Little Farm in the Ozarks

Little House: The Rose Years #2

by Roger Lea MacBride, David Gilleece (Illustrator)

The second book in the Rose Years series, the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series.

Rose Wilder, Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter, is the last of the Little House girls. Going fishing for the first time, starting in a new school, saving the farmhouse from a fire—these are just a few things that happen during young Rose Wilder's first year at Rocky Ridge Farm. She and her parents, Laura and Almanzo, have moved to the Missouri Ozarks to begin a new life. Rose feels out of place as the new girl in her class but gradually gains confidence, and Rocky Ridge truly becomes her home.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Classics, Historical, Middle Grade, Young Adult

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

MacBride called himself "the adopted grandson" of writer and political theorist Rose Wilder Lane, the daughter of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, and as such laid claim to the substantial Ingalls-Wilder's literary estate, including the "Little House on the Prairie" franchise. He is the author of record of three additional "Little House" books, and began the "Rocky Ridge Years" series, describing the Ozark childhood of Rose Wilder Lane. He also co-produced the 1970s television series Little House on the Prairie.

Controversy came after MacBride's death in 1995, when the local library in Mansfield, Missouri, contended that Wilder's original will gave her daughter ownership of the literary estate for her lifetime only, all rights to revert to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Library after her death. The ensuing court case was settled in an undisclosed manner, but MacBride's heirs retained the rights.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ma...

Reviews

[Emily Cottle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to BE Laura Ingalls Wilder and have since I was about 5 years old. I read her books about a dozen times each as a kid, but I just recently discovered MacBride’s series. I was a little skeptical—how could anyone measure up to Laura? But MacBride surprised me. He really mimics Wilder’s beautiful prose; at times I forgot that she didn’t write it. Like many of the Little House books, this one is not plot driven, but something about it just makes my heart melt. Rose is a spunky, mischief-loving, heart-of-gold kind of kid, and her family is so full of love. It’s one of those books that just makes you feel good inside.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 8/10 hearts. I really enjoyed this book, maybe even more than the first one. I love Rose’s relationship with each of her parents; I love seeing Laura & Almanzo through her eyes; and I love seeing Laura & Almanzo’s relationship! It showed up strong in this one. I also really liked Laura’s faith and little discussion about accepting what God gives. There are just a few euphemisms. The plot was interesting and even gripping, and has many interesting characters. I am really loving this series!
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The strong light made a lacy pattern through the tiny spring leaves. If Rose squinted her eyes, the woods looked like fall. But the gentle warm breeze and drowsy scent of the growing earth spoke only of the coming summer.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘You know Eliza,’ said Papa. ‘…Nobody has to give Eliza Jane any ideas. She’s got plenty all on her own.’”

*I do plan to reread these books next year to see what I think of them then; review subject to revision/updates*

[Sarafina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose and her parents, Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder, try to carve out a farm near Mansfield, Missouri, in this sequel to "Little House on Rocky Ridge." She makes friends with neighbor kids but has more difficulty adjusting to the school, where the "town girls" are condescending toward "country girls." Lovers of the Little House books will enjoy these continuations of the Ingalls saga, but they are less compelling reading somehow. Even a flood fails to keep the pages turning. However, these books are less racist than the originals.

[Marissa Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the description of everything. it was very good. What I found a funny was Roses cats's name was Blackfoot and if you read Warriors then you will know that is the name of ShadowClan's warrior/leader.

[Katina stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy to get caught up in Rose' s life in the Ozarks. Good easy read.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel ini enak dibaca, ringan dan sangat mengalir plot ceritanya. Jadi gak terasa cepat sekali saya kelar bacanya.

Rose adalah anak yg msh kelas 3 SD, anak pindahan dari Dakota Selatan ke Missouri. Sbg anak dari sepasang petani miskin, Rose mengalami suka duka petualangan yg seru laiknya anak² kecil sebayanya. Rose juga mengalami masa beratnya dimana dia tidak menyukai sekolah barunya krn anak² disana sangat sombong. Namun berkat bimbingan wali kelasnya, Rose bisa menyesuaikan diri dan sukses di kelasnya.

Rose berjiwa bebas dan sangat natural. Dia menyukai alam bebas dan memiliki hati yg sangat lembut terutama pd hewan². Pa dan Ma nya adalah tipikal orang yg bersemangat dan tidak takut utk bekerja keras. Hal inilah yg menulari ke jiwa Rose utk tidak takut berusaha dan belajar. Walau Rose sempat ngiri dan kesepian krn dia hanyalah anak tunggal, tapi dia memiliki banyak teman yg sebaya. Nilai² kerja keras sangat ditekankan dan dihargai di novel ini.

Hanya saja tipe novel ini terlalu idealis menurut saya. Rose jg tetap saja bandel utk ukuran anak² tapi ortunya nyaris hanya memberikan hukuman yg ringan pd bocah ini. Tapi memang menyenangkan sih membaca buku tanpa ada kekerasan sama sekali.

