Product Description

The little settlement that weathered the long, hard winter of 1880-81 is now a growing town. Laura is growing up, and she goes to her first evening social. Mary is at last able to go to a college for the blind. Best of all, Almanzo Wilder asks permission to walk home from church with Laura. And Laura, now fifteen years old, receives her certificate to teach school.

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.

1942 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1954 (ALA)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #608587 in Books
• Published on: 1953-10-14
• Released on: 1994-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780064400077
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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 seventh book in the award-winning Little House series.

About the Author
Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 in the log cabin described in Little House in the Big Woods. As her classic Little House books tell us, she and her family traveled by covered wagon across the Midwest. She and her husband, Almanzo Wilder, made their own covered-wagon trip with their daughter, Rose, to Mansfield, Missouri. There Laura wrote her story in the Little House books, and lived until she was ninety years old. For millions of readers, however, she lives forever as the little pioneer girl in the beloved Little House books.

From AudioFile
This title, seventh in the Little House series, is once again narrated by Cherry Jones, who is just right for the part. This book depicts the changing nature of the prairie, documenting the way it is being tamed and settled as people begin to cluster their homes into towns. Laura's own life is changing, too, as she begins to work, have a social life, and step out with Almanzo Wilder and his team of beautiful horses. Jones's enthusiastic, slightly husky voice expresses impetuous Laura perfectly, and she is equally delightful at creating Pa's humor and Ma's refined restraint. This production provides hours of quality family entertainment. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Relief
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!

My favorite of the series!
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.

I was wrong - THIS book is the best Little House book!
(...) 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.