how-to manual tone to it, and there's even some evocation of history and social issues. (Unlike some, I don't have a problem with the story's take on indigenous people--I thought it was rather deft how Wilder managed to convey, through young Laura's uncomprehending listening, that dear old Pa may have been a bit in the wrong on this issue).
I've never watched the show (it looked boring, to me, when I was growing up, earnest and not funny and not sci-fi or fantasy).
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
This book starts off with the family leaving Wisconsin and heading west where there aren't so many people. They leave behind grandparents and friends and leave in a covered wagon and cross the frozen Mississippi at the end of winter. The family consists of Charles and Caroline, the parents, and Mary, Laura, and baby Carrie. They make the dangerous journey across the country to land in Kansas in Indian Territory and find a nice spot near a creek and decide to make a house.This is where the kinda boring part comes in where if you ever wanted to know how a log cabin was built you will be thrilled to know that this book tells you how. From laying down the logs with notches in them in order to lay the logs on top of each other to how to pull the logs up on top of each other once they reach a certain height. Also how to build a roof and a fireplace and a stable.In the midst of this, they have adventures with Native Americans and wolves who surround the house and howl most of the night. The Native Americans come and take food and tobacco from them and scare the daylights out of them. But that won't be the only interactions they'll have with the Native Americans. They'll also meet neighbors who help out in times of need and trade services like helping to get your well dug if you help to get his well dug. I first read this book when I was eight or nine years old. My book club decided to read this book for its selection this month which is why I reread it. It's interesting to go back and reread your childhood favorite books from a different perspective. I was a little bored at first by the simplistic writing and the how-to-build-a-log-cabin bit, but it picked up and became compelling and exciting to the point that you forgot the writing and got caught up in the story. There's a reason this book is a classic and read by so many even today. I recommend this book to people of any age.
Rating: 4After reading "Prairie Fires" I was inspired to reread at least one of the Little House books. I loved this just as much as I loved it when I was young. The writing is so descriptive and LI Wilder does an excellent job at creating a mood whether it be the coziness of a cabin or the fear of a wolf or Indian attack. And, the illustrations by Garth Williams are the best. These books are well deserving of the acclaim they have received.
Rating: 5I know I read this in elementary school, most likely before I was ten years old. And I'm sure I enjoyed reading it at the time. However, I remembered nothing of the book beyond the cover illustration and the cover copy text, so reading it now was basically like reading a new book.
I enjoyed reading this as an adult, but there were definitely parts that came across as...dated and a bit simplistic. Also, while I realize that the views expressed by various individuals in the book are very much representative of the time period in which the book is set, I found myself shaking my head more than once.
As other reviewers have commented, I would definitely want to have discussions with any children I gave this book to. There are a lot of good lessons to be learned, but there needs to be a good sense of context as well.
Rating: 3I enjoyed reading this as an adult, but there were definitely parts that came across as...dated and a bit simplistic. Also, while I realize that the views expressed by various individuals in the book are very much representative of the time period in which the book is set, I found myself shaking my head more than once.
As other reviewers have commented, I would definitely want to have discussions with any children I gave this book to. There are a lot of good lessons to be learned, but there needs to be a good sense of context as well.
This a story about a families trip from Wisconsin to Kansas. The story takes place during the 1800’s, when people were exploring new land and were moving out of the towns into Indian country. The trip was hard for everyone in Laura’s’ family because of the bad terrain the family had to cross. The book tells the story about the thought times they encountered while trying to get to Kansas. When they reached Kansas Laura’s Pa stopped in a spot and said that he would build a cabin right there. I enjoyed this book because I used to watch the show when I was a younger. This book started making me think of how much simpler times must have been back then. This book teaches you how things were back then but makes it very interesting. One could have the students watch some of the shows to help them get a better idea of what things were like. Or a teacher could have older people of the community come a talk to the students of what they remember about those times.
Rating: 3This is a story about a family from the 19th century that decides to move from the city to the country. Their play for life was to live off the land, hunting, fishing, and farming. This book accurately portrays real life struggles in this time. However, the family is close and figures out their way.I love this story! It is a great partial of the past and how my ancestors didn’t have it as easy as we do today. This is a great way to teach kids not to take things for granted.1.This is a great art project for young children to color wagons during thanksgiving.2.This is a great book to start an open discussion with the children on what they think life would be like if we took all material things away. This teaches them not to take everything for granted.
Rating: 5Growing up this was never really my favourite book and I think part of my problem was the attitude towards the Indians. This time reading it I did appreciate Pa’s view that they should treat the Indians with respect.What I do like about this book is the quite contentedness with the every day. There is no need to be ‘entertained’ something that I think is all to prevalent in today’s society. I felt a great calm reading this book.I also love Garth Williams drawings in my copy. They are so beautifully done.Laura was a childhood heroine of mine. I wanted to be like her. She wasn’t always good (neither was I). She had adventures (looking back now so did I). Thinking about my childhood heroines they were often like Laura. A bit of a free spirit. Not ladylike, wanting to be in the thick of things and very curious about everything. That was me.
Rating: 3