Customer Reviews

Farmer Boy (Little House)

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"Famer Boy", the third book by Laura Ingalls Wilder in her "Little House" series, tells the story of her future husband, the uniquely named Almanzo Wilder. There, Almanzo lives on a farm with his parents and siblings, including Laura's future nemesis (and sister-in-law) Eliza Jane.

Like all the Little House books, it tells us in rich details how life is like just a couple of generations ago. Reading this book, and all the Little House books for that matter, made me realize that, for all the advanced technology we have today, we are not so superior to our forebearers.

Just reading the chapter on Almanzo's mother making candles made me realize that people back then are almost totally self-sufficient. They knows how to make the 101 little things that we take for granted today just by walking into a store.

All that aside, "Farmer Boy", like all the Little House books, is a timeless classic.

If I could pick one book that every 7,8, or 9 year old MUST read, it would be this one. The story of Almanzo Wilder's life growing up on a farm in New York is totally compelling to children at this age. He's just a small boy, but he's strong, capable, and shoulders so much responsibility in the day-to-day on the farm. He works hard, and like all boys, is daydreamy and wistful to be off playing rather than hauling water or chopping wood, but there's such an intensity of life this brings him that the typical media and gizmo saturated child of today is genuinely envious of Almanzo and charmed to journey with him for the year retold in Farmer Boy.

He comes from a large family, his parents very loving yet very hardworking people who expect a lot of Almanzo. Nearly everything they eat, wear, and use is produced there on the farm, and it is one of the greatest pleasures of the book that the planting and weaving and washing and building and milking and all the other countless necessaries are vividly detailed and the reader can almost taste Almanzo's favorite apples and onions or smell the sweetly dusty air of the hay barn. I think every child who has read this book is eager to go out at once and grow a pumpkin just the way Almanzo does it--Almanzo has the secret for growing the biggest pumpkins in the county. And there's no greater inspiration than Almanzo to tempt kids into adventuring with some good wholesome food. The boy's mealtime accounts are absolutely mouthwatering. And working hard from sun up to sun down, that boy could eat!

But Almanzo is restless, and not so much to be free to play all day, but to be allowed to work with his father's prize horses. His father is known have the finest horses, and he's not about to let just anybody mess with them. Horses must be handled just right, otherwise you could easily ruin them, and Almanzo's not ready to be trusted with them. The 'coming of age' for Almanzo is one of the most touching and powerful in all of children's literature.

Please - if you've a child this age who hasn't yet read or heard Farmer Boy, don't let this book pass them by. By the end of the book you have come to know and love Almanzo so well, it's a sad good-bye indeed. Reader's won't meet him again until years later, as a young man who first meets Laura Ingalls in "By the Shores of Silver Lake".

Farmer Boy
By Laura Ingalls Wilder
First published in 1933

I read the book Farmer Boy. The main character is Almonzo Wilder. The book is about his farming family in the 19th century. I enjoyed the story because it has so much detail. It shows all of the chores that they did, and all of the food that they ate.
They had to get up at the crack of dawn to do their chores. Everyone in the family did different chores. Some of their chores were sheep shearing, cow milking, feeding chickens, training the calves to plow the field, filling the ice house and making all of their food and clothes.
My favorite chapter was titled County Fair. It was about when the Wilder family went to the fair, and tried to win all sorts of ribbons. They all worked very hard to get ready to go to the fair. They grew pumpkins and make spices. Almonzo's pumpkin won the blue ribbon.
They had everything at the fair. From horses to fair games. Almonzo's father would not let him play any of the fair games because he said "never bet money on another man's game''. Everyone had a great time at the fair.
I also liked when the mother and father went away for a week. The children were on their own. The kids did not do their chores. Instead, they made candy, cake and ice cream. Lucy the pig got some candy, and her mouth got stuck closed. They did their chores at the last minute before father and mother came home.
I would recommend Farmer Boy to a person who needed to do research on the 19th century, or anyone who wanted a book for pure enjoyment. I learned how hard life would be on a farm back in the 1800's, why children disliked school, and why they always were so well behaved. ...

