Little Town on the Prairie (Little House) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: straw ticks, Miss Wilder, Mary Power, Nellie Oleson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The long winter is finally over, and with spring comes a new job for Laura, town parties, and more time to spend with Almanzo Wilder. Laura also tries to help Pa and Ma save money for Mary to go to college.

From the Back Cover

The long winter is finally over, and with spring comes a new job for Laura, town parties, and more time to spend with Almanzo Wilder. When Laura finds out Ma and Pa are struggling to save money for Mary to go to college, Laura knows she must help, even if it means sacrificing her own dreams.

Based on the real adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRAIRIE is the 8th book in the award-winning Little House series.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060885432
• ISBN-13: 978-0060885434
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #697,794 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Relief, September 15, 2001

By	V. VanCamp "lovesbookslovesmusic" (Ithaca, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Little Town on the Prairie (Paperback)

The town of De Smet is filled with relief! The long horrible winter is finally over. Everyone is so happy to be able to have fun outside and to eat real meals again!

The Ingalls family is back out on the claim and Laura is thrilled! She loves to run through the grass and help Pa with the chores.

The book starts with Laura accepting a job in town. She is uncertain about how she will handle being cooped up inside all day, but she is eager to earn money for Mary's schooling.

Fourth of July comes and Pa takes Laura and Carrie into town for the celebration. The town is bursting with activity. The girls are nervous about being in such a crowd, but they are excited to drink fresh cool lemonade and to watch the horse races.

All too soon it is time for Mary to attend college. They all know how wonderful it will be for her and how happy she will be to be learning and growing in a world that teaches her how to live blind. All of these good things do not diminish the aches in their hearts as they bid sweet, gentle, thoughtful Mary good-bye.

When Laura and Carrie start school again, they are dismayed to see Nellie Olson appear! They do not want to have to deal with her again. True to form, Nellie causes trouble, which makes this section of the book very entertaining. Laura is such a spitfire that it is fun to read of her adventures.

This winter in town is a far cry from their last winter. This winter brings laughter and gaiety in the form of name cards, literaries, a birthday party and rides with Almonzo with his beautiful Morgan horses.

'Little Town on the Prairie' is a delightful book. It is interesting, entertaining and often funny. You will enjoy it! I enthusiastically recommend you add it to your collection!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of the series!, November 30, 1999

By	KC "KC" (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Town on the Prairie (Little House) (Hardcover)

This (and Happy Golden Years) is my favorite book of the Little House series. The Ingalls family is doing well; the town has recovered from the Hard Winter; and Laura is changing from a girl into a woman. The descriptions of the characters and the surroundings are vivid and real. I don't care if Rose Wilder Lane wrote most of the books or not - the Little House series is a gift to all readers, not just young readers! I'm in my 30's and I still love to read them periodically, but this is one of my very favorites.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was wrong - THIS book is the best Little House book!, March 26, 2004

By	cheeto1 (michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Town on the Prairie (Paperback)

(...) But this next book, Little Town on the Prairie, is outstanding. The Ingalls have a short winter this year and everything seems to go right. But like we all know, even though we are warm and fed, problems just seem to come along. Now that Laura is 14 and 15 years old, she learns to care about and appreciate other people besides just her immediate family. She likes Ida, Cap, Mary Power and Minnie. She goes to a fancy birthday party for a boy named Frank. We see that she is becoming a beautiful young lady and she starts describing clothes and hairstyles in detail.
She even buys the latest thing - name cards. And when she sees Almonzo,she says "I was just picking up my name cards". MY name cards. Like she was so totally in fashion forever. She is very smart and can do long division in her head. There are many fun social occasions in this book and some exciting power struggles with the teacher, Eliza Jane(Almonzo's sister), Nellie Oleson, etc. This is absolutely the most enjoyable book in the series. But I said that last time. Next will be "These Happy Golden Years". It can't be better than this one, but I've just got to see what happens! I can't close without again mentioning how much you learn in this book. This book teaches social history. You learn how to operate a corsett, hoop skirt, and what a lunatic fringe is, and how to curl your hair without a curling iron. You find out what to do when plagued by blackbirds and gophers, what to do when you're "home alone", and how to behave at your first paying job. This book is the beginning of the end of the little Ingalls family. Mary goes away to college, and soon Laura will become a teacher. We all have to face it sooner or later, our children will grow up. See how an ideal family handles it, with grace and love.