List of Little House on the Prairie books

In addition, simplified versions of the original series have been published for younger children in chapter and picture book form.

[citation needed] The story of the first book in the series, Little House in the Big Woods, revolves around the life of the Ingalls family in their small home near Pepin, Wisconsin.

According to a letter from Wilder's daughter, Rose, to biographer William Anderson, the publisher had Laura change her age in the book because it seemed unrealistic for a three-year-old to have such specific memories.

One day he notices a bee tree and returns from hunting early to get the wash tub and milk pail to collect the honey.

Set around 1866, it describes in detail the endless chores involved in running the Wilder family farm and Almanzo's part in it.

Royal is stated to be thirteen, and Eliza Jane and Alice twelve and ten respectively, at the time when Almanzo is just prior to nine years old.

In reality, when Almanzo turned nine, Royal would have been nineteen, old enough to leave home, and Eliza Jane and Alice would have been sixteen and twelve years old.

When the family reaches Indian Territory, they meet Mr. Edwards, who is extremely polite to Ma, but tells Laura and Mary that he is "a wildcat from Tennessee."

Pa builds a roof and a floor for the house and digs a well with assistance from another neighbor, Mr. Scott, and the family is finally settled.

Around this time, Mr. Edwards brings Laura and Mary their Christmas presents from Independence, and in the spring, the Ingallses plant the beginnings of a small farm.

The fifth book in the series, By the Shores of Silver Lake is based on Laura's late childhood spent near De Smet, South Dakota, beginning in 1879.

In actuality, the dog upon whom Jack was based was no longer with the family at this point, but the author inserted his death here to serve as a transition between her childhood and her adolescence.

This is the children's first train trip, and they are excited by the novelty of this new mode of transportation that allows them to travel in one hour the distance it would take a horse and wagon an entire day to cover.

The large mobilization of pioneers to the Dakotas in early March prompts Pa to leave immediately on the few days' trip to the claims office.

As the spring flowers bloom and the prairie comes alive with new settlers, the Ingalls family moves to its new piece of land and begins building what will become their permanent home.

In mid October, the Ingallses wake with an unusually early blizzard howling around their poorly insulated claim shanty.

As even this meager food runs out, Laura's future husband Almanzo Wilder and his friend Cap Garland risk their lives to bring wheat to the starving townspeople – enough to last the rest of the winter.

Finally, the trains begin running again, bringing the Ingalls family a Christmas barrel full of good things – including a turkey.

Scholar Ann Romines has suggested that Laura made Almanzo younger because it was felt that more modern audiences would be scandalized by the great difference in their ages in light of the fact that they married.

The story begins as Laura accepts her first job, which is to perform sewing work, in order to earn money for Mary to go to a college for the blind in Iowa.

Laura's hard work comes to an end when she is let go, and the family begins planning to raise cash crops to pay for Mary's college.

When Miss Wilder realizes she no longer has control, she begins to use steadily crueler and unneeded punishments, including humiliating Carrie in front of the entire school and striking her hands.

A visit by the school board restores order; however, Miss Wilder leaves at the end of the fall term, and she is eventually replaced by Mr. Clewett and then Mr. Owen, the latter of whom befriends Laura.

To Laura's surprise and delight, homesteader Almanzo Wilder (with whom she became acquainted in Little Town on the Prairie) appears at the end of her first week of school in his new two-horse cutter to bring her home for the weekend.

Already fond of Laura and wanting to ease her homesickness, Almanzo takes it upon himself to bring her home and back to school each weekend.

Laura's Uncle Tom (Ma's brother) visits the family and tells of his failed venture with a covered wagon brigade seeking gold in the Black Hills.

Laura helps out seamstress Mrs. McKee by staying with her and her daughter Mattie on their prairie claim for two months to "hold it down" as required by law.

Several months later, after Almanzo has finished building a house on his tree claim, he asks Laura if she would mind getting married within a few days.

[10] Only months later, all 9 novels were issued as a boxed set, Little House Big Adventure (Harper, May 1994), with numerals 1 to 9 on the spine—in the sequence published, and listed here; that is, with Farmer Boy numbered 2.

[2] Stories about Laura's daughter Rose Wilder Lane, written by her executor, heir, and "political disciple" Roger Lea MacBride:[11][12][13] Written by Maria D. Wilkes simplified and adapted from her "The ____ Years" series Stories about what happened between On the Banks of Plum Creek and By the Shores of Silver Lake, the fourth and fifth novels by Ingalls Wilder, written by Cynthia Rylant Source:[16] The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder: Stories about the people in Laura, Almanzo, and Rose's Mansfield, Missouri home, written by Thomas L. Tedrow: These books are sometimes called Little House books: Adaptations of select stories from the Little House on the Prairie books for young children Dozens of non-fiction books about the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and several about other family members have been published, including more than one dozen by William Anderson, a schoolteacher in Michigan.