Little House on the Prairie is a children's book by
Laura Ingalls WilderLaura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of children's books based on her childhood in a pioneer family.-Early life and marriage:...
that was published in 1935. It is part of a series of books known collectively as the
Little House series.
The
Little House series is based on decades-old memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood in the Midwest region of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the late
19th centuryThe 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Ottoman, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
. The best-known of the books is
Little House on the Prairie. The books are told in the
third personThird person may refer to:* A grammatical person, he, she, and they in the English language* Third-person narrative, a perspective in storytelling...
, with Laura Ingalls acting as the central character and protagonist, and are generally classified as
historical fictionHistorical fiction is a sub-genre of fiction that often portrays fictional accounts or dramatization of historical figures or events. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, nominally attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time presented in...
rather than as
autobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, although several of the later books are almost purely autobiographical. Wilder's daughter, author and political theorist
Rose Wilder LaneRose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
, assisted her mother with the editing of the works. The depth of her involvement, and the extent of her influence on the theme and content of the books, has been the subject of some debate in recent years, but almost all Laura scholars and her biographers consider that the writing of the books was a tense but ultimately effective continuing collaboration between mother and daughter — Laura writing the books, Rose editing them.
The books have remained continuously in print since their initial publication by
Harper & BrothersHarper & Brothers was a prominent New York City book and magazine publishing firm which founded Harper's Magazine.James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishing business J. & J. Harper in 1817. Their two brothers, Joseph Wesley Harper and Fletcher Harper,...
, and are considered classics of American
children's literatureChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve and is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes exclude young-adult fiction, comic books, or other genres. Books specifically for children existed by the 17th century...
. Several of them were named Newbery Honor books. They remain widely read. The edition of the series currently in print contains illustrations by
Garth WilliamsGarth Williams was a prominent American illustrator known for his work on children's books. He was 84 years old when he died....
. The books were also adapted into a long-running, popular American television series,
Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie is an American one-hour dramatic television program, starring Michael Landon, about a family living on a farm in Minnesota in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was a loose adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best-selling series of Little House on the Prairie books. It aired...
.
Wilder's Little House books
- Little House in the Big Woods
Little House in the Big Woods is a children's novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder and was published in 1932. This book is the first of the series of books known as the Little House series....
(1932)
- Farmer Boy
Farmer Boy is a children's historical novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder. First published in 1933, it is the second book in the nine part Little House series, also known as "The Laura Years"...
(1933) — about her husband's childhood on a farm in New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
- Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie is a children's novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder and was published in 1935. This book is the third of the series of books known as the Little House series....
(1935)
- On the Banks of Plum Creek
On the Banks of Plum Creek is a children's book written in 1937 by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The fourth of nine books written in her Little House series, it is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota in late 19th Century....
(1937)
- By the Shores of Silver Lake
By the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was published in 1939 and is the fifth out of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as "The Laura Years".-Plot:...
(1939)
- The Long Winter
The Long Winter is a Newbery Honor novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder, first published in 1940. The story is set in South Dakota during the severe winter of 1880-1881, when Laura turned fourteen...
(1940)
- Little Town on the Prairie
Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder was published in 1941 and is the seventh out of nine books written in her Little House series...
(1941)
- These Happy Golden Years
These Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was published in 1943 and is the eighth of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as The Laura Years. This book is based on Laura's teenhood near De Smet, South Dakota, in the late 19th century, and focuses on Laura's short time...
(1943)
- On the Way Home
On the Way Home - an original diary of Laura Ingalls Wilder from a trip that she had in 1894 with her husband Almanzo Wilder and a seven-year old daughter Rose from their home in De Smet, South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri where they settled for good...
(1962), published posthumously original diary from a trip from De Smet to Mansfield in 1894
- The First Four Years
The First Four Years is a book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and found in the belongings of Rose Wilder Lane by Roger Lea MacBride, Rose's heir, upon Rose's death in 1968...