I've been laid up with the flu for the past week, and found myself re-reading all the "Little House" books to cheer myself up. My grandmother gave me all the books in the series in order, for every birthday and Christmas from the time I turned 7 until the Christmas just after my 10th birthday. I must have read all of them at least a dozen times over the past 40 years, but I had forgotten how much there is to marvel at and to admire in "Farmer Boy."

The book is set in 1866 and tells the story of Almanzo Wilder, Laura's future husband, the year he turned nine. He worked as hard as any man to help maintain his father's prosperous farm in upstate New York, but still managed to find time to just be a boy and to play and have fun. Compared to the Ingalls family, the Wilders were almost filthy rich but they were never idle. James Wilder may have been a gentleman farmer, but he worked as hard as any man he hired to help him run the place, and there was plenty of work to keep every member of the family busy from sunup to sundown, and none of the resources they had on the farm were wasted. The rooms of their handsome farmhouse were wallpapered; the floors covered with beautiful carpets, but those carpets were made from the wool of sheep the Wilders raised, dyed using berries and flowers the children gathered that grew in the woods, and loomed by Almanzo's mother. At one point Almanzo's father gives him a silver dollar and tells him how much work is in that one piece of money. You better believe it.

After I finished "Farmer Boy," the other night, I idly made a list of all the aspects of farm life and all the skills that the book describes in such vivid detail that you might be able to teach yourself how to do many of them, if you're handy, and stopped at 34. There are probably some I missed, so easily do these descriptions blend into the narrative. Everything from making a buggy whip to threshing wheat to sheep-shearing and making wintergreen oil to making a sled and breaking oxen is described through the eyes of a nine-year old boy who learns that hard work is a necessity but that diligence and patience are rewarded and that cleaning stables, hauling timber and baling hay are more fun than going to school. There is an old saying that the "rich man gets his ice in summer, the poor man gets his in the winter," and I think my favorite part of the book is the chapter called "Filling The Ice House," which describes the dangerous work of cutting huge blocks of ice off a frozen river and storing them in a sawdust-filled ice house. There the ice would not melt and could be used all through the summer to make ice cream, lemonade and eggnog. Living on the sun-baked prairies, Laura Ingalls probably couldn't imagine such frosty luxuries existed.

Once Laura and Almanzo came to know each other, she clearly became fascinated with his stories of his childhood, so vastly different and in its way so much more privileged than her own. That she chose to set them down alongside her memories of her own much more elemental, hardscrabble upbringing is one of the endless gifts the "Little House" stories provide for generation after generation of readers.

With this work, the author covers the childhood of her future huband. Her story telling continues to shine. Her simple prose is an absolute deight and wonder. I was first exposed to the work well over fifty years ago and still, to this day, give this book, and the others in the series, a read from time to time. I cannot think of better books to get kids interested in reading. Not only are they exposed to the work of a very skilled writer and story teller, but they get a very vivid look at life as it was several generations ago, through the eyes of a child. I cannot recommend this work and the other books in this series highly enough. Recommend to all the rest of the kids out there!

Of all the Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House" books, FARMER BOY is, hands down, my very favorite.

The book covers a portion of the boyhood of Almanzo Wilder, who was to grow up to become Laura's husband. Almanzo grew up on a thriving, successful farm in New York state. Almanzo's father was especially known and respected for raising top-quality horses. Almanzo's mother had her own home business ventures and was known for making top-quality butter, fetching top dollar, to be served in some of the finest restaurants in New York City.

I could probably write a book about this book and why I love it so much. Through the examples of the Wilder family, its strengths and limitations, the author puts forth some enduring lessons about hard work, mutual respect, the value of time and money, hope... and more. FARMER BOY stands out among the other "Little House" books because: a) it is about Almanzo, long before he ever met Laura, ten years his junior (so Laura was not even born yet at the time this book starts its story); and b) the Wilder family, like the Ingalls family, faced hardships, but not to the relentless and ridiculous level that the Ingalls family seemed to do so, leaving more room to delineate normal, day-to-day life, which itself was incredibly rich and interesting.

