By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

One always hesitates as to whether these stories of Laura Wilder's childhood belong with fiction or non-fiction, so place this where you have found the others sell best. This follows On The Banks of Plum Creek, and the Ingalls' family go on to Dakota Territory, where they eventually homestead. They pass an initial year in the settlement, - the summer in a shack near a trading post, the winter in a deserted cabin. Laura is thirteen, with a healthy adolescent curiosity about the new country; Mary, her sister, has gone blind, but her courage and resourcefulness are a constant inspiration. The coming of the railroad, the influx of settlers, bring new elements into the section. A splendidly written contribution to factual frontier material, of special interest to the Middle Western market. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they move from their little house on the banks of Plum Creek to the wilderness of the unsettled Dakota Territory. Here Pa works on the new railroad until he finds a homestead claim that is perfect for their new little house. Laura takes her first train ride as she, her sisters, and their mother come out to live with Pa on the shores of Silver Lake. After a lonely winter in the surveyors' house, Pa puts up the first building in what will soon be a brand-new town on the beautiful shores of Silver Lake. The Ingallses' covered-wagon travels are finally over.

And so continues 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.

In Dakota territory, Pa has a job in a railroad building camp and Laura, the central character in the story, is now 13.

1940 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1954 (ALA)

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition (October 14, 1953)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060264160
• ISBN-13: 978-0060264161
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,986 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

• This is item 4 in The Little House Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ingalls family return to prairie life., June 2, 1999

By	R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House) (Paperback)

In this next book in the landmark "Little House" series, the Ingalls family decide to leave their farm by Plum Creek to find a new homestead on the prairie. The grasshoppers and poor crops in Minnesota were a little too much for them. In addition, some bad times appear for the Ingalls family in the time period between this and the previous book in the series. The whole family had been stricken with scarlet fever and the oldest daughter, Mary, is now blind because of it. In addition, although it is never mentioned in the books, Laura had a little baby brother at this time (Charles Frederic, "Freddy") who died before his first birthday (1875-1876). And, a new baby sister has been added to the family, Grace Pearl Ingalls (1877-1941). Laura's father gets a job acting as a storekeeper for the Chicago and North Western Railroad who are laying tracks through the Dakota terretory. While working for them, he finds a new homestead on the prairie and brings the rest of his family out. There is concern as to whether he will be able to file his claim on time; but, he does. The Ingalls family are among the first to live near the new town of De Smet, South Dakota (although South Dakota doesn't become a state until 1889). The time frame of this book is 1879-1880 and Laura Elizabeth Ingalls is 12-13 years old. The book was a 1940 Newbery Honor Book (that is, a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best contribution to American children's literature. And, it deserved it! Near the end of the book, Laura gets her first glimpse at the boy who will later become her husband, Almanzo Wilder.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can feel the emotions, August 25, 2000

By	"midnightrose" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House) (Paperback)

Laura Ingalls Wilder described to us what we never would see--the building of railroads and towns right before her eyes. Her ability to describe makes you see the railroad being built in your own mind. This book really captures the emotions of growing up. From losing Jack, the brindle bulldog, to Mary's blindness to the hardships of no money. Laura struggles with the longing of wanting to keep going west but knows it can never happen. By being able to stay in the Surveyors House, they do not have to go back east but stay as far in the west as Laura feels she'll always be. The part where Carrie and Laura follow the moonbeam, while skating on the ice, made me appreciate the long cold winters here in the North. She appreciated all things wild and saw the beauty in the night. When they moved to the homestead, you could feel the heartache of knowing that was it for traveling in the wagon. You can feel the boredom in Laura while she is with Lena. Not that Lena was boring to Laura, but Laura saw Lena as someone who had so much freedom and would always be following the railroad while Laura would always be right where she is at. Little did Laura know that when she saw the beautiful brown Morgan horses, they and the young man driving them, would be her future.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked the title of the book because I like silver., August 19, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House) (Paperback)

I liked the book because it was interesting the way Laura described everything to Mary because she was blind. I liked when Laura went horseback riding. It sounded fun. My Mom read these books when she was young and back then this was her least favorite when when she re-read it as an adult she found it much more interesting. Now she is reading the series to me. It was sad when Jack died. I cried because I liked Jack. Pa said he would go to dog heaven. Mom's favorite part of the book was when the family lived in the surveyor's house for the winter and they had a nice Christmas with the Boasts, and she liked the part when the family learned about the blind college, and they had hope that Mary could one day go there.