One of the books on this year’s reading challenge is to read a book by an author with your same initials. Luckily I was able to not only find an author with my initials, but with my first name as well…huzzah! I didn’t even have to think twice running to the children’s section of the library to check out Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Actually, I read that and it’s precursor Little House in the Big Woods.
Both books were written in the early to mid 1930’s, about Laura Ingalls childhood living in the woods of Pepin, Wisconsin USA, and then later moving to a prairie in Kansas near the town of Independence. The books are written in the third person and isn’t a literal autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life, but the stories come from her childhood memories.
Being children’s books, I know I’m not the target audience, but I actually found myself enjoying the stories. These aren’t my typical go-to for entertainment either, like I’ve said in the past I’m more of a horror/sci-fi/fantasy girl myself. But there was something charming about the simplicity of the writing style, and the life they lived in the late 1800’s.
Little House in the Big Woods was mostly about life during the fall harvest and winter. Their Pa bringing in lots of meat and salting it to store all winter for food. What I found most charming was how wonderful Laura and her sister Mary felt on Christmas morning, because they each got a pair of new mittens. Period. In today’s world of iPhones and Playstations and Black Friday massacres, it’s nice to read about girls just happy with a new pair of warm mittens.
Little House on the Prairie saw the Ingalls family moving from their big woods out west to Kansas into land belonging to Native Americans, because Pa Ingalls got word that the government was opening it up for settlement. What I loved was after traveling they came to a spot that Pa decided was right where he wanted to build a house, then he went and got logs and started to do just that. Imagine people doing that today! I was really taken aback by the amount of racism in this book toward the Native Americans, especially from Ma Ingalls. Both of these books are a good reminder that things haven’t always been as they are here in the crazy 21st century.
And now for the crochet!
I probably got a little too literal with my crochet item for these stories as I did with The Maze Runner, but whatever it’s only my own rules I’m following here!
There was no pattern for this “little house”, I just did rows of 15 single crochet in back loops only, at the top I tapered down decreasing at the beginning and end of each row.
Read – February 10th – February 15th
Goodreads Reading Challenge – 4 books down, 46 to go (counting these as one since they were short)
9gag’s Reading Challenge – A book by an author with your same initials.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
I’ve never watched the show from the 80s, has anyone else read the books or watched the show? What did you all think?
Plot Hooks 
How funny, I never realised that Little House in the Big Woods, and Little House on the Prairie were by the same author, or anything to do with each other, I guess the clue was “Little House”. I experienced them both differently as a kid. Little House in the Big Woods was read to us in class by the teacher when I was about 8, one chapter every day while we sat on the rug around her feet – perfect book for that! And the teacher had a gentle, kindly voice I remember. And Little House on the Prairie I never read, but watched it on TV, which brings me to my biggest shock of this post – you never watched that?! Mind you it was more 70s, and only just into the 80s (apart from repeats of course), so you’re too young, I was born in 1970.
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No I never did see it. I am ashamed to admit I even mixed up the Little House and Waltons shows together when I was talking to my husband the other day. For shame I know! I was born in 84, so maybe I have an excuse? I’ll have to see now that I’ve read the books if I can find some reruns. I know they must be out there.
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I loved the ‘Little House’ books growing up. I read/own the entire series. It wasn’t until high school or college that I learned it had been turned into a tv show, that I’ll occasionally watch when it’s on
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I know I had at least these two books when I was a kid, because their covers are familiar and I remember having a little box set….but I don’t remember actually reading them. Maybe I did and have forgotten but I usually remember the books I’ve read even as a little kid so I’m not sure. I’m definitely interested in seeing if I can find the show on sometime and check it out.
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