Farmer Boy Goes West (Little House) [Hardcover]

Heather Williams (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 14, 2012 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: Little House

Little House

Big Adventure

Almanzo Wilder is going west! He and his family are moving all the way from their cozy farm in Malone, New York, to the bustling town of Spring Valley, Minnesota. Almanzo can’t wait to explore, but life in Spring Valley isn’t what he expected. The Wilders have to stay with relatives in a small, cramped house where Almanzo’s aunt Martha is cold and unfriendly. Almanzo longs for the freedom he had back home, and he especially misses his horse, Starlight. Even as he makes new friends at school and helps his father pick a plot of land for the family to settle on, Almanzo can’t help but wonder: Is Minnesota the right place for the Wilders? Or do they belong in New York?

First introduced in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic Little House book Farmer Boy, Almanzo Wilder’s adventures continue in Farmer Boy Goes West.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Safe, comfortable, respectful of its progenitors and wholesome.” (Kirkus Reviews )

About the Author

Heather Williams is the pen name for Tui Sutherland, author of several children’s books, including Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls, Who Was Harry Houdini? and the Pet Trouble series. She is also one of four authors working on the bestselling Warriors and Seekers books under the name Erin Hunter. In 2009, she was a two-night champion on Jeopardy!, which is not something she could have done in Almanzo’s day! She currently lives in Boston with her family.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061242519
• ISBN-13: 978-0061242519
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Heather Williams (pen name for Tui Sutherland) is also the author of Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls. She lives in Boston with her family. You can visit her online and read her blog at www.tuibooks.com. Learn more about Little House online at www.littlehousebooks.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Farmer Boy goes west March 3, 2013

By Jan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Thoroughly enjoyed book it continues Almanzo's childhood, shame there is not another for the intrim of meeting Laura. Excellent reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very close to the Laura Ingalls Wilder style! February 13, 2013

By Chuck Mallory

Format:Hardcover

Having read many of the "auxiliary" books in the "Little House" line, such as the Charlotte Years, the Caroline Years, etc., I started this with trepidation. The most famous auxiliary book was written by Cynthia Ryland, but I found this narrative much closer to that of the original books. It takes Almanzo past the years of the original "Farmer Boy" when the family decides to take a look at the western lands and see if they want to move there. The character of his mother is much more fleshed out than in the original, "Farmer Boy," and I found myself falling into the story as though it were a Laura Ingalls Wilder book in the original series. Characters appear both nice and not-so-nice, adventures abound, and as Almanzo matures and deals with life in a whole different place, you're captivated every step of the way. I hope the "Little House" people decide to let this author write more of these books!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Addition to the Little House Series September 20, 2012

By Cheryl C. Malandrinos VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A healthy blend of fact and fiction, Williams captures the essence of the original Little House books, while maintaining an air of her own style. The events in this book are condensed to two years instead of the five years it actually took for the Wilders to make their move from New York to Minnesota. She also took liberties with some of the historical characters. I don't feel that had a negative impact on the story, but those who are sticklers for facts might have an issue with it. I'm hoping not, since this is a truly delightful story. The only thing that really made me stop for a second came in the second chapter, when it said, "One day in January, soon after Almanzo's fourteenth birthday..." Almanzo's birthday is in February. While Wilder did play around with the Wilder siblings' birthdays in Farmer Boy-making Almanzo closer in age to his older brother and sister-as far as I recall, she didn't change the month Almanzo was born.

As with any great story, things aren't always easy. Almanzo ends up having to attend a new school in Minnesota. He has to make new friends. He misses his horse, Starlight and older brother, Royal, maybe even his bossy older sister, Eliza Jane. He likes a girl at school, but is shy and has no idea how to get to know her. His Aunt Martha isn't very happy about jamming the Wilders into their tiny home.

There are also some neat surprises and interesting historical characters added in, but you won't know what or who those are unless you read the book.

I'm thrilled to add Farmer Boy Goes West to my Little House collection.