(1971), unedited and published posthumously, possibly intended as a book in the series, possibly intended as a separate novel for adults — Laura never developed the manuscript beyond a first draft, and her ultimate intent is not known.
- West From Home
West From Home is the last original "Little House" book by American author Laura Ingalls Wilder. It consists of Wilder's letters to her husband Almanzo Wilder during her visit to their daughter Rose Wilder Lane in San Francisco in 1915....
(1974), unedited and published posthumously
- The Road Back (2006), unedited and published posthumously as a part of A Little House Traveler: Writings from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Journeys Across America
A Little House Traveler: Writings from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Journeys Across America is a collection of early writings by Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House series of novels...
Story
At the beginning of this story,
Pa IngallsCharles Phillip Ingalls was the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House on the Prairie series of books...
decides to sell the house in the Big Woods of
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
, and move to the
Indian TerritoryThe Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the use of Native Americans...
near
Independence, KansasIndependence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The population was 9,846 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, as there were widely circulating stories that the land (technically still under
OsageThe Osage Nation is a Native American tribe in the United States that originated about 1200 CE in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. Ancestors lived in the area for thousands of years. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their...
ownership) would be opened to settlement by homesteaders imminently. So Laura, along with Pa and
MaCaroline Ingalls, born Caroline Lake Quiner was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie....
, and
MaryMary Amelia Ingalls was born near the town of Pepin, Wisconsin. She was the first child of Caroline and Charles Ingalls...
and baby
CarrieCaroline Celestia "Carrie" Ingalls Swanzey was the third child of Charles and Caroline Ingalls, and was born in Montgomery County, Kansas...
, move to
KansasKansas is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind," although this was...
. Along the way, Pa trades his two horses for two Western
mustangsA Mustang is a free-roaming feral horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish...
, which Laura and Mary name Pet and Patty. When the family reaches Indian Territory, they meet Mr. Edwards, who is extremely polite to Ma, but tells Laura and Mary that he is "a wildcat from
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
." Mr. Edwards is an excellent neighbor, and helps the Ingalls in every way he can, beginning with helping Pa erect their house. Then, Pa builds a roof and a floor for their house, digs a well, and the family is finally settled. During the book, the Ingalls family becomes terribly ill from a disease called at that time "
Fever 'n' AgueMalaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria, killing between one and...
" (fever with severe chills and shaking) which was later identified to be
malariaMalaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria, killing between one and...
. Mrs. Scott, another neighbor, takes care of the family while they are sick. Mr. Edwards brings Laura and Mary their Christmas presents from Independence, and in the spring, the Ingalls plant the beginnings of a small farm. At the end of this book, the family is told that the land must be vacated by settlers as it is not legally open to settlement yet, and Pa elects to leave the land and move before the Army forcibly requires him to abandon the land. The next book,
On the Banks of Plum CreekOn the Banks of Plum Creek is a children's book written in 1937 by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The fourth of nine books written in her Little House series, it is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota in late 19th Century....
, reveals that they have moved to
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
.
Many of the incidents in the book are actual situations that happened to the Ingalls family at that time in their lives, as told to Laura by her Pa, Ma and sister Mary over the years. Laura was, in fact, 2 to 3 1/2 years old while her family lived in Indian Territory during 1869–1870, and did not remember the incidents herself. For this reason, Laura did more historical research on this novel than on any other novel she wrote, in an attempt to have all details as correct as possible. She portrays herself as being six to seven years old, however, as she began the series when she was 4–5 years old (after the family's return to Wisconsin from Kansas), but wanted to set this second book chronologically after the first. This is also why Baby Carrie is portrayed as making the trip to Indian Territory with the family, when she was, in reality, born in Indian Territory in August 1870 (as recorded in their family Bible) shortly before the family left to return to Wisconsin. With her fourth book,
On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura is, from that point on, describing her own age correctly, and most events as they actually happened.
