I enjoyed this companion to Laura Ingalls Wilder and her little house books. Though I do wish that it had been available when I was a kid and reading the books for the first time. It would have added to to the reading experience. But this book is perfect for little house fans.

I have loved this series since childhood, and I delighted in reading these stories to my elementary students during my teaching career. I wish I would have had this book as a resource when I was teaching. The introductions to the books and the chapter-by-chapter guides are excellent and add much to the enjoyment of the reading of the books. The “Fact or Fiction” notes are very interesting, and there’s some great questions to add to the comprehension of the content of the books. One of my favorite parts is the “Live Like Laura” activities, recipes, and crafts that would take reading this series to another level of learning, I can see this book as being a valuable tool for home educators to incorporate their curriculum, too. I think Laura Ingalls Wilder herself would heartily approve of this companion book to enhance the experience of reading her books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

First, I know Wilder's books have come under scrutiny in recent years, and rightfully so. They contain some disturbing racist comments, and while I appreciate that Wilder portrayed her world accurately, these things need to be discussed and put into context for young readers. Having said that, I personally feel there's much more good than bad in the series, and still find them worthy for modern readers. In Whipple's note to readers at the beginning of the book, she touches on these issues honestly, and continues to do so throughout the book.
As a child, I was enthralled by the Little House series- I read them over and over, imagining myself living her life while being thankful for my own (yay indoor plumbing! yay not having to raise and butcher your own meat!). I grew up with Laura, and loved almost every minute of it- there are, of course, some sad moments, and some troubling things that I recognized, but understood were part of a different time. How I would have loved having this book then! It's a wealth of information, set up book by book, chapter by chapter, with many asides to explain things in context, the historical significance of events, the day-to-day life, and more. There are recipes and crafts from the books to try, discussions of life at the time, ideas on how to live like Laura, just so many ways to immerse yourself in the stories. This book is wonderfully researched, and really bring the books alive. At the end, there's an extensive glossary of terms from the books, as well as considerable lists of books for children and adults, websites, and sites to visit for more information. A true must-have for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder!

#TheLauraIngallsWilderCompanion #NetGalley

We live by Walnut Grove and my family has been immersed in Little House productions and such for decades. My kids have literally grown up playing on the banks of Plum Creek, not to mention acting in the popular outdoor Wilder Pageant every summer and studying the real history of the people in the books, so I tend to read books on the theme through a stricter lens.

So much in the Little House books is fiction and their real lives were so much more complicated, hard and problematic. They were squatters on Indian land (kudos to this book for discussing this). In one town they lived in, they packed up and sneaked out of town in the middle of the night to avoid paying rent. Laura worked to support the family from a young age, sometimes living away from home, and she witnessed things like spousal abuse and murder, and was nearly raped by one boss at an inn where she worked. She had a baby brother who died at 9 months old (this book mentions this too). Reverend Alden was a bigamist who deserted his first family and eventually was moved to a Dakota reservation where he stole from the Dakota so much that they threatened to kill him if the U.S. government didn't replace him. Laura's daughter Rose was physically harmed by the malnutrition of her youth that resulted in rotten teeth that shamed her for her entire life. She was miserably unhappy as a child and mortally embarrassed about things like having to ride a mule to school. Rose and Ayn Rand would become the basic founders of the libertarian movement and she wrote that she seriously contemplated assassinating the president because she felt so strongly against his "socialist" policies.

In other words, Laura's actual childhood (and adulthood, for much of it) was rough and the real version would not make for much of a happy story -- although I've always felt that the real story was far more interesting. I'm always wary of books that further perpetuate the utopian myths of these books, especially as they are often used today to glorify "the good old days" and so many of the families who travel to our area seem to have this really fictionalized idea of what America was in that time because of these books. It's pretty well proven that Laura didn't even do most of the writing of the books. Rose Wilder (one of the most highly paid writers of that time) rewrote the books almost completely to help her parents make ends meet and also used them to spread her strong libertarian views. She changed every fact that didn't match that narrative, and Laura whitewashed the stories to make them appropriate for children. Even Laura said it was fiction based on her life, and I think it's important to be sure that children understand that.

All that said, this is a very good companion to the books. It features chapter by chapter discussion points, crafts, and tidbits to add to the educational factor, and in a few cases it corrects misinformation from the books. It also notes when things in the books are true, like the fact that the long winter really was long, snowy and brutal.

