The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide

by Annette Whipple

Overview

Eager young readers can now discover and experience Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books like never before. Author Annette Whipple encourages children to engage in pioneer activities while thinking deeper about the Ingalls and Wilder families as portrayed in the nine Little House books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion provides brief introductions to each Little House book, chapter-by-chapter story guides, and “Fact or Fiction” sidebars, plus 75 activities, crafts, and recipes that encourage kids to “Live Like Laura” using easy-to-find supplies. Thoughtful questions help the reader develop appreciation and understanding of Wilder’s stories. Every aspiring adventurer will enjoy this walk alongside Laura from the big woods to the golden years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641601665
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/04/2020
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	481,178
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Annette Whipple uses nonfiction to inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity in young readers. For more than 20 years, she has taught children in classrooms, nature centers, 4-H clubs, churches, and camps. Annette Whipple is the creator of www.WilderCompanion.com, a resource for fans of the Little House books.

Table of Contents

A Note for the Reader ix

Part I Little Laura

1 Little House in the Big Woods (Pepin, Wisconsin) 1

2 Farmer Boy (Burke, New York) 17

3 Little House on the Prairie (Independence, Kansas) 41

4 On the Banks of Plum Creek (Walnut Grove, Minnesota) 63

5 By the Shores of Silver Lake (De Smet, Dakota Territory) 77

6 The Long Winter (De Smet, Dakota Territory) 95

7 Little Town on the Prairie (De Smet, Dakota Territory) 109

8 These Happy Golden Years (De Smet, Dakota Territory) 121

Part II Life Beyond Little House

9 The First Four Years (De Smet, Dakota Territory) 135

10 What Happened Next (Leaving de Smet) 147

Glossary of Pioneer Terms 153

Resources to Explore 167

Places to Visit 167

Books, Websites, and Videos 170

Activities List 171

Acknowledgments 173

Editorial Reviews

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion . . . is a useful tool for reading and teaching Wilder's pioneer series.” —William Anderson, author of Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography, A Little House Sampler, and Laura Ingalls Wilder Country 


“A fun and comprehensive look at the popular Little House series ...Whipple’s book is packed with photographs, chapter-by-chapter background information and analysis, and a wealth of hands-on activities straight from the novels’ pages.” —Brandon Marie Miller, author of Women of the Frontier

From the Publisher

2020-05-03
Learn about the real and fictional life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder with hands-on activities and historical tidbits.

The first part of this educational companion title focuses on the first eight Little House books, each chapter focusing on a different book. The First Four Years and Wilder’s life after are covered in Part 2. Historical and geographical information, along with miscellany about daily life (cooking, farm work, animal husbandry, clothing, etc.), are presented in bullet points, with more general information in callout boxes, some specifically delineating fact from fiction. Offensive/dated terms found in Wilder’s texts are highlighted. Each segment also includes crafts, games, recipes (lengthy and targeting experienced cooks), and other activities prompting readers to “live like” Laura or Almanzo. Chapter-ending questions, educational and moralistic in tone, often prompt specific answers rather than natural discussion. Whipple applauds Wilder for writing her family’s story “realistically,” including racial prejudices of the time, asserting that she “let readers like you decide what to think.” In her introduction, Whipple acknowledges the “complicated pioneer history,” noting that the way “white settlers treated the American Indians…was often shameful.” Unfortunately, although Whipple encourages readers to reflect on these “uncomfortable” issues and consider also the Osage side of the story, closing her introduction by chipperly quoting the virulently racist Ma’s “All’s well that ends well” sounds a particularly sour note. Unless otherwise noted, characters are assumed white and Christian.

For die-hard fans. (glossary, further reading, and places to visit) (Nonfiction, 7-12).)

Kirkus Reviews

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