During the time that Laura, many miles away, was an infant and young child, Almanzo was growing up in New York, developing his love of horses and skill in working with them. During the time he was a young man venturing out west, Laura herself was developing her love of horses and skill in riding them. That they were both "horse lovers" provided a lovely and important common ground later when they met, courted and married.

Almanzo James Wilder was born February 13, 1857 and died on October 23, 1949, at the age of 92. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born on February 7, 1867 and died on February 10, 1957, at age 90. They were married on August 25, 1885. These details mean that Almanzo was very much alive in 1933 when FARMER BOY was published, and presumably, very much available as a resource for his wife Laura, the author. To me, that is precious and relevant, for it attests to longevity (both of their marriage and their lives) and to the presumption of authenticity regarding this wonderful book. Highly recommended!

Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Farmer Boy" is a departure from the rest of the famed "Little House" books in that it does not relate the story of her own family's hardscrabble existence on the western frontier, but instead tells the story of her husband's boyhood on his family's prosperous farm in upstate New York. Thus, it introduces readers to an entirely new family, the Wilders, and the Ingalls family is not even mentioned. However, this is one of the best books of the "Little House" series.

"Farmer Boy" details a year or so in the life of 9 yr old Almanzo Wilder. A good deal of this book is spent showing that life on a farm in the 1860's, even for a well-to-do family living in a civilized part of the country, still meant never-ending, hard, physical labor. Young Almanzo and his siblings spend their lives working on one chore after another- the work changing as the seasons change. Undoubtedly, modern children will read this book and be thankful that they don't live in a time where sleeping in past 5 AM was considered odd and children were expected to be seen (at work) and not heard.

In addition to describing day to day life on a farm, Mrs. Wilder also details the family relationships between the Wilders. Almanzo's parents are shown as loving, but, in contrast to Pa and Ma Ingalls, they come across as a little more stern and authoritarian with their children. For example, James Wilder, Almanzo's father, is always called "Father" never "Pa."

Almanzo's relations with his three siblings are also described. (Almanzo actually had five siblings, but oldest sister, Laura, and younger brother, Perley, were left out of the book.) Almanzo looks up to his 13 yr old brother, Royal. Ten yr old sister Alice is shown as being very spunky and loveable and was obviously Almanzo's favorite sib. (Alice, who was a very pretty girl, died at a fairly young age and this book is her younger brother's tribute to her.) And finally there is Eliza Jane, age 12, who comes across as every younger brother's nightmare of a bossy older sister. It's obvious that Laura Ingalls Wilder did not care much for her sister-in-law Eliza Jane because she portrayed her pretty badly in her books. However, one of the great moments of "Farmer Boy" involves Eliza Jane showing in her own way how much she truly loved her younger brother. The wonderful descriptions of familial relationships in the "Little House" books are one of the big reasons why this series is so beloved.

"Farmer Boy" exudes all the hallmarks of a great "Little House" book- the wonderfully detailed depiction of life on a farm, the loving but still realistic portrayal of family life, and it also exudes a warm-hearted sentiment for an era long gone. Yet, "Farmer Boy" shows some of the darker elements of mid-19th century life. An attempted burglary is a subject of one chapter and the book opens with a pretty scary depiction of an 1860's schoolhouse. The "Little House" books often present a fairly rosy picture of the one-room schoolhouse, yet "Farmer Boy" shows a darker side. In this book, the teenage sons of farmers are shown coming to school just to bust it up and pummel any teacher who gets in their way.

Finally, as an Irish-American, I've always been amused by the unconcious bigotry towards Irish immigrants found in the "Little House" books. The few Irish characters in these books are either shown as fall-down drunks or as fools- read the story about cutting-ice in "Farmer Boy" to see an example. I don't think Laura Ingalls was anti-Irish, but just writing down 19th century attitudes about certain ethnic groups. She did the same thing for American Indians, but even more blatantly.

Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) wrote her stories about living in the late 19th century. She married Almanzo Wilder (from Malone NY, near the Canadian border), another pioneer who came west as a young man. This book is about young Almanzo and his life as a farmer boy. They ate a hearty farm breakfast. Calories don't count when you walk everywhere, work all day long, and live in a house lacking central heating when it is forty below zero.

