Many people are excited that Netflix will be filming a new Little House on the Prairie TV series. I’ll be curious to see it myself. While I’ve not seen the entirety of the original series, I do love the time period, so I think it will be interesting to watch! I need to finish the original series too!
Thinking about her led me into today’s blog topic—Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the Little House on the Prairie books with her daughter, Rose Wilder’s, encouragement and help. I think it’s safe to say that most of us have read those books.
How old were you when you first learned of them? I remember I was in third grade, and a girl on the bus had On the Banks of Plum Creek. She kept telling me I should read it. I really didn’t want to. I didn’t want to stop reading Nancy Drew! After she kept pestering me, I finally did read it… And…promptly asked the school librarian to start me off at book one.
When I was eleven, my family and I went to Missouri to visit an uncle. We stopped along the way at Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home where she worked on those books. As a child, I didn’t appreciate it the way I would have now. All I can remember is the very little bit of the house they let us go through seemed so tiny! There was a shawl on a chair in a room with a single bed, and I thought to myself, how uncomfortable that would be to sit in and write! I guess, though, if that’s all one knew, they wouldn’t think twice about it?
Those books, and I think the old TV and the new one, will remain in the hearts of readers and viewers for the rest of their lives. There’s something that just feels so good about being in a simpler time, around people who are kind to each other, problems that are solved, and family and friends there for you. A lot of us don’t get that now, and books are our only way to experience that. Maybe that’s why I love to write heartwarming stories myself.
Now, let me get to some of those facts about Laura and her books that I discovered. I think they are pretty interesting. You might or might not already know them!
- Laura’s first book, Pioneer Girl was a memoir geared toward adults and was rejected by publishers. It was vastly different from the stories we all know and loved, and it was her daughter, Rose, who helped edit the books and make them more enjoyable for children.
- In 2014, Pioneer Girl finally was published.
- There have been over 73 million copies of the Little House books sold, in over 100 countries, and they’ve been translated into 27 languages!
- As an adult, Laura was 4 feet and 11 inches. And that was not considered short for a woman back then! Currently, the average height for a woman is 5 feet and 4 inches.
- Since the books were first published in the 1930s, they have remained continuously in print.
- There was another illustrator Helen Sewell, who came before Garth Williams, the illustrator of the books we are all familiar with.
- Though there are still living descendants of Laura, there are no direct descendants. Her daughter Rose only bore one child, who died as an infant. Laura’s sisters also didn’t have children. Her brother never made it past infancy.
Aren’t those some interesting facts? It amazes me just how many languages this series is in.
Did you read the Little House books? Did you have a favorite character or book? The Long Winter was my favorite of all the books.
If you answer one of those questions below, you can be entered to win an ebook copy of A Journey for Leah.
Falsely accused of being a loose woman, she has nowhere else to go. His heart belongs to another, and he has no desire to become entangled.
A victim of misplaced affections, Leah Dearing dreams of starting over in Oregon where she can own land and put her past behind her. But as a single woman, she is refused a place in the wagon train, no matter that she’s more than capable of doing all she needs. Desperate to build a new life for herself, she is willing to do anything—including a marriage in name only.
Stanley Keith has no intention of heading out West with a bride until he overhears Leah’s plight. He knows the way will be difficult and many don’t make it. To top it off, he’s got a woman waiting for him when he gets there. Yet, something about her determination sparks in him, and before he’s realized it he offers to let her join him on his journey in exchange for her cooking and companionship.
However, the trail is long and dangerous, and the challenges they face might be more than either realized. Especially when one of them starts to fall in love…and the reminder of another waiting for them at the end of the trail becomes impossible to ignore.
Sarah is wife to an amazing teacher and mom to two boys who are growing up just a little too fast. She spends her days working and writing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
I read the whole series (started in elementary but may’ve finished in junior high). I don’t recall that one book was my favorite. Laura was my favorite character with Mary and Ma running 2nd and 3rd.
Thanks for running the giveaway!
I liked Ma a lot too! She was always so patient!
I read them in elementary school and even as an adult. I don’t know that I have a favorite.
I follow Melissa Gilbert and her Modern Prairie brand, plus Patrick Labyorteaux. Patrick tells wonderful stories from the set.
Oh that’s really neat! I bet you’ve heard some good ones!
I have read all the Little House books and of course Laura is my favorite.
I think she was mine too!
Yes I have read some of the Little House books and enjoyed them very much. I can’t remember the titles I read, it’s been a long time ago.
They were all so enjoyable, weren’t they?
I only read one of the little house books in elementary school. I never read any more. I had just started to love reading and read a variety of stories.
I love how many books there are for us in the world!
I don’t know that I had a favorite character but I loved the interactions of Laura and Nellie, maybe Mrs. Olsen is my favorite (she was so much fun to not like). My favorite scene is when Laura pushes Nellie in the wheelchair down the embankment into the pond.
I’ve read all the books. We own the entire series and I’ve watched all the episodes several times. Mr. Edwards was a favorite character too and Mr. Olsen (for all he put up with). I’ll probably try the new series to see how it matches the books and the old series.