Actual location of the "Little House"
Laura had always heard from her family that the little house was "40 miles from
IndependenceIndependence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The population was 9,846 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
," which would have put the house approximately where the town of
Nowata, OklahomaNowata is a city in Nowata County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,971 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nowata County.-Geography:Nowata is located at ....
, is today. It was, in fact, about from Independence, not , and the reason for this rather large discrepancy is not known, although she may have misheard or mis-remembered "14 miles" as "40 miles," while the surveying techniques of the day would in fact have measured it as being . The actual site of the Charles Ingalls house in Indian Territory was established conclusively in the late 1950s through careful record research done by a librarian named Margaret Clement, which established the Ingalls cabin as having been definitively in the southeast corner of Section 36,
Rutland TownshipRutland Township may refer to:Places in the United States:* Rutland Township, Kane County, Illinois* Rutland Township, LaSalle County, Illinois* Rutland Township, Humboldt County, Iowa* Rutland Township, Woodbury County, Iowa...
,
Montgomery County, KansasMontgomery County is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The population was 36,252 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated to be in the year...
. It is the only quarter section in that area with no claim filed in 1870 (no claims could be filed until 1871, and the Ingalls had returned to Wisconsin by then) and it is the only quarter section with a hand-dug well (which Pa told of digging shortly after their arrival there). Carrie Ingalls' birth is also recorded as being in Montgomery County, Kansas in August 1870. Today there is a facsimile log cabin on that site, near Wayside, Kansas.
Critical reviews
The stories have been critiqued from a feminist perspective, for their
conservative political messageConservatism is the diverse political and social philosophy that supports tradition and the status quo, or that calls for a return to the values and society of an earlier age, the status quo ante. However, the term has been used by politicians and political commentators with a variety of meanings...
, and for their representation of the
OsageThe Osage Nation is a Native American tribe in the United States that originated about 1200 CE in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. Ancestors lived in the area for thousands of years. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their...
.
Historic sites and museums
The state of
KansasKansas is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind," although this was...
has designated the childhood home of the Ingalls South of
IndependenceIndependence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The population was 9,846 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
as a historic site, which is open to visitors. It is the location from which the events of the book
Little House on the Prairie take place. It includes a cabin modeled after the original (at the William Kurtis ranch), and the original post office. Much of the surrounding countryside retains its open and undeveloped nature. It is now owned and operated by journalist Bill Kurtis and his sister Senator Jean Schodorf. There is a historical site, and they get about 20,000 visitors a year. The land was inherited by the two from their parents, Bill Kurtis and Wilma Kurtis. Wilma inherited it from her father, Bert Horton. It has been in the Kurtis/Horton family for close to 100 years.
De SmetDe Smet is a city in and the county seat of Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,164 at the 2000 census. It was named for Father Pierre De Smet, a 19th century Jesuit missionary....
,
South DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. South Dakota was carved out of the southern half of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889...
attracts many fans with its historic sites from the books
By the Shores of Silver LakeBy the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was published in 1939 and is the fifth out of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as "The Laura Years".-Plot:...
, The Long Winter', Little Town on the PrairieLittle Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder was published in 1941 and is the seventh out of nine books written in her Little House series...
',
These Happy Golden YearsThese Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was published in 1943 and is the eighth of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as The Laura Years. This book is based on Laura's teenhood near De Smet, South Dakota, in the late 19th century, and focuses on Laura's short time...
, and
The First Four YearsThe First Four Years was a compilation of early songs by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag recorded before Henry Rollins became the band's vocalist in 1981. Released in 1983 on SST Records, it essentially collects the EPs Nervous Breakdown, Jealous Again, Six Pack, and the single "Louie...
. From 1879 to 1894 the Ingalls family lived in De Smet and the family homestead, a house in town built by Charles Ingalls, the Brewster School where Wilder taught, and the surveyor's home the family lived in between 1879 and 1880 are open to visitors. The bodies of Charles, Caroline, Mary, Carrie, and Grace Ingalls, and the unnamed infant son of Laura and
Almanzo WilderAlmanzo James Wilder was the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder and father of Rose Wilder Lane, both noted U.S. authors.- Early life :...
are buried in the De Smet Cemetery. Laura and Almanzo Wilder stayed briefly in
Westville, FloridaWestville is a town in Holmes County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 221. According to the U.S...
in the 1890s.
MansfieldMansfield is a city in Wright County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,349 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mansfield is located at ....
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
is the chosen final home town of Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was here, on her farm, that she wrote the
Little House books. Each year the whole town celebrates with a festival, turning back the clock to the late 1800s. During the festival, the town square becomes a showcase for handmade crafts. There is a big parade, and folk music is played from the gazebo in the park.
Walnut Grove, MinnesotaWalnut Grove is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 599 at the 2000 census.-History:Walnut Grove is the home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, dedicated to the author of the Little House on the Prairie books...
may be the most recognized name of all the towns Wilder wrote about in her books (although it is the only town she did not mention by name) because
Michael LandonMichael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer, who starred in three popular NBC TV series that spanned three decades...
's television series
Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie is an American one-hour dramatic television program, starring Michael Landon, about a family living on a farm in Minnesota in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was a loose adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best-selling series of Little House on the Prairie books. It aired...
of the 1970s and 1980s was set here. Although the show depicts the family as living here through Wilder's adulthood, in reality, they only lived here a few years.
In 1874, when Wilder was seven years old, the family left their home near Pepin for the second time and settled just outside
Walnut Grove, MinnesotaWalnut Grove is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 599 at the 2000 census.-History:Walnut Grove is the home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, dedicated to the author of the Little House on the Prairie books...
. Wilder writes of her early years here in
On the Banks of Plum Creek. The family lived in a dugout in the creek bank until Pa could build a house. Laura and Mary began school again, and made both friends (the Kennedy children) and enemies (
Nellie OlesonNellie Oleson is a fictional character that appeared in the children's books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her character was later adapted for the NBC television show, Little House on the Prairie. She also stars in the book Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls, by Heather Williams.Nellie was a...
). Laura discusses both at length in her book
On the Banks of Plum CreekOn the Banks of Plum Creek is a children's book written in 1937 by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The fourth of nine books written in her Little House series, it is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota in late 19th Century....
, as well as in her unpublished biography "Pioneer Girl."
Pepin, WisconsinPepin is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 878 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Pepin.-History:...
was Wilder's birthplace. Her birthplace is about seven miles (11 km) north of the village, and is marked by a replica cabin along the former
WIS-183State Trunk Highway 183 was a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It ran north-south between WIS 35 near Pepin and WIS 29 near Spring Valley. The now-decommissioned highway was turned over to local control, and is now designated as County Trunk Highway "CC" in Pepin and Pierce Counties...
at the
Little House WaysideThe Little House Wayside is a wayside located in Pepin County, Wisconsin, seven miles northwest of Pepin, Wisconsin, in the town of Pepin, and approximately one mile southeast of Lund, on County Highway CC , on the plot where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867.The site contains a...
(near
Lund, WisconsinLund is an unincorporated community located in two counties of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It lies on on the county line between Pepin County, in the town of Pepin, and Pierce County, in the town of Maiden Rock, in central western Wisconsin, along the junctions of county highways "SS", "CC" and...
). Pepin celebrates her life every September with traditional music, craft demonstrations, a "Laura look-alike" contest, a spelling bee, and other events.
Wilder's baby brother, Charles Frederic Ingalls, was born in Walnut Grove on November 1 1875; he lived for nine months before dying in
South Troy, MinnesotaSouth Troy is a small unincorporated community in Zumbro Township, Wabasha County, Minnesota, United States, west of the city of Hammond.-History:...
. Wilder did not include this in her books, (other than "Pioneer Girl," the unpublished manuscript) as she thought that an incident that sad had no place in a series of books aimed at young children.
