What do you think?
Rate this book
Laura's Album: A Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Though best known as the author of the Little House books, Laura Ingalls Wilder led a full, rich life that spanned almost a century of American history. All through her life Laura saved mementos of her past, including early writings, letters, drawings, and photographs, which have been lovingly preserved in private and public collections across the country.
Now, for the first time ever, these photographs, writings, and memorabilia have been gathered together in one incredible volume by noted Little House historian William Anderson. Each gorgeous page of LAURA'S ALBUM is a doorway into the private world of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and offers a unique glimpse of what her life was like. Here is the fascinating true story of this remarkable pioneer woman's life as well as an unforgettable tale of our own American past.
Now, for the first time ever, these photographs, writings, and memorabilia have been gathered together in one incredible volume by noted Little House historian William Anderson. Each gorgeous page of LAURA'S ALBUM is a doorway into the private world of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and offers a unique glimpse of what her life was like. Here is the fascinating true story of this remarkable pioneer woman's life as well as an unforgettable tale of our own American past.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 1998
2 people are currently reading
1073 people want to read
About the author
William Anderson
39 books63 followersWilliam Anderson is an American author, historian and lecturer. He is a specialist in the subject of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her times.
His interest in American frontier began after reading Little House on the Prairie. He is a director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, and he lives and works as a teacher in Michigan.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
His interest in American frontier began after reading Little House on the Prairie. He is a director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, and he lives and works as a teacher in Michigan.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 21, 2019
A fascinating scrapbook of photographs and mementos commemorating the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. True fans will appreciate how the visual aids bring the details of her life and stories to a much clearer picture. A nice way for younger fans to experience more of both her real and fictionalized lives.
January 11, 2016
Of course we all know there really WAS a Little House, and a Ma, and a Pa--just not as fab as the one on TV, and certainly not with Michael Landon's hair and bod. Kidding aside, this book is a Little Gem. An eighty-page feast of photos and mementos you never would have believed existed, preserved by Half Pint herself and gathered by a dedicated historian. Read it in one sitting; then you'll have the rest of your days to spend as many moments with Laura as you like.
January 24, 2021
I'm a big fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder! About ten years ago I did a deep dive into all her writings, plus books about her mother's childhood and some of her daughter's books. This is a nice summary of Laura's life and writing career. Although it is very short, there are lots of photos of her and her family and other memorabilia, including postcards, newspaper articles, and letters. I liked learning about what happened with the rest of her family and where they ended up. I was sad to learn that Laura outlived all her siblings, even her two younger sisters!
I took one star off just because the captions for some of the pictures were oddly organized, in my opinion. On the other hand, I don't have any suggestions on how to organize them better. And I was also confused because it never addressed how "The First Four Years," the last of the Little House books, got published. It acted like "These Happy Golden Years" was the last in the collection--despite one illustration showing the collection and it included "The First Four Years." Afterwards I looked it up, and turns out it was published posthumously. But it still credits Laura as the author, so I wish it had been mentioned in this book. Nitpicking, you say? Pretty much.
This is great for anyone who loves Little House stuff!
I took one star off just because the captions for some of the pictures were oddly organized, in my opinion. On the other hand, I don't have any suggestions on how to organize them better. And I was also confused because it never addressed how "The First Four Years," the last of the Little House books, got published. It acted like "These Happy Golden Years" was the last in the collection--despite one illustration showing the collection and it included "The First Four Years." Afterwards I looked it up, and turns out it was published posthumously. But it still credits Laura as the author, so I wish it had been mentioned in this book. Nitpicking, you say? Pretty much.
This is great for anyone who loves Little House stuff!
February 10, 2015
Wonderful photos of the Ingalls and Wilder families as well as other mementos.
July 21, 2025
As a lover of the Laura Ingalls Wilder story both the real and her fabulous Little House books based on her real life, I couldn't pass up this lovely hardback, glossy-paged print full of bits of this and that from her life and accompanied by an abbreviated biography and explanations.
Apparently, Laura Ingalls Wilder was a friend to future historians because she didn't throw any of her paper memories away and even wanted them preserved when she died. And, so, there are old tin types and photos for the previous generations before her, her own generation, and some from Almanzo's family. There are old postcards, letters, drawings, poems, certificates, and more tucked in and filling each page of this "Album". I thought William Anderson did a fabulous job narrating her life and, specifically, about the part of her life portrayed in the scrapbook pieces. The book is clear so details can be noted and each scrap item is explained down to every person in the photos.
All around a lovely extra for the Laura Ingalls Wilder fan.