Nancy Drew books were my favorites too. I’m guessing I didn’t read the Little House books until I was closer to an adult. I love suspense and mystery so those were my favorites to read.
I’m curious to see how the new series will be. It will be hard not to compare!
My older sister (by 7 years) introduced me to the Little House books. I can still remember how special I felt when she would let me come into her room and borrow books from her bookshelf, with the reminder to treat them carefully. I got to visit the houses in Mansfield, Missouri with her and my two daughters a few years ago. I remember standing in the doorway to Laura’s bathroom in the rock house and thinking how low the showerhead was! At her farmhouse, we got to hear the clock chime that Almanzo bought for her in The First Four Years as an anniversary present. That, and seeing Pa’s fiddle, were the highlights of my vacation! My favorite book of the series is Little House on the Prairie, and my favorite character is Ma.
That’s so neat! I bet that was a great tour!
Did you have a favorite character or book? I loved Ma (Caroline) she was so much like my own mother.
I loved Ma too!
I grew up watching Little House on TV and read the books as well. Those stories played a role in helping me fall in love with frontier history. I had the chance to visit that same Larua Ingalls Wilder house in Missouri several years ago when I was retreating with a group of authors in Branson. I remember that hard wooden chair and the small desk where she wrote. So thankful for ergonomic chairs! I also remember the guide talking about how Almonzo custom built the cabinets for Laura’s small stature. Their love story is what made the series live on in my heart. I’m looking forward to a reboot, and hoping that it stands up to the timelessness of the original.
I really hope it does too! I’m curious to see it!
I have never read these books. How sad is that!?
Not sad at all! But if you ever picked one up, I bet you’d enjoy it. They are read by all ages!
I have never read this series, though I did see a few reruns of the show. But I did read A journey for Leah 🙂 I loved it,
Aww! Thank you!! I’m so glad that you read and enjoyed that one!!
Nope never read the books.
I think they appeal just as much to adults as children!
I watched the series on TV . I have read some of the books. I liked pa and Mr Edwards .
Mr. Edwards was great fun!
I was really quite young when my parents bought the Little House On the Prairie books. My mom read them outloud to all of us including my dad who loved to hear her read outloud. I have seen all the episodes but prefer the books.
That’s a really sweet memory! I bet you all loved that!
I read all of the books, even owned the whole series at one time. I liked the original show, not sure I’ll watch a remake, though, as there are very few remakes of shows that I actually like. I have seen all of the episodes of the original show, but they didn’t totally stick with the books, so I had to get over that!
I think it will be hard not to compare this series with that one, but I bet they realize that. I hope it does well though, for a new generation!
Hi, yes, I love the whole series of Little House on the Prairie , I purchased the whole set and I passed it down to my daughter for my grandchildren . I think my favorite character is Laura. (I am not entering this giveaway as I am not tech savvy and dont read ebooks, but thank you.)
I love Laura too!
I read those books until they were almost ready to fall apart. I still have my boxed set from when I first read them. I watched every episode of the series including the movies! The last movie was so sad…..
I’ve not seen that final movie, but I read about what happens. Gosh, that would be horribly sad to see.
I loved the Little House on the Prairie stories. Esp the time they slaughtered a pig and played with its stomach like a balloon. As to the other story, I love marriage of convenience turns to love. Best of luck on it.
Yes! That part always comes to mind when I see a balloon!
I did read the Little House on the Prairie books.
I don’t think they will ever lose popularity with readers!
Read the whole series as a kid & Laura was my favorite character
never read or saw it
I guess my first book was On the Banks of Plum Creek. Our daughter purchased it at school probably when she was in 4th or 5th grade. Of course we always watched the TV series and loved it. We were able to visit her homeplace while on a trip our west with some friends. I remember seeing the first home, the soddy, and thinking I could not have lived there. Claustrophobia! lol Thanks for all the details about her writings.
Sad to say I didn’t hear about Laura Ingalls Wilder until the TV series. I was buried in Nancy Drew and concentrated on mysteries. I don’t remember school librarians mentioning anything about good books to read. I pretty much found things on my own. I am a bit old, so many “must read” books weren’t even out when I was in school, although her books were. I now have the complete set, but have not yet had time to read them. Shame on me. I was a children’s librarian and encouraged this series being read, but spent most of my time trying to keep up with all the new books coming out. The TV series was a household favorite and I don’t think we missed a show. We do not get Netflix, so won’t be able to watch the new series, which is too bad.
I didn’t read any of the little houses on the prairie books, I did watch the show though. I liked Nellie she was my favorite female character.
Oh my, the information in this post is a gold mine. I know I read most of the books but can’t remember which ones.
About three years ago when my youngest granddaughter was 12 years old my son found an old and well-loved set of the entire series. It became one of her treasures. She will always keep them, I think.
And, when I was writing Rebecca’s Journey she looked at the computer screen. I was writing a scene that included a young girl and her braids. She said “Nana that is not how they braided their hair back then. She then explained just how they did it. I changed it.