[Celeste Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book #3 in the series about Rose Wilder (Laura & Almonzo's only daughter). This book especially has been incredibly inspiring to our kids. It has opened their eyes to what it means to work hard, be honest, merciful to others who have it worse off than you, how and why to reuse and recycle, and how to be a good and generous friend. I highly recommend this series to young families for a read aloud!!

[Katie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel her school struggles so deeply!

[Ashtyn Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a whole lot happened but I like that Rose is a good speller. That speaks to me. It was a nice little break from the normal farming struggles and I did like the slice of life aspect

[Elizabeth Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book about a bygone era. I've been reading this series to several of my kids and we all love them! Family, honesty, bravery, making do, charity; those traits and more are all in this book.

[Coco and Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice book!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the Little House spinoff series I scored from Goodwill last year. I thought I owned book 2 in my collection but book 5 was mislabeled as book 2! Luckily, my local library came in clutch for me to borrow Little Farm in the Ozarks. Rose Wilder continues her adventures in Missouri through the Rocky Ridge series. The only books I can recall being set in Missouri I've read were Gillian Flynn's novels. A totally different vibe than these honeyglow prairie books! That, and Huckleberry Finn but that's a whole different kettle of fish.



I've been loving this series and I even prefer it to the original Little House series. I know it's written by a different author and nearly a century later, but it's much homier and accessible. Rose finally starts school and it's definitely an experience. Even though we matriculated 100 years apart, it was still relatable. I remember before transitioning to the gifted program, the class I was supposed to attend was way too easy and I didn't feel challenged enough: just like Rose. I liked the spelling bee and found it accurate that there will always be stuffy mean girls, no matter the decade. Luckily, Rose was able to befriend one in the end and even shared her spelling bee prize with her like the doll baby she is. My favorite part was an offhand comment that Laura Ingalls Wilder named one of her goats after Nellie Oleson. Sheer perfection. The honeyglow continues and I can't wait to continue with this lovely series.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Rose Years is just as enjoyable as the first if not moreso. "Little Farm in the Ozarks" follows us through 1895 as the Wilders get used to life in Mansfield. We witness a fire, a flood, the building of a kitchen, the first day of school & a hen house. MacBride keeps things moving along at a brisk enough pace & keeps the story moving as life in this part of Missouri moves along at a slower pace than we have today. Along the way we meet a few new characters & watch the development of this house into a home that will last for years to come. It's also nice to see that despite the conflicts & the hardships that somehow someway everything will be all right no matter what. An easy read & another classic for fans of the Little House series.

[Kacey Kendrick Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still love following along the lives of the Wilders. This one tells about farming, gardening, fishing, raising chickens, making friends, and Rose as the new girl at school. They are finally diversifying their farm so as to avoid financial ruin...woohoo! Happy they figured that out. One of my favorite parts--now that I'm a married adult--is the fight Laura and Almanzo get in over the stove. :)

[Mr. Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are not as good as the original Little House books which were written in first person by Laura Ingalls Wilder herself. However, all indications are that these books are faithful to the life of Laura's family. They were written as a continuation of the story of Laura's life beyond the original series.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm infinitely curious about MacBride. And why he waited to long to capitalize on the legacy left him by RWL.

[A.K. Frailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It was one of the most like the original Little House series. I am getting a real feel for the characters and the setting. We already ordered the next couple books...

[Leeanne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I love little house books...

[Abigail G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood favorite, as I could completely relate to the challenges and joys of farming.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have not read the original Little House series for a good many years, but thanks to frequent re-runs of the TV show, I still have a pretty good recollection of the events (although I know that it differs quite significantly from the books.)

That’s why I’m starting to see quite a few similarities between the first two books and the original series. Or, Rose has just been too influenced by her mum’s stories/helping to write her mum’s stories. Why else would you have EXTREMELY similar characters to Nellie and Harriet Oleson, in the form of Alva and Mrs Kinnibrew?

There’s always the major events that happen as well. The fire. The first day at school. The first friend. The flood. You could probably pick any of the earlier Little House books and it would have the same events to this one. Or similar.

I still enjoy reading about Rose but the first two books cover the span of a year. There are another six books after this, so I reckon there’s going to be a big jump in time or there will be a lot of skimming of time.

This is only 286 pages, so slightly shorter than the first book in the series. Is there anything significant that happens in these books? Not really. They’re a quick and easy read and what I found, particularly with the books based around Laura and Caroline, is that the latter books are the better of the series.

It’s worth picking this series up, if you can find it for a reasonable price, if you have read any of the other books. For some reason, these books aren’t as readily available as the Laura books, and even the Caroline books are quite hard to pick up - I had to get some of them from the US. I haven’t tried to get the earlier books (based around Laura’s grandmother Charlotte and great grandmother Martha - or vice versa - due to the price).

[Jaime K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent continuation of Rose's life. Overall though, it was kind of bland, though it shows Rose aging. Still, she still seems 7 and not 8/9.
We've skipped over the Wilder's first winter in Missouri, showing that nothing of import happened then. The book begins in February, where spring is a-coming. It's weird for them, and for me, to think of spring so early.