Apparently, Laura Ingalls Wilder was a friend to future historians because she didn't throw any of her paper memories away and even wanted them preserved when she died. And, so, there are old tin types and photos for the previous generations before her, her own generation, and some from Almanzo's family. There are old postcards, letters, drawings, poems, certificates, and more tucked in and filling each page of this "Album". I thought William Anderson did a fabulous job narrating her life and, specifically, about the part of her life portrayed in the scrapbook pieces. The book is clear so details can be noted and each scrap item is explained down to every person in the photos.
All around a lovely extra for the Laura Ingalls Wilder fan.
January 31, 2017
An excellent overview of Laura's life with a collection of photos, articles & letters. A nice addition when reading the Little House books. Disappointed that the layout doesn't allow you to read every letter/article completely, but a very nice collection overall. The timeline in the back is excellent. Think it would make a wonderful gift to new LIW fans.
December 26, 2007
A nice collection of items preserved from the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Some are things you hear mentioned/described, such as Laura's name cards. Some are things that you never you about, such as pictures Pa had drawn for them when they were little or a book Almanzo had given her in their courting days. For fans it's another peek into the real life of the author.
October 6, 2010
After having read the Little House books last year, I picked this children's book about Laura Ingalls Wilder. The title says it all--it's a scrapbook of photographs, postcards and letters she kept. The memorabilia are interesting and the text is perfect for the age group.
December 22, 2022
I brought back my childhood by investigating Laura Ingalls Wilder. I LOVED the Little House books! And I found this book. So many photos and mementos of her life that SHE saved. The story that goes with the mementos is fascinating. So many things I didn’t know about how she got the books published and how old she was at the time. If you were a Little House fan, this book is a must.
August 1, 2024
I love this charming scrapbook compiled of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s pictures, memories and such. By the end of the book, I did shed a of couple tears lol. A sweet, brilliant lady who reached, and is still reaching, millions today about her amazing life.
February 21, 2019
An invaluable volume of countless mementos of Laura's life. This beautiful book is filled with letters, photographs, drawings, newspaper articles, and other memorabilia that Laura had saved. As a lifelong Little House fan, I cannot accurately describe how amazing it is to see these priceless artifacts.
The text, separated into chapters by years, first introduces the Ingalls and Quiner-Holbrook families, then transitions into an overview of Laura's lifetime. The text hits all of the main points and was fun to read. (I'm not sure if anyone else would describe the text as "fun," but I loved how informative it was without being dry or boring; I guess that qualifies as "fun" to me.) I think it is perfect for those who have not recently read the Little House books. Of course, this book covers life after Laura's marriage to Almanzo as well, so there is new information not covered in the series.
The text, separated into chapters by years, first introduces the Ingalls and Quiner-Holbrook families, then transitions into an overview of Laura's lifetime. The text hits all of the main points and was fun to read. (I'm not sure if anyone else would describe the text as "fun," but I loved how informative it was without being dry or boring; I guess that qualifies as "fun" to me.) I think it is perfect for those who have not recently read the Little House books. Of course, this book covers life after Laura's marriage to Almanzo as well, so there is new information not covered in the series.
August 22, 2008
I bought this book up after reading the Little House set to my daughter and we enjoyed seeing the photographs of the the people we came to love in the story and seeing them grow up, but it was a little sad for my daughter, 8 at the time, to hear how they all passed on. But if you enjoy more information this is a good book.
February 24, 2020
It's amazing that Laura saved all this memorabilia and it gives great insight into her life during that pioneer time period. It's amazingly well organized and written. The photos and items make her come to life. It's fun to watch time pass in the photos. A chronology at the end clarifies the main events in the lives of the Wilder/Ingalls families.
April 15, 2008
I'm a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and it was neat to see actual photos of the family and places that we all got to know in her books. I would love to visit the museum one day w/Madison and Marisa after they read all her books.
July 3, 2018
This book contains a brilliant collection of photos from the life and family of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Such a beautiful family and history, I was delighted to have it brought to reality by photographs.
December 20, 2018
I enjoyed this book immensely. Special keepsakes tucked in the book, such as Ma's letter to Laura, Mary's letter to her friend in DeSmet, and PA's drawings for his girls, made this a 5 star read for me.
January 23, 2008
So nice to finally see some of these 'artifacts' in living color vs black & white reproductions. A thorough collection, with items referring to extended family, not just her immediate family.
October 2, 2018
This Book is great for the pictures more than reading. Every Laura fan that collects or wants to know more about the real Laura needs to see this book!!!
May 18, 2017
Laura’s Album: A Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Copyright:1998
Written by William Anderson
Genre: Life Writing, Historical, Informational
Literature Requirement: One of the life writing books
*Spoiler Alert* l really like enjoyed reading the LIttle House on the Prairie series growing up, so I was very excited to find a book about Laura Ingalls Wilder real life. I really liked how all the pictures that were shown of the member’s of Laura’s family growing up. I didn’t like the fact that the book didn’t really have any new information about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her childhood. I could have read the whole LIttle House on the Prairie book series and learned as much information from the book. Another aspect of the book that I didn’t really like was the way the book treated the Native Americans the same way the Little House in the Prairie treats Native Americans. The way the Native Americans are treated in the Little House in the Prairie series as brutish and enemies. Even though the Native Americans were there first in the land that the white settlers settled, Native Americans are treated as if they don’t exist. The Little House in the Prairie series has been criticized for the treatment of Native Americans, yet this continues to prompt the philosophy that the land was for the white settlers to take in this book about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life. I do agree their our aspects that the Little House on the Prairie has such as the closeness to nature and the value of family, but the author of Laura's Album chose to further the myth that of frontierism. I would have given at least a page to talk about the wrongs that have been done in the Little House on the Prairie series. I did like the aspects that talked about Laura’s later life, such as writing her books and moving to the Ozarks. I would give this book a three out of three stars for not addressing the Native American issue. I would recommend this book to children who are reading the Little House on the Prairie series to read Laura’s Album if they want a new perspective on Laura Ingall Wilder’s life.
Copyright:1998
Written by William Anderson
Genre: Life Writing, Historical, Informational
Literature Requirement: One of the life writing books
*Spoiler Alert* l really like enjoyed reading the LIttle House on the Prairie series growing up, so I was very excited to find a book about Laura Ingalls Wilder real life. I really liked how all the pictures that were shown of the member’s of Laura’s family growing up. I didn’t like the fact that the book didn’t really have any new information about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her childhood. I could have read the whole LIttle House on the Prairie book series and learned as much information from the book. Another aspect of the book that I didn’t really like was the way the book treated the Native Americans the same way the Little House in the Prairie treats Native Americans. The way the Native Americans are treated in the Little House in the Prairie series as brutish and enemies. Even though the Native Americans were there first in the land that the white settlers settled, Native Americans are treated as if they don’t exist. The Little House in the Prairie series has been criticized for the treatment of Native Americans, yet this continues to prompt the philosophy that the land was for the white settlers to take in this book about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life. I do agree their our aspects that the Little House on the Prairie has such as the closeness to nature and the value of family, but the author of Laura's Album chose to further the myth that of frontierism. I would have given at least a page to talk about the wrongs that have been done in the Little House on the Prairie series. I did like the aspects that talked about Laura’s later life, such as writing her books and moving to the Ozarks. I would give this book a three out of three stars for not addressing the Native American issue. I would recommend this book to children who are reading the Little House on the Prairie series to read Laura’s Album if they want a new perspective on Laura Ingall Wilder’s life.
May 31, 2025
While this is geared more for children to gain a brief overview of the “Little House” books and the author’s real life, as a lifelong fan of the books and the author, I had to grab this book when I saw it for sale at a thrift store. It could easily be read in one short sitting, but I picked it up and read when I had a few moments to spare instead of barreling right through.
It provides a rose-colored view of all things “Little House” and Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s perfect for children and those who are satisfied to believe everything in the books is true and that Ingalls Wilder was the sole creative mind behind them. As someone who had her rose-colored glasses ripped off several years ago, this book took me back to my childhood love and also made me a little sad.
While the content certainly adheres to the life the author lived, it doesn’t provide any of the grittier aspects the Ingalls family experienced in reality. And maybe, that’s okay. Laura Ingalls Wilder stated that her books were mostly true but that children don’t need to know everything about how difficult life is at times. I have mixed feelings about the books, the author, and the veracity of it all.
I would definitely use this book in my younger elementary classroom during a Laura Ingalls Wilder unit.
It provides a rose-colored view of all things “Little House” and Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s perfect for children and those who are satisfied to believe everything in the books is true and that Ingalls Wilder was the sole creative mind behind them. As someone who had her rose-colored glasses ripped off several years ago, this book took me back to my childhood love and also made me a little sad.
While the content certainly adheres to the life the author lived, it doesn’t provide any of the grittier aspects the Ingalls family experienced in reality. And maybe, that’s okay. Laura Ingalls Wilder stated that her books were mostly true but that children don’t need to know everything about how difficult life is at times. I have mixed feelings about the books, the author, and the veracity of it all.
I would definitely use this book in my younger elementary classroom during a Laura Ingalls Wilder unit.
