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Little Town on the Prairie
Little Town on the Prairie
Little Town on the Prairie
Audiobook6 hours

Little Town on the Prairie

Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Narrated by Cherry Jones

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Town on the Prairie is the seventh book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers.

In Little Town on the Prairie, the young town of De Smet has survived the long, harsh winter of 1880-1881. With the arrival of spring comes invitations to socials, parties, and “literaries.” Laura, who is now fifteen years old, attends her first evening social.

In her spare time, she sews shirts to help earn money to send Mary to a college for the blind. Laura also receives her teaching certificate and can work at a school. And, best of all, Almanzo Wilder asks permission to being walking her home from church. Life in the little town certainly is exciting!

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s real childhood as an American pioneer and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateFeb 7, 2017
ISBN9780062657022
Author

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) was born in a log cabin in the Wisconsin woods. With her family, she pioneered throughout America’s heartland during the 1870s and 1880s, finally settling in Dakota Territory. She married Almanzo Wilder in 1885; their only daughter, Rose, was born the following year. The Wilders moved to Rocky Ridge Farm at Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894, where they established a permanent home. After years of farming, Laura wrote the first of her beloved Little House books in 1932. The nine Little House books are international classics. Her writings live on into the twenty-first century as America’s quintessential pioneer story.

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Reviews for Little Town on the Prairie