Swiney and Abe Baird are interesting boys. Abe is a fine young man with a lot of responsibilities, but he carries them well.

Eating raccoon sounds nasty.

We and the Wilders see how different it is to farm in soil vs. the prairie.
And we readers can really see how heavily debt weighed on Laura.

I feel bad for Rose, who realizes how nice it could have been to have siblings.

The schoolhouse is separated by Reader (not so much age, though age is a bit of a factor). It's interesting to see a segregated school after everything in Laura's days (and before her).
Cora and Dora Hibbard are humorous.
Professor Kay is harsh, yet overall understanding. As a current educator, I don't like how he berates the language of the locals, but I get it considering the time.

[Sherry Sidwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review that by necessity must be full of caveats. If you're just looking for a continuation of the Little House books for a budding reader, they're very much in the same vein in the day to day of not quite subsistence farming and not bad at all. But if you've read Caroline Fraser's excellent Prairie Fires about the lives and mythmaking of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and daughter Rose Wilder Lane, you quickly realize this series like the original is a lot of romanticized and highly fictionalized nonsense that could at times be quite hamfisted into trying further both women's own extreme politics and idealizing the heroic settler pioneer. Worse, they're written by someone who never knew Laura at all and because of Rose's decidedly odd proclivities in "adopting" various young men until they no longer suited her, lucked into getting control of the entire Wilder estate and copyrights.

This is the second book in a series. If you're interested in the day to day of living poor and barely getting by while hanging on to some idealized dream of farming that never quite seems to pan out, here you go.

[Hapsari Darmastuti · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the other Little House books, I thoroughly enjoy it. It is as cozy and comforting as the other ones. I love that Rose loves reading! It reminds me of Matilda by Roald Dahl. And of course this book reminds me of the little things in life that we took for granted. Seeing how amazed Rose feels seeing one of her classmates wearing different clothes every day for a week when she only has one clothes to wear for the whole school term. And also her reaction of seeing her classmate eating chicken for lunch. I love the description of Rose's anxiety on her first day at school.

These books are even more farm-centric than the Laura books. Reading the book made me want to play Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley so bad. Although since it is really focused on farming, I found myself skimming some passages just because it didn't really interest me.

Overall, still enjoyed this a lot and looking forward to continuing.

[Emily Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an underrated series for LHOTP fans! I mean, Laura is still ever-present!!! But the story is this time told through Rose’s childhood, with the same whimsy and romance that made the original series (co-written by Rose?) the classic they remain today.

Nothing too bad directly happens to the Wilder family here in Book 2. There was a flood that caused extra work, but they were fine (just lost a few chickens!) A classmate at Rose’s new school died, but the disease didn’t spread and she was quarantined (before her death) for most of the book.

Rose got a little cat. She won a spell down. She went on picnics and chased grasshoppers and learned to swim. In most ways, this is a very typical, unremarkable story—what makes it special is the LHOTP connection.

Definitely recommend for a deeper dive into this pocket of history, or even just as a clean family read-aloud!

[Nicole D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could explain why I like these books so much. They are all the darned same. Chores and school. Yet, I do love them. Laura and Almanzo are grown up (and call each other Bess and Manly - whatves) and their daughter is Rose. I struggle because I picture Laura as both the mom and the daughter, but picture the dad as Michael Landon no matter what, so it's a bit awkward at times. I've finally just decided to picture Michael Landon and Karen Grassle and move on with my life.)

Rose doesn't necessarily seem as bright as Laura, and she gets into a few spots of bother in this book. Fun entertainment.

[Rachel N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Rose Wilder, the daughter of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder, and her first full year at the families new home in Missouri. Rose has fun learning about the farm and meeting neighborhood children. She also starts school where she is a champion speller. The author knew Rose as an adult and managed her estate after her death. Unfortunately he died before finishing this series so the later books are very short, based on his notes. I enjoy the series but not as much as the little house books.

[Kris Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second entry in the Rose Wilder series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. It's wonderful to get to know Rose as a child, to hear her thoughts and feelings towards her own Ma and Pa, and to learn of her adventures in their new home in Missouri. I'm so glad that Roger Lea MacBride became the "adopted grandson" of Rose, heard all of her stories about her life with her famous mother, and then decided to share them with the rest of us! I'm now reading the third book in the series and enjoying it just as much as this one.

[Anita Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Rose Wilder Lane's adopted grandson, Little Farm in the Ozarks is the second book in a continuation of the Little House series, picking up when Laura, Almanzo and Rose have been in Missouri for a year or so. It is written in a very similar manner to the original series. I always loved the Little House series, and I reread it periodically, getting something different out of it with every reading. This is a worthy addition to the Ingalls/Wilder lore.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sweet book about Rose's life growing up in Missouri. I don't know how many of the stories are accurate, but as much as I hate to admit it, they're nearly as appealing as the Little House books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Children had so much more freedom along with so much more responsibility then. It will be interesting to see how our lives will be reflected in literature in the future. With technological advances, our current lives may seem as different as those of the pioneers.