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Little House Chapter Books: Laura #8
Hard Times on the Prairie
Gentle adaptations of Laura Ingalls Wilder's celebrated Little House stories have been gathered together here in two new titles in our Little House Chapter Book series.Frontier life wasn't always easy, and in Hard Times on the Prairie, Laura and her family struggle against prairie fires, grasshoppers, and winter blizzards. But with their fighting pioneer spirit, the Ingalls family always manages to make it through the hardest of hard times.In Little House Farm Days, Laura has to do her part to help run the Ingalls family farm. From helping Pa smoke meat to planting seeds and making cheese with Ma, Laura is a big help. Pa doesn't know what he'd do without her!With simple text, entertaining stories, and Renee Graef's beautiful black-and-white artwork, Little House Chapter Books are the perfect way to introduce beginning chapter book readers to the world of Little House.
72 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
3 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
About the author
Laura Ingalls Wilder
453 books5,445 followersLaura Ingalls Wilder was an American author, journalist, and educator whose "Little House" series transformed the arduous reality of the American frontier into a foundational pillar of children's literature. Born in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura’s childhood was a nomadic journey through the heart of a shifting nation. Her family moved across Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory—often staying just ahead of legal evictions or chasing the promise of fertile soil. These years were marked by extreme hardship, including the "Hard Winter" of 1880–81 in De Smet, South Dakota, where the family survived near-starvation. Despite the struggle, these experiences provided the raw material for her eight-volume record of pioneer life, a series that has since been translated into over forty languages.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2023
I liked it because I like dog books a lot and like, the cover looks really good. And it was really interesting. What made it interesting was about those like little bugs. Like little grasshoppers. And Laura and Jack books are really good. 🙂🙂🙂🙂
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January 18, 2020I want to read , because it’s my life and I want to start finding a library to find a hard chapter books
August 30, 2021
Turtle: great! Return to library.
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December 8, 2016Awards: None
Appropriate Grade Levels: Grade 1 to Grade 3
Summary: Hard Times on the Prairie is one of a series of Little House Chapter Books, based on the popular series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book describes the life of the Ingalls family on the Kansas prairie.
Review: As is the case with all of the "Little House" books, Laura Ingalls Wilder gives readers a taste of life on the frontier during the Westward Expansion. Primary school children will be amazed at the contrast between the life of Laura Ingalls and their own in terms of school, chores and activities!
Classroom Uses: This book could relate to a primary grade lesson on Economics (wants vs. needs). It could also be used to teach about lifestyle during the Westward Expansion.
Appropriate Grade Levels: Grade 1 to Grade 3
Summary: Hard Times on the Prairie is one of a series of Little House Chapter Books, based on the popular series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book describes the life of the Ingalls family on the Kansas prairie.
Review: As is the case with all of the "Little House" books, Laura Ingalls Wilder gives readers a taste of life on the frontier during the Westward Expansion. Primary school children will be amazed at the contrast between the life of Laura Ingalls and their own in terms of school, chores and activities!
Classroom Uses: This book could relate to a primary grade lesson on Economics (wants vs. needs). It could also be used to teach about lifestyle during the Westward Expansion.
March 22, 2016
I've always loved Laura Ingalls Wilder books and the show LHOP. I enjoy reading about what life was like for them during the 1800s. The hard times that they went through then, make me realize how trivial my problems are now. Regardless, this strong family always made do with what they had.
January 2, 2017
We usually read a chapter a day of this series, but the last three chapters were suspenseful! We read right through to the end, much to the delight of my four year old who got to stay up extra late to hear how it all turned out.
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May 21, 2009JEAR3-Wil
July 26, 2012
(Historical Fiction- younger children) in notebook
November 18, 2016
I liked it
December 29, 2014
Easy read, good for young children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2017
I have been a fan of the little house series for a long time. I enjoyed reading this book because it shows that not everything was perfect, everything did not always work out in their favor. Money was really tight back then, if your crops got ruined you lost your main source of income and probably have to find a job if you didn't have one already. Even though the prices are a lot lower back then as compared to today, it was still expensive for them to buy things they needed on an every day basis.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews