Pioneer Girl - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Title: Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder; ed. by Pamela Smith Hill
Pages: 400
Published: 2014
Challenges: Non-Fiction
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Personal library

Description:  Pioneer Girl follows the Ingalls family's journey through Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, back to Minnesota, and on to Dakota Territory sixteen years of travels, unforgettable experiences, and the everyday people who became immortal through Wilder's fiction. Using additional manuscripts, letters, photographs, newspapers, and other sources, award-winning Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill adds valuable context and leads readers through Wilder's growth as a writer. Do you think you know Laura? Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography will re-introduce you to the woman who defined the pioneer experience for millions.  (via Goodreads

Thoughts:  I can't recall exactly where I first heard about the book, but once I did hear about it, I knew that I would be wanting this book and was almost immediately requested as a Christmas/birthday gift (for those that don't know, my birthday is January 25, hence why I have to request birthday gifts when I am requesting Christmas gifts and yes, I do request what I would like as gifts, as it makes it easier on my parents to know what I want to get and yes I don't get every request fulfilled).  I knew it was something I had to get my hands on, being as I had read all of Wilder's Little House books as a girl and was a big fan of the series.  I suppose the fact that it was promoted as the truth behind the Little House books didn't hurt either.

Anyways, when I was able to sit down and read the book, I really loved the book, despite the numerous annotations that are through out the book.  In fact, I really liked the annotations, as they brought the Little House books to life and also gained knowledge about was changed, omitted, etc. and the reasons behind those changes.

Bottom line: While those who haven't read the series will probably enjoy the book, those who have read the Little House books will probably enjoy the book that much more and enhance their reading experience of the series.  I should note that the book is not geared towards young readers, but rather it is intended for more mature readers (probably teens and up) due to the amount of information that is imparted.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.75/5

Pages for 2015:  4,089

Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Title: Little House on the Prairie
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pages: 352
Published: 2004 (First published 1935)
Challenge(s): Historical Fiction Challenge 2012, 2012 Where Are You Reading
Genre: Classics, Historical fiction, Children's literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5

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 Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in their new little house. (via Goodreads)


Thoughts: Read this book over the course of a month and quite honestly, I should have finished this book sooner, but due to the fact that I focusing on basically one book for the past month, I basically ignored this one.  While this was probably the second book that Wilder wrote, it felt like it was her first that she wrote, due to some minor grammatical issues that I had in the early part of the book; some of it didn't seem to flow properly, but overall it is a nice introduction to the travels that the Ingalls family would take over the next 10 years or so. 

Interestingly enough, the family actually went to Kansas before returning to Wisconsin again (during which time the events of Little House in the Big Woods take place, or most of them) and then left from Wisconsin to Minnesota, etc.


Bottom line: This book is good for young readers, probably ages 8-12, especially since they are developing a more broad language and also they are looking for books that don't emphasize pictures as much and probably need a challenge.

Page total for 2012: 352

Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Title: Little House in the Big Woods
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pages: 238
Published: 2004 (first published 1932)
Genre: Classics, Historical fiction, Young Adult
Rating: 4/5

Wolves and panthers and bears roam the deep Wisconsin woods in the late 1870's. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Pa hunts and traps. Ma makes her own cheese and butter. All night long, the wind howls lonesomely, but Pa plays the fiddle and sings, keeping the family safe and cozy. 

Thoughts: This is one of those books that you read when you were young and you come back later and read, either to your own child or by yourself.  While it reminds oneself how much simpler life was almost 140 years ago, it also reminds one that it was also a much harder existence because one had to make everything one ate and wore; there was no grocery store to get butter, cheese, milk and bread and one couldn't just hop in ones car to go and get a new outfit at the local store.  Its an enjoyable read at any age.

13835 / 15000 pages. 92% done!

The Long Winter - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Title: The Long Winter
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pages: 352
Published: 2004 (originally published in 1940)
Genre: Classics, Historical fiction, Children's literature
Rating: 4/5


The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed it, but like the family, I found the winter to be a tad tiresome.  When I did find it tiresome, I went to the internet to find out how much of the story is true and actually is very faithful to the events of the winter of 1880-81 in the De Smet, S.D. area.  What I found fascinating was that nobody in the area died, although if it had lasted longer there probably would have been some deaths.  The reason that I classified the book as young adult because the book is longer and also Laura was 13/14 during the time period that the story takes place, despite the fact that the storyline is fairly simple and straight forward and is geared towards readers ages 8 to 12. 

1313 / 15000 pages. 9% done!