Dear Laura: Letters from Children to Laura Ingalls Wilder

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

A collection of children's letters from the 1930s through the 1950s sent to Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the nine "Little House" books

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens

152 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1996

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

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letters, cards, and drawings from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s youngest fans. These happy greetings, letters of friendship, birthday wishes, and questions for the author are a lovely tribute to an author whom many readers viewed as a personal and close friend. Each letter writer shares a bit about themselves, knowingly or unknowingly, as they tell which book they’ve read, who their favorite character is, or how they relate to Laura’s stories. It’s a heartwarming testimonial to a much-loved author who is still held dear by many yet today.

[Gail DiVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very sweet compilation of letters written to Laura Ingalls Wilder from the 1930's through the 1950's. It brought back many nice childhood memories of reading all her books; so much so that I started reading one again and found an old book I had kept with three more of them. The letters were charming, 30 of them were printed as is in the children's own handwriting. The best part was the warmth and care Laura put into answering these letters which she did, each and every one until rheumatism kept her from doing so. Her philosophy about living life will never be out of style and neither will her books! Great read for Little House Fans everywhere!

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of children’s letters written in the 1940’s to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Charming.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you must know by now, I love anything related to Laura Ingalls Wilder. So when I saw this book, I had to get it! Dear Laura is a collection of letters by readers sent to Laura, with drawings, poems, etc. It is really very sweet to read. It won't teach you much but it will bring smiles. I even laughed out loud at one of the letters by a child who was wishing Laura a happy 85th birthday, and hoping he could take away her years as it's rubbish to be 85 according to him. They're all absolute darlings in their letters.

I found it great to read as I remember vividly how I felt at their age reading Laura's books, wishing I could write to her myself. I still get this feeling when I read the books even as an adult, wishing I lived at the time period and that Laura was my friend. I also liked all the stories about how teachers read the books to their classes and led their pupils to love the series - I'm a teacher myself albeit not working at the moment, so I have a personal connection to teaching.

If you're a Laura fan, you need this book.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me of how much I love these books.

Also, kids in the 40s and 50s had much better handwriting than the average kid today.

[Kelly]

She is of my favorite authors, but this book is letters TO her rather than her telling life stories to her readers.

I love that even 70 or so years ago readers were touched enough by the same stories I read as a child and reached out to Mrs. Wilder to tell her how much they enjoyed reading her memories.

This is not a life-changing book, but is a gentle reminder that even simple stories, when told well, can impact large audiences for generations.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure.

Would have loved to see some of Laura's responses included (I saw some when visiting Little House sites in Minnesota and South Dakota - they were wonderful).

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting it to include Laura Ingalls Wilder's answers to the children's letters. It does have a gew of those (maybe 3 or 4) but certainly not the treasure trove of fan fiction i was expecting. I read this book for the prompt read a book with a handwritten interior font (52 books 2026)

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I love letters. I found this in a Little Free Library in Greenwood, Indiana. I cried at the end.

[Laura Petto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb book. Top notch, it's really one that I want to own.

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing new, but it's fun to read what school kids thought Laura would want to know about them.