April 18, 2024
Seven years ago, my family & I visited SD and I just had to visit De Smet while we were there. Walking in the same place the Ingalls did, was surreal to me. I watched the Little House show with my Grandmother as a little girl and only did it dawn on me as an adult, that my Grandmother lived during Laura's lifetime. How amazing it must have been to hear of this author from the Midwest whose books were later made into a series and she was able to share that with me. I can't watch the show without feeling nostalgia, but every time I read about Laura's real life, I get tears in my eyes. What a treasure it is to have the information we do about a time when the country was still so young. I mean, it we really is still a young country, as we are only coming upon our 250 year birthday in just a couple years (2026). (There are countries much older than ours.) I recently purchased the Little House books for my niece and she started to read the series a little while ago and watching the show with her mom. It was kind of funny because when she started to watch the show, she noticed the differences between the show and the books.
October 31, 2018
4 stars, not for the length (it's a scrapbook, not a photograph/memory book, so I get it), but for the information provided.
I loved the images of different paraphernalia relating to LIW: letters, notes, journal entries, articles, news clippings, ads, plaques, and more.
- The handwriting was beautiful in the notes.
- I LOVED seeing original art from the first edition books.
But the very condensed bio is based a bit more on the books than on the truth. There is mention of how well Laura and Rose got along, when their relationship was strained. And Anderson contradicts himself on the same page--he mentions that Laura was 15 when she got her teaching certification, but she was 16, as he notes in the image of that cert.
I loved the images of different paraphernalia relating to LIW: letters, notes, journal entries, articles, news clippings, ads, plaques, and more.
- The handwriting was beautiful in the notes.
- I LOVED seeing original art from the first edition books.
But the very condensed bio is based a bit more on the books than on the truth. There is mention of how well Laura and Rose got along, when their relationship was strained. And Anderson contradicts himself on the same page--he mentions that Laura was 15 when she got her teaching certification, but she was 16, as he notes in the image of that cert.
August 7, 2023
Any Laura Ingalls Wilder fan would enjoy this book. I picked it up in the gift shop in DeSmet, SD, run by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historical Society. It shows examples of the things she saved and wrote which is interesting in terms of watching a writer develop over the course of a great many changes in our country’s history. You also get a feel for what type of person she was and how she handled her celebrity. She really did visit with those traveling to Missouri to see her and answered all of her fan mail. I just wish the pictures were more clear to actually read everything shown.
June 3, 2021
This book is a must read for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books. This book should also appeal to genealogists as it is filled with family pictures, articles about and by Wilder. I have read and reread this book many times usually before my class reads Little House on the Prairie. The articles and photographs never fail to impress me and feel grateful that they were preserved so carefully and shared in this one of a kind book.
December 31, 2023
I purchased this book at our local library in the book sale room. Although it is most likely more of a young readers historical book, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical and photos of the memorabilia of Laura, the homes she lived in and to find out that her daughter Rose was an accomplished author herself.
Rose even helped her mother to complete the Little House series, which we all know became a treasures t.v. series. This book will stay in my home bookshelf.
Rose even helped her mother to complete the Little House series, which we all know became a treasures t.v. series. This book will stay in my home bookshelf.
April 7, 2024
Fans of LHOTP will enjoy this collection of photos, letters, postcards, and other memorabilia that give us a look at the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, and their family. There is a biography that gives details on Laura's life before she became a writer, as well as what her later adult years were like. A fun trip down memory lane with the well-known pioneering family.
May 27, 2024
This is a beautifully compiled walk through memorabilia of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Photographs and mementos are scattered throughout the pages, as well as stories about her life and the people she was close to. As someone who has loved Laura since childhood and who has enjoyed learning about her life, I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much new information in the stories shared by this author, and the photos that are included are beautiful and priceless.
October 18, 2018
Laura’s Album is a collection from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “early writings, letters, drawings, and photographs” gathered from public and private sources. Running alongside the mementos is a written dialogue by Little House historian William Anderson. For Little House fans Laura’s Album this is a fun book to read.
August 4, 2024
This book contains a great collection of photographs, and photos of items that belonged to the Ingalls family and relatives. I have seen a lot of these photos before, through internet searches, and now it's nice to have them all in one place! I also learned more about the Ingalls and Quiner-Holbrook families, before Charles and Caroline met, and the Wilders too.
December 30, 2024
An interesting collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder ephemera with a synopsis of her life and career. If you’re a Laura fanatic like me, you probably won’t learn much new, but it was fun to see the family photos and handwritten letters (although many were illegible). Some day I would love to visit the sites from her books in person!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews