22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I couldn't put it down., June 13, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Young Pioneers (Paperback)
I went into reading this book not sure what to expect. It was reflective of the Little House books, but I was instantly hooked by the suspense of the plot and the events. Although this was meant for children, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a huge fan of all the Little House books, and this one just earned a spot on my bookshelf.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
There is a reason...., November 18, 2008
This review is from: Young Pioneers (Paperback)
There is a reason that Rose Wilder Lane, once a hugely famous journalist and novelist, is now largely remembered as an afterthought when her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder is mentioned. After reading claims, that Rose took a more than 'editorial' part in her mother's Little House series, and then finding out that this was book was somewhat modeled after her grandparents, Charles and Caroline Ingalls, I had to read it. Luckily, this one is still often reprinted. Here are my thoughts, however educated or not so, they may be: I think this book was tremendously interesting. I startled time and again reading things like "Wild Plum Creek", and about the grasshopper plagues, so familiar from Laura's "On the Banks of Plum Creek". I was suprised (in almost a good way) to read about some of the harsher things that Molly (as she is called in this version) had to do to survive. We definately wouldn't read about some those gory aspects in a Little House book. I actual could have really liked this book if it weren't for the way it was written. Rose's plot line was great (the ending was too abrupt though). But there was absolutely no personalizing her characters here at all. This read like history...this happened and this happened. Oh, and they were madly in love. I never felt like they were madly in love, except for the fact that Rose tells me so in the book once in awhile. In Laura's stories I feel the love between Pa and Ma, in his 'twinkling' eyes as he looks on her..as his first thoughts are usually things to do to make Ma happier wherever they settle. You can feel the love between parents and child(ren) in Laura's books as well. In the soft words, Pa and Ma speak to comfort the children. In the ways Pa and Ma think of their children as they try to soften the blows so frequently felt from the prairie.
There is none of that in Young Pioneers. This story is kind of bland. I think this should be an example pointing to the fact that Rose Wilder Lane perhaps (most certainly in fact) edited her mother's stories, and its never been a secret that she typed up Laura's handwritten manuscripts, but Rose Wilder Lane's writing style would have had to completely changed, to have had a serious authorship of the Little House books.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Young Pioneers is a book you can not put down., June 14, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Young Pioneers (Paperback)
Young Pioneers is a good book if you love reading about how our country became seltled in the west by the young, brave people like Molly and David. Rose Wilder Lane is a great author just like her mother Laura Ingalls Wilder. If you enjoy Laura's books, you will enjoy Rose's also. Young Pioneers is a great story about how life was like in the 1800s. I really enjoyed this book.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