Chapter 4 tells schooling in the good old days. Perhaps its explains why William Quantrill or George A. Custer were teachers before their military careers? Chapter 7 describes old-fashioned twisted doughnuts that turn over when cooked in oil. It tells how people lived without running water or electricity for dishwashing. Chapter 9 tells about breaking the calves. You could never teach an animal if you struck it, or shouted at it. You must always be gentle and quiet and patient. The animal must trust to be hard-working. Chapter 11 describes spring planting. Then there was sheep-shearing (Chapter 14). Almanzo's father explains that money is the result of hard work. You can spend and lose it, or you can buy a piglet, raise it, and get more money for it. Father explains that while guns won the Revolution, it was axes and plows that made America by farming the land (Chapter 16). Almanzo had mischievous ways (Chapter 18). Chapter 22 tells of the butchering, and how every part was used. Note how often these memories have to do with feasting on holidays (Chapter 26). Smells evoke memories.

The book tells of a year in Almanzo's life as a farmer boy, through the cycle of seasons. Its descriptions of life long ago is educational and entertaining. The book presents thrift as the optimal virtue, and better than squandering or parsimony. The events show that human nature hasn't changed much. Almanzo's father gave him a good practical education to prepare him to for his future. Father and Mother discuss Almanzo's future. Would he become a wheelwright and townsman, dependent on trade, or be an independent farmer and raise his own and other's food? You know how he decides.

Now it can be told. When Mother came home she saw the papered-over spot on the wall paper the very next day. She quickly figured out what happened, as Mothers usually do. But she decided not to make a fuss over it, as the children fixed their mistakes. [This is the paperback edition.]

Laura Ingalls Wilder was the writer of the famous "Little House On The Prairie" series. She was married to Almanzo, whose boyhood Laura wrote about in this poignant and touching novel "Farmer Boy". Apparently, Laura must have consulted with her husband and he must have regailed her with the anecdotes and rich memories of farm life in 19th century New York. The story of Almanzo is just as moving and engrossing as the Laura stories of Little House on the prairie. He is a sensitive boy, a hard worker, full of good family values and humanitarian spirit.

Far from boring, the description of the farm and Almanzo's family life is very engaging. He talks of his friendly and warm relationship with his parents, his sister and the older brother he admired- Royal. Almanzo takes his farm chores with a happy and proud spirit, not minding all the sheep shearing, the cow milking and the taming of two colts he becomes very attached to. The harvest, country festivities and even their annual Fourth of July trip to New York City is very realistic, interesting, and touching. This could have well been a movie, or at least a spin off of the hit series "Little House on the Prairie", which dealt with Laura's childhood in the Mid-Western plains.

I read farmer boy as a very young girl, I must have been nine or ten, and it touched me as no novel other than E. B. White's "Charlotte's Webb" moved me. These novels are timeless classic, and because of their fine literary merit, they are not merely children's stories, they rise above to the level of great reading material for adults. I recommend this novel to any pre-adolescent who has a fondness for Laura Ingalls' style of writing and, like Almanzo, who sacrificed even a job in the city, a love for the simple joys of nature and the farm.

This book is about a boy growing up on a farm. His name is Almanzo or "Manzo" for short. He has two sisters(Eliza Jane & Alice)and a big brother (Royal). He also has a pair of yearling oxen (Star & Bright)! This book tells you a lot of interesting things, like how to plant potatoes, wheat, rye, and carrots. It also tells you what you can do with all the parts of a beef and how to shear sheep. It is very exciting and
really makes you wonder what will happen. An example is(pg.181) when Frank dared Almanzo to ask his father for a nickel. "Yah, you're scared! Frank jeered. Double dare! Double dare!" Back then a nickel was a lot of money and a penny was the most valuable coin he had for his whole life so
far! If you want to find out what happens next read it!
What I liked about this book is that it's written in the third person. I prefer "he" to "I". I like all the animals in the story. I would not like to live on a farm like Almanzo because it would be too much work, but I would like to pet the animals and eat all the homemade Homegrown food.