Little House Friends

Little House Chapter Books: Laura #9

by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Renée Graef (Illustrator)

No matter where Laura Ingalls and her family settled on the frontier, Laura always made many friends. And when the farm work was finished and school was out for the day, Laura and her friends had wonderful adventures. From racing ponies bareback with Cousin Lena to sliding down snow-drifts with Cap Garland and the gang, Laura loved spending time with her friends. Even mean old Nellie Oleson couldn't spoil Laura's fun!

These gentle adaptations from Laura Ingalls Wilder's original Little House books capture the spirit of this beloved pioneer girl and invite beginning chapter book readers into the magical world of Little House. These rare glimpses into America's frontier past bring Laura's cherished stories to a whole new generation of young readers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Fiction

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 1998

About the author

Laura 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.

Reviews

[Kaliah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot! I was surprised that they moved a lot in the book but it made the book interesting. I really liked that Laura stood up to the bully and even with the bully being mean, they still offered her candy and treated her with kindness. I was also very surprised that Kellie didn't want to go outside because she was scared to get color to her skin,

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Alison Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, my four year old and I love these adaptations of the Little House books. This one had a bit more mature themes of girls being mean to one another, so it was sometimes upsetting to my preschooler, but we enjoyed it very much overall.

[Cws]

JEAR3-Wil

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the original chapters, but still decent especially for a young reader.

[Lindsey]

Emme loved reading this book and had a lot of questions about prairie life!