The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide

Perfect Companion to the Little House Series I've been a reader for almost as long as I can remember—and my mother read to me before that—but the books that truly fostered my love of reading were the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I identified with her right away because she was born precisely 100 years before me, give or take a month, and she was dark haired like me. I can still remember the wonder of being transported to 1870s Wisconsin as I read Little House in the Big Woods, a book I chose from the Scholastic Books pamphlet that came out every month at my school. Part of what I still love about reading fiction today is that it can take you places that you've never been (and perhaps could never go, like historical novels) or don't even exist (like speculative fiction). So, when I saw this book at one of my favorite book review sites, I had to read it. This woman and her books were the geneses of my love of reading, which still sustains me today throughout all of life's ups and downs. I would have adored this book as a child; I would have eaten it up! The author does the book a slight disservice by simply calling it a chapter by chapter guide. Yes, it is a guide, but it is so much more! The author has sidebar information throughout the chapter-by-chapter book guide portion that goes deeper into particular elements of the original book. I was always curious what “fever ‘n’ ague” meant; now I know. She also has sidebars about whether something in the book was fact or fiction. But the part of the book I enjoyed the most—and would have loved as a child—are the projects at the end of each chapter, where the author encourages you to “Live like Laura” or Almanzo. This section has so many ideas for projects, activities, and recipes that relate to each book. Make butter yourself… or perhaps a grass whistle. I remember being intrigued by the maple snow candy when I read the books as a child; the author gives a recipe for it... even including how to do it if you don't have snow! At the very end of the book, she has included a nice glossary of pioneer terms used in the books, words and phrases that we moderns would not be apt to fully understand. I want to go dig out my Little House books and reread again with this companion by my side. If you or a child in your home loves the Little House series, you or they will most likely enjoy this book as much or I did. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.