I don't always agree with the opinions of the author, but parents can use all of these to discuss the issues. In some cases, information is a bit incomplete, like the bit about the US Dakota War, which also occurred very near our home. Whipple says that it's unknown how many Dakota died and just lists the number of settlers who died. She leaves out the fact that afterwards it resulted in the largest mass execution in US history of 38 Dakota boys and men who were hanged under Lincoln's orders in Mankato. That said, I appreciate that she does correct some misinformation that Wilder included about things like "war cries" and more about the Osage, along with misinformation about things like Mary having scarlet fever, though she doesn't correct other facts about Mary, like the fact that her 7 years of college for the blind were actually paid for by the government. Whipple also points out racist terminology, attitudes and practices throughout the book, which I appreciate.

There are lots of crafts and activities given for each book, and kids will probably enjoy these the most. These are things like rolling your hair in rag curls (though her instructions are way more complicated than how I've always done it), making bead bracelets, seeing how long it takes to walk the distance they had to walk the sheep against the wind or to freeze water like the pail of water that supposedly froze on the way back to the house, recipes, and much more. There are many, many discussion questions for parents and teachers who appreciate those. Those could be used as writing prompts, too.

In all, it's a very thorough guide to the Little House books with a small amount of additional educational material and lots of activities and discussion points. It will work especially well for homeschoolers (who continue to be some of the biggest fans of the books).

I've followed Whipple's blog for years and also recommend it for additional interesting posts and information.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

Thank you to Chicago Review Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. This is a book I wish I'd had when I was a young girl OBSESSED with this series. Yes, I even had a bonnet at one point...just to appear authentic. I loved the references to the areas, the methods at that time, and some insight into each of the books. It was done in an easy to read and understand format. Do yourself a favor. Reintroduce yourself to this series and bring back some of your youth...or better yet, introduce a young person who has assigned reading. This companion will bring the books to life.

Wow! Any family or classroom who loves the Little House books will get SO much out of this in-depth companion. It's basically like having an annotated version of each book plus tons of auxiliary kid-friendly activities. What fun for history buffs and book lovers! And it will create more of both, I bet.

Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In this new world of COVID-19, many teachers and parents are looking for new ways to keep kids learning and engaged. This is an excellent resource that can be used as a sort of book club type guide, that also explains terms and problematic language that kids today may find unfamiliar. Kudos to the author for tackling tough topics head-on! There are many crafts and recipes, along with facts about the real Ingalls and Wilders, that can make up an entire unit on settler life. Highly recommended!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing to read and give feedback on The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion. A perfect resource for Fans of The Little House on the Prairie series. It is also a great classroom resource to give background information to students while reading any of the series titles.

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 was, frankly, a bit disappointed by this book. The chapter by chapter guide amounts more to a footnote. I was anticipating a full paragraph of some element of historical context. The real strength is in the accompanying activities: crafts, gardening, research ideas, and other activities. These are of varying quality but it's handy to have an assortment of suggestions collected all together in one place. This is a book that will shine on the homeschooler's resource shelf.

This is a collection of activities and recipes for younger readers and readers of all ages who love Laura Ingalls Wilder. Would make a great book for those Home Schooling children. There are discussion questions in each chapter which are fun and engaging. Thanks To NetGalley for the ARC.

First sentence: Dear Reader, I remember the Little House books from my elementary school’s library stacks, when Mrs. Rhinehart shelved them in the back of the library. I visited those shelves again and again. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories stayed with me throughout my life; I returned to the books as an adult and loved the stories even more. Then I shared them with my children. The books made my children ask questions. We talked about the complicated pioneer history. Together we made johnnycakes and danced to fiddle music. I even sewed an apron and bonnet for my oldest daughter’s sixth birthday. I wrote this companion guide to help you live like Laura too. As you read a Little House book (or the whole series), use this guide to help you understand Laura’s world. You can even get a taste of pioneer life with activities and recipes!

Premise/plot: Annette Whipple goes through almost chapter by chapter addressing questions young readers might have about the text of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Consider her notes to be almost annotations to the original stories. (Think The Annotated Hobbit; The Annotated Alice in Wonderland; etc. though it does not include the text of the original.) Each chapter of this one covers one of the Little House books: The Little House in the Big Woods, Farmer Boy, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, The First Four Years. First, Whipple goes through each book almost chapter by chapter (as previously mentioned. Second, Whipple gives extension activities. (Many require adult supervision and guidance.) Third, Whipple gives long lists of discussion questions to help guide critical thinking through the series.

Here's a sample extension activity: Pretend you need to leave your family for two months. You can only take one backpack. Carefully decide what you absolutely need and take it with you. Make it all fit into your backpack.

