Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the classic Little House on the Prairie series. Warm and inviting, author Laura Ingalls Wilder shares memories of her childhood living near Pepin, Wisconsin in the late nineteenth century. The story follows the four seasons and Ingalls cheerfully explains how hard work and fun accompanied each period. Wilder provides rich and fascinating detail and I found it easy to envision myself alongside the Ingalls as they harvested crops and sap, churned butter and listened to Pa play his violin late into the night.
I fell in love with the Little House series as a girl and credit Wilder for helping spark my love of reading. With plenty of hunting, farming, and wild animal adventures, Big Woods is a great book choice for both girls and boys. I highly recommend this series for all young readers.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: A child slaps her sibling; a child is hit with a strap/spanked for disobeying (2 times).
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Slaughter of animals for food.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
A few men smoke pipes.