Pa had felt that
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
would be "the land of milk and honey," but a plague of
grasshoppersThe Rocky Mountain locust was the most important locust species that ranged through almost the entire western half of the United States until the end of the 19th century. The insect may have produced larger swarms than any other locust species...
destroyed the wheat crops two years in a row. Pa was offered a job co-managing "The Master's Hotel" in Burr Oak, Iowa, and the family moved there in 1876. A year later, the family returned to Walnut Grove. In 1976 the restored Hotel was opened as a museum.
At first, the Ingalls family lived with their friends, the Ensigns. Pa built a house in town, and worked as a storekeeper, butcher, then carpenter. In the spring of 1879, Mary became very ill. Her illness was followed by a stroke, which resulted in blindness. Soon afterward, Pa's sister Docia came from the Big Woods and offered him a job with the railroad going west. Though Ma wanted to remain in Walnut Grove, Pa felt a better future could be found in Dakota Territory. After making a promise to Ma that it would be their last move ever (a promise he kept) he accepted Docia's offer gladly, thus ending the Ingalls' stay in Walnut Grove, eventually settling for good in DeSmet, South Dakota.
Related books
The success of the
Little House series has produced many related books including two series ("Little House Chapter Books" and "My First Little House Books") that present the original stories in condensed and simplified form for younger readers. Other related titles include sticker and craft books, cookbooks, diaries, calendars, dishes, and so on.
Four series of books expand the
Little House series to include five generations of Laura Ingalls Wilder's family. The "Martha Years" and "Charlotte Years" series, by
Melissa WileyMelissa Wiley is a pen name for Melissa Anne Peterson . She is the author of two book series about Laura Ingalls Wilder's ancestors, the Martha Years and the Charlotte Years. She resides in San Diego, CA with her husband, the comic book editor and author Scott Peterson, and six children. One of...
, are fictionalized tales of Laura's great-grandmother in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in the late 18th century and grandmother in early 19th century
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
. The "Caroline Years" series narrates Laura's mother,
Caroline QuinerCaroline Ingalls, born Caroline Lake Quiner was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie....
,'s childhood in
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
. The Rose Years (originally known as the "Rocky Ridge Years") series follows
Rose Wilder LaneRose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
from childhood in
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
to early adulthood in San Francisco. It was written by her surrogate grandson
Roger MacBrideRoger Lea MacBride was a U.S. lawyer, political figure, and television producer. He was the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1976 election....
. Lane's novels,
Let the Hurricane Roar (also known as
Young Pioneers- Fiction :*Young Pioneers - a 1932 book by Rose Wilder Lane, also known as "Let the Hurricane Roar"- Music :* Pioneers a folk punk band from Richmond, Virginia in the late 1990's- Television :...
) and
Free Land can be seen as re-tellings of the
Little House books from an adult perspective, as many of the incidents in both books mirror the experiences of her parents and grandparents. In fact, "Young Pioneers"'s main characters are even named Charles and Caroline, the names of Laura's parents.
Noted children's author
Cynthia RylantCynthia Rylant is an American author. She has written more than 100 children's books in English and Spanish. With the divorce of her parents when she was four and living without running water and electricity she became an author including works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry...
has written a slender volume,
Old Town in the Green GrovesOld Town in the Green Groves novel by Cynthia Rylant is a fictional midquel book based on some notes left by Laura Ingalls Wilder and a general knowledge about her life and the times....
, that covers the two years in Laura's life between
On The Banks of Plum Creek and
By The Shores of Silver Lake which are unnarrated in the original series of books. Two volumes of Laura's letters and diaries have also been issued under the
Little House imprint:
On The Way Home and
West From Home, both published by Harper Collins in 1962 and 1974 respectively.
The series,
The Days of Laura Ingalls WilderThe Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a series of books written by Thomas L. Tedrow. They are fictional books about Laura's adulthood in Missouri.- Books :# Missouri Homestead # Children of Promise # Good Neighbors...
by
Thomas L. TedrowThomas L. Tedrow is an author, screenwriter, film producer, and venture capitalist. He wrote the Little House on the Prairie spin off series The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Another series he has written was The Younguns. He also wrote an accurate eye-opening book on Senator Ted Kennedy's scandal...
