Little House in the Big Woods (Paperback)

by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Author), Garth Williams (Illustrator) "Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs..." (more)
Key Phrases: sugar snow, store sugar, trundle bed, Big Woods, Uncle Henry, Aunt Eliza (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Although the Little House stories are traditionally seen as "girl" books, boys might be happily surprised if they take another peek at their sisters' shelves. Little House in the Big Woods--the first book of the series and Laura Ingalls Wilder's first children's book--is full of the thrills, chills, and spills typically associated with "boy" books. Any boy or girl who has fantasized about running off to live in the woods will find ample information in these pages to manage a Wisconsin snowstorm, a panther attack, or a wild sled ride with a pig as an uninvited guest. Every chapter divulges fascinatingly intricate, yet easy-to-read, details about pioneer life in the Midwest in the late 1800s, from bear-meat curing to maple-tree sapping to homemade bullet making.

Wilder's autobiographical tales ring with truth and excitement. Readers will receive a perfectly painless history lesson, and in fact will clamor for more. Beloved illustrator Garth Williams spent years researching young Laura's pioneering family. His soft-line illustrations bring to life the full, simple days and nights in the family's log cabin. No one can read just one Little House book! (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

Laura Ingalls's story begins in 1871 in a little log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Four-year-old Laura lives in the little house with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack.

Pioneer life is sometimes hard, since the family must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But it is also exciting as Laura and her folks celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do the spring planting, bring in the harvest, and make their first trip into town. And every night they are safe and warm in their little house, with the happy sound of Pa's fiddle sending Laura and her sisters off to sleep.

And so begins Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.

Notable Children's Books of 1940'1970 (ALA)
1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1988 Choices (Association of Booksellers for Children)
Horn Book Children's Classics 1976

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064400018
• ISBN-13: 978-0064400015
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #183,209 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #44 in	Books > Children's Books > Series > Historical > Little House
  #46 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Wilder, Laura Ingalls
  #50 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Williams, Garth

• This is item 1 in The Little House Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glimpses of the Past, February 10, 2004

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Life is hard living on the frontier of Wisconsin in the 1870's. Laura is only a little girl, but she still needs to help with chorus around her family's log cabin. There are wild animals in the woods, and they must provide for themselves since the nearest town in hours away. But it's not all hard work. If Pa's not tired, he might entertain his daughters with a story or by playing his fiddle. With family relatively nearby to visit, life is certainly never dull.

I had not read these books since I was a child until picking this up to reread. I had forgotten how entertaining they really are. There is no real plot, just a collection of stories covering a year in the life of the Ingalls family. This makes sense since they really are an autobiographical work. Still, the simple charm of the stories sucked me right in and I had a hard time putting the book down. There is plenty of detail here to give anyone a good picture of daily life during this time. And I must mention the illustrations by Garth Williams that greatly add to the book.

There's a reason these books are so well loved 70 years after they were written. They are an entertaining look at everyday life in a different time and place. This is a book to treasure.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you love warm, family stories, this book is a good read, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

Little House in the Big Woods, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was fascinating. I think one of the reasons I liked it so much was because the Ingalls family was so close. One word that comes to mind is cozy. Maybe it's because they lived in a little house in the big woods. Or maybe it's becuase Pa used to play his fiddle by the fireside some evenings for Mary, Laura and Carrie. I remember when I read this book I was interested in the fact that they were pioneers. They might have moved from place to place but they always were positive about it. I loved reading about the three girls dancing at their Grandmother and Grandfather's house and having such a fun time. I remember Laura had a rag doll made out of a corncob that she loved so dearly. And it seemed as though the Ingalls family had such wonderful Christmases. In this book, there was nothing but simplicity. It didn't matter how much they moved or how they lived, as long as the family had each other.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Read Aloud Material, May 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Little House in the Big Woods (Hardcover)

I was in search of a good story to read aloud to my five year old daughter who loves books. To me, the obvious choice was Little House in the Big Woods, a book I associate with my own mother reading to me. This book was a fabulous choice. My daughter and I both looked forward to reading a chapter or two each night. This book sparked her interest in a time long ago, she is now constantly wondering if Laura and Mary had faucets and if they had Barbies. She has learned to appreciate what we have now, while also appreciating the beauty and joy of a simpler life. Laura and Mary are excellent role models for her. While they are children with spirit, they also mind their parents. This book has given her imagination a boost too for we all now pretend to be the Ingalls family. I highly recommend this book (and the rest of the series) to all parents of young children. It is perfect read aloud material for it holds a great story, with many moral lessons for our children.