Rating: 4.241355910508474 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,475 ratings37 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Read alound to the boys in the car. Interesting but repetitive.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved it so much thank-you for such good voices it was wonderful. Plus I have also listened to it 4 times so thank - you! ???❤️
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love it shuch a amazing book you should read it to
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Such a lovely story! Awesome book and a great listen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book sees Mary and Laura in particular growing up and orienting themselves to the realities of young adult life. However, Laura retains the same storytelling style as in the previous books with language geared at younger children, which I found surprising at first but overwhelmingly sensible; as an author, she displays skill in framing her life as a story for a particular audience rather than as a pure autobiography. Laura continues to struggle with her desires to be young and have fun though more maturity is demanded of her, and shows insights into her growing wisdom by reflecting more strongly in this book on theological truths of her human nature and what it means to be truly good. She is not trying to impress anybody with her story, but simply to recount for young readers what her life as a teenager was like, and the blend of adult worries, childish hurts, and naive stumbling towards romance evident in this period of her life provide a refreshing alternative to angst-ridden modern-day young adult literature.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I don’t think I’m the sentimental type, so I was surprised to find the Laura Ingalls-Wilder miniseries, which aired on daytime television during one winter school holidays, quite moving.As a kid I read the first in the series, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and if I hadn’t read so much Enid Blyton I might be a more rounded adult reader, and I might have even read the rest in the series. But I didn’t. I do remember the image of the rag-doll made for one of the girls at Christmas time and compared what the girls had to my own over-privileged idea of Christmas festivities. I’m sure it affected me; I was always very careful of my toys. I also grew up reading a whole heap of Mormon books which I asked for at a Church fair. I didn’t even know they were religious in nature until I overheard Mum joking about my religious bent to one of her friends. I must have been about nine. I stopped reading them after that, but I think I might have been sullied, because I seem to have traditional Christian values despite the fact I’m an atheist.I’m sure the Little House series would have a similar effect on young readers. Apart from the underlying Christian tones, the books are full of action and full of the sorts of house-keeping detail that fascinates little girls. I used to play house, constructing floor plans around the base of oak trees with ‘walls’ of fallen dried leaves. The idea of setting up a house from scratch on the Prairie of the frontier is satisfying. As a kid I didn’t understand the bits about the Indians and the wild west and all that. I’m sure American kids would have no such trouble, but to a kid growing up in New Zealand, a bit of explanation from an adult may be required. That’s possibly what led to me not reading on. If I’d understood a bit of the American history – which is not on the NZ curriculum – it might have helped.I’ll certainly give these books to my own daughter to read, along with a good discussion on history and settlement and native people and making the most of what you’ve got.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just a terrific snapshot of late 1800s town life.
    Love it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorite books in the series. Here you really see Laura growing into her own and becoming an adult.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What is my favorite part? I liked the fact it’s real life and I don’t like most books
    but this one is AMAZING
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow, this is a tone shift from the previous one! Well, there is still 'blackbirds eat all our crops', but this is much more people living with people, Laura getting her first job, Laura going to school, Laura going to literaries and sociables, swapping name cards, going to birthday parties... it is very different from 'we are slowly freezing and starving to death'. And Almanzo is starting to court Laura (although she still seems more interested in his gorgeous horses than in him!)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Ingalls family have just come off that “long winter” with blizzard after blizzard after blizzard. Pa is working construction in town, in addition to growing corn and oats and raising a few animals on the homestead. In order to help with money to be able to send Mary to college, Laura takes a sewing job in town. Once that ends, school is starting. At 14-almost-15, Laura needs to be serious at school, so she can get her teacher’s certificate when she turns 16 so she can help with money in order to keep Mary at college. A surprise person from Laura’s life a few years earlier reappears in her life at school this year. She knows who Almanzo Wilder is, as she sees him around town and he once gave her a ride to school when she is running late. As the Ingalls’ move into town for the second winter in a row, the people in town are creating more social activities to do. And the town keeps growing.This is such an enjoyable series. The illustrations are very nice. There is one uncomfortable bit of town entertainment near the end, unfortunately, but at the time that it would have happened it wasn’t frowned upon, though it most certainly is now (to say the least). Laura’s recitation of American history is, while impressive, European white history. So, due to the time period it is set, there are some no-so-good things about the book, but overall, I still find these books a lot of fun.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The town of De Smet is growing, as is Laura. Now 15, she is about to finish school, hopefully to get her teacher's certificate. Mary is sent to college, and little Carrie is a weak child, but growing too. A decent entry in the series, severely marred by one chapter, "The Madcap Days," which adds absolutely nothing to the story other than a heavy dose of racism. If that one chapter were simply ripped out, it would be a much better book. Since these stories are at least semi-autobiographical, I assume the dreadful minstrel show depicted in that chapter did actually happen, but that doesn't make it any less appalling to a reader today.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Digital audiobook performed by Cherry Jones3*** Book seven in the popular classic Little House series, has Laura growing into a young lady. She feels that the new teacher, Miss Wilder, is unfairly picking on her and her sister. Nellie Oleson seems to be thwarting Laura at every turn. Mary has left to go to a college for the blind, and Laura takes on a part time job to help pay the expenses. The town is growing and with growth come new opportunities for socializing. Laura passes her examination to be certified as a teacher, and love begins to blossom. I love this series for the way the pioneer spirit is portrayed and the strong family relationships.THIS book, however, has a scene that is very uncomfortable for modern readers. The towns folks put on a minstrel show, including performers in blackface. I know this is historically accurate to the period, but I just cringed reading about it. Cherry Jones does a fine job narrating the audiobook. I particularly like it when she sings the hymns or folk songs.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another wonderful book in this series!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not much excitement in this one. Laura works, the town grows, and Almanzo Wilder comes around a bit more. The story does give the reader a good taste of life back then, along with the racism, and that held some interest. But not enough for me to rate it higher. Maybe I'm just getting played out with the Ingalls family. Not sure. But I will begin book 8 soon with my daughter, and I do appreciate the bond we are sharing over Laura's story. And the book did end on a high note! AND, they didn't move!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Substance: After the long winter, through the summer, into the next winter. The Oleson family returns, as nasty as ever. Laura is coming on 15 when the book starts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Laura is growing up! She is one of the oldest girls in school and studying all she can so she can get a teaching certificate to earn money to keep her sister in college. She attends Literaries, Sociables and parties. The town is growing and more of this book takes place in society with neighbors than any other in this series. Recommended.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Laura is growing up, still constrained by her society. Seriously, she's supposed to sleep in her corset? Some of the cultural differences are really striking- f'rinstance, this passage where Grace, who is all of four or five years old, starts to cry when her parents are going away for a week:

    "'For shame, Grace! For shame! a big girl like you, crying' Laura choked out."

    Yes, I know, Laura and Carrie are also trying not to cry, but the shaming is so toxic from my modern viewpoint that it skews the whole scene for me.

    And then there's the 4th of July speech, cheered lustily by all the townsfolk:

    "...They had to fight the British regulars and their hired Hessians and the murdering scalping redskinned savages that those fined gold-laced aristocrats turned loose on our settlements and paid for murdering and burning and scalping women and children..."

    Again, context, context, context... but it's tough to swallow nonetheless.