The back matter includes a glossary of pioneer terms and an index for all the activities.

My thoughts: I loved the Little House books. Some I loved, loved, loved. Some I merely liked. Some I've reread a dozen times or more. Others not as much. I think this book is designed for the home primarily. I see parents and guardians reading this one alongside the original stories. Perhaps fitting the books into a homeschooling environment. Perhaps just keeping this all for entertainment and pleasure. I do not see this being extremely useful within a school classroom--the extension activities don't really lend themselves to a large group. Nor is there that much free time ever within a school day to devote to living like a pioneer. The discussion questions might be better suited than the activities but I still can't imagine any one classroom reading their way through the entire series in a school year. But for home use, this is excellent!

THE LAURA INGALLS WILDER COMPANION is a guide to help young readers delve deeper into the Little House books. Annette Whipple provides chapter-by-chapter guides of each of the nine Little House books in which she explains certain people, places, historical events, and things that today’s children might not know about or understand. She also provides lists of activities, crafts, and recipes that will help children “Live Like Laura” and gain a better understanding of how life was around a hundred and fifty years ago. At the end of each chapter, Whipple provides a list of questions that will encourage children to dig deeper into the stories.

THE LAURA INGALLS WILDER COMPANION is the book that I needed as a child. I started reading the Little House books when I was 7, and I spent a good amount of my childhood pretending that Laura and her sisters were my imaginary friends. I dressed my dolls up in prairie style dresses and hauled them around in a wagon made from a box. I built a log cabin out of popsicle sticks, and I spent hours playing with my miniature Ingalls family. I also read every book by Laura or about Laura that I could get my hands on. (And, clearly, I still do.) As a child, this book would have answered a lot of my questions. It also would have helped me with coming up with more activities to try in my quest to be more like Laura. Even as an adult, I learned a few new things. THE LAURA INGALLS WILDER COMPANION is a must read for all Little House enthusiasts regardless of their age.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

One of my favorite book series as a child. I even read them as an adult! I was always able to imagine what it was like to live in her day as my dad's family were pioneers in Oklahoma and the older members of the family still lived in "little houses on the prairie!" I even stayed in them when we went to visit! Claim shanties stayed around for quite sometime after Oklahoma became a state. Anyway, Ms. Whipple's book is really nice. I covers the Little House books chapter by chapter and along with the synopses of each chapter, she offers pioneer entertainments, crafts, activities, and recipes as tie-ins. Actually could be fun during these covid-19 days of sheltering in place! Could use it as a teachable history moment (along with actually reading the series!). It would make a nice gift for a fan of the series, as well!

I was one of those kids who grew up on (and was slightly obsessed with) the Little House books. I did school book reports on Laura and we did a family vacation to one year to all of the Little House sites. "The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion" would have been the perfect book to compliment my reading journey. The companion gives some background to each book and then some thoughts for each chapter. There are also activity ideas, both crafting and cooking, to compliment the books. The pictures of the 'real' Ingalls family grounds the reader in the fact that these books were based on Laura's life growing up. There is a great list of resources at the end that list places and museums that are related to the book series and Laura's life. "the Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion" would be a great addition to any household starting out on the Little House reading journey.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

It's a nice collection of activities and recipes for younger readers. It's a good way to introduce the Little House series to first time readers. There are also factual tidbits for older readers and adults, explaining discrepancies in the books. Whipped a,so addressed the political incorrectness of the books for people who don't understand that the books were written 70 and 80 years ago. There is one blatant error in the book. The author states Wilder was born four years after slavery ended. Slavery didn't end until 1865 and Wilder was born in eighteen sixty seven so Whipple assumes the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, which it did. not..

This would be a great book for the Little House-loving child in your life. It provides a lot of additional information about Laura Ingalls Wilder's life and books and provides instructions for activities that will help to bring the books alive for children!

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion is a wonderful guide for those who loved the Little House books growing up and want to share the series with the next generations.
Annette Whipple provides a Chapter-by-Chapter guide to the books, with a number of points to contemplate and discuss. She also expands on the history of the day and sheds light on some of the problematic parts of the book, as well as which parts of Laura's accounts were fictionalized. I love that it's bringing this awareness to those new to the series, and those who have been fans for years.
I know I would have loved this when I was first reading the Little House series and think this is a great way to engage a new generation of readers. There are also recipes and DIY projects highlighting things of the day that are talked about in the books. So much fun!
Many thanks to Independent Publishers Group and NetGalley for the advance copy.