    There are some lovely scenes here, though. When Almanzo scoops Laura up and delivers her to school, when the best speller wins the spelling bee, when the letter comes from Mary, when Laura gives herself a lunatic fringe- those vignettes go a long way towards redeeming the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    See review for Little House #1... and add my personal opinion that sometimes Wilder gets waaaaaay too detailed about the clothing. I guess she was like many today who are really into clothes, but those were extraneous details to me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    At this point in the "Little House" series Ma, Pa and the four daughters, Mary, Laura, Carrie and Grace, have moved to town so that Pa can finish the homestead. This is their second year in De Smet and the little homestead is growing. Pa's farming abilities are increasing with the addition of chickens, corn, and a bigger garden. The town is growing as well. A church has been built and the community is getting together for Friday Literary nights at the school where games like spelling bees, charades and debates are held. At this time Mary is sent away to a college for the blind and Laura is nearly sixteen years old. She is on her way to becoming a school teacher. Her focus is on studying hard so that she will be ready for the career when she turns sixteen. Another step towards adulthood is the growing, albeit confused, attraction to Almanzo Wilder. His courtship is odd to her because she thinks of him as "old" and more of a friend of her father's than hers.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    "Little Town on the Prairie" covers the life of the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder as she gets her teaching certificate and begins dating Almanzo Wilder. A well known classic, this book is much beloved by many out there; but it shouldn't be. While the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder can be entralling for young girls, the use of pa in Blackface in this book is completely unacceptable. Children today should not be exposed to such material unless heavily under the guide of an adult who can coax them through the controversies inherent in the text. This book has a place in an academic library as it is a very important part of American literary history, but it doesn't have a place in the children's sections of libraries. Librarians should consider moving this book to the top shelf, so that students can't find this tome accidentally. If possible, it could be desirable to weed this tome altogether, but considering how many adults love the series that might be impossible. A display or seminar on the problems with the series could be a good way to make this series a teaching moment for today's children, but there many be some resistance from parents with fond memories.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Having read nearly all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books about her life growing up in the West, I found this one a little disappointing. Most of the books I really enjoyed but this particular volume wasn't as interesting to me as the rest. Perhaps it's because there is less about Laura's family, with Mary off to college, and more about her interaction with other townsfolk. This doesn't make it a bad book -- on the contrary, I'm glad I read it -- it just makes it one of my least favorites of the series thus far.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I grew up reading Little House on the Prairie books and watching the weekly TV show every Sunday night. I introduced this series to my daughter and she took off with it. We had to hunt down all the books in every used book store we could find. We read this one together and I enjoyed reading it just as much this time around, many, many years later. When you read this book you feel like you know exactly what it would have been like to live in that time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is one of my favourite LIW books. I'm fascinated by the descriptions of life in town. Two things that struck me in particular were a) how modestly they lived and b) how quickly they had to grow up. Just think of Laura, going off to teach at age 15. I was no where near mature enough for that at that age. And they all seemed so selfless too - always passing on things to each other, because they didn't need them themselves, and thought the other person would like them more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In this book, the reader has to face the fact that Laura is really pretty grown up. She is contemplating her future as a school teacher and Almanzo Wilder is beginning to court her. Mary has passed out of the main thrust of the story since she has gone away to school. Reading about how the town entertained itself with spelling bees and school exhibitions and such was interesting. In the age of t.v. we forget how important social gatherings were.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Ingalls family packs up their covered wagon and sets off for the big skies of the Kansas Territory, where wide open land stretches as far as the eye can see. Just when they begin to feel settled, they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    At the start of Little Town on the Prairie, there seems to be a shift from the other Little House books. Where previously in the stories, Laura has been a little girl, suddenly she is taking on real work, has an interest in what her clothes and figure look like and is taking notice of the things going on in town for purely social reasons rather than what seems fun to a little girl. A lot of this story focuses around the family's intent to get Mary to a college for the blind and then about Laura's school times and the social 'whirl' of town. The stories are sweet and quaint in a way that is classic and comforting. The things that were important to girls then is so different than now, and the stories told in this book highlight that while still making it interesting for the reader who may not understand the conventions of the time.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Again, not one of my favorites, but still good.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Laura is growing up and wants to help send Mary to college. She spends time making friends, studying and getting to know a young man named Almanzo.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well, finally making it through the last 2 books in the series. This was about as entertaining as the others, but I had to knock a star off for the minstrel show scene, which was problematic, to say the least (even more so than the descriptions of Indians in earlier books). I know you have to read in the context of the time and all that, but it was still painful to read, and I don't look forward to having to explain it to my eventual children when they read these books. Other than that, a good read.