, offers tales of Laura's early adulthood in Missouri; unlike the core
Little House books, the Tedrow series is not drawn from episodes in Wilder's life.
Jackanory (1966, 1968)
JackanoryJackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first aired on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,...
is a
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
series intended to encourage children to read which ran from 1965 to 1996, and was revived in 2006. From October 24 through October 28 1966, there were five short episodes based on
Little House in the Big Woods released, with Red Shively as the storyteller. From October 21 through October 25 1968, five more were released, this time based on
Farmer Boy, with
Richard MonetteRichard Jean Monette OC, DHum, LLD was a Canadian actor and director, best-known for his 14-season tenure as artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada from 1994 to 2007.-Early life:...
as the storyteller.
Little House on the Prairie (television series, 1974–1984)
A television series based on the
Little House On The Prairie aired on the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
network from 1974 to 1983. The show was a loose adaptation of the
Little House on the Prairie books, with the namesake book being represented in the premiere movie only, and the regular series primarily following characters and locations from the follow up book,
On the Banks of Plum CreekOn the Banks of Plum Creek is a children's book written in 1937 by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The fourth of nine books written in her Little House series, it is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota in late 19th Century....
(the continuity of the television series greatly departed from this book as well). Some storylines were borrowed from the later books as well, but were portrayed as having taken place in the 'Plum Creek' setting.
Michael LandonMichael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer, who starred in three popular NBC TV series that spanned three decades...
starred as Charles Ingalls,
Karen GrassleKaren Trust Grassle is an American actress, best known for her role as Caroline Ingalls, the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the Little House on the Prairie TV series.-Early career:...
played Caroline Ingalls,
Melissa GilbertMelissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. The naturally red-headed Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
played Laura Ingalls,
Melissa Sue AndersonMelissa Sue Anderson is a Daytime Emmy- winning actress best known for playing Mary Ingalls on the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie, which aired from 1974 until 1983. She has been most recently seen as First Lady Megan Hollister in the 2006 television mini-series 10.5:...
played Mary Ingalls, and the twins
Lindsay and Sidney GreenbushRachel Lindsay Rene Bush and Sidney Robyn Danae Bush were born May 25, 1970, in Hollywood, California, to Billy Green Bush and Carole Kay Bush. They are former child actresses...
(credited as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush) played Carrie Ingalls. Some characters were added in the show, such as Albert, played by
Matthew LaborteauxMatthew Laborteaux is an American actor who has starred on television and in films. He was born in Los Angeles, California. He is probably best known for his television role as Albert Quinn Ingalls on the hit NBC TV series, Little House on the Prairie, from 1978-1982...
, an orphan the family adopted. Although it deviated from the original books in many respects, the television series, which was set in
Walnut Grove, MinnesotaWalnut Grove is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 599 at the 2000 census.-History:Walnut Grove is the home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, dedicated to the author of the Little House on the Prairie books...
, was one of a few long-running successful dramatic family shows (and it is still in syndication).
Laura, The Prairie Girl (animated series, 1975)
A Japanese cartoon series of 26 episodes (about 24 minutes each), originally entitled
Sôgen no shôjô Laura.
Beyond the Prairie (2000, 2001)
Two made for television movies by
Marcus ColeMarcus Cole, played by Jason Carter, is a fictional character in the universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. He was a regular in the third and fourth seasons of the show...
, with
Meredith MonroeMeredith Leigh Monroe is an American actress best-known for her role as Andie McPhee on Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2000...
as Laura. Part 1 tells story of teenage Laura in DeSmet, while the second part is about Laura and Almanzo's (
Walton GogginsWalton Sanders Goggins, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role on the FX Networks series The Shield, portraying "Detective Shane Vendrell". Goggins was producer of the 2001 short film The Accountant, which won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film...
) marriage and their life in
Mansfield, MissouriMansfield is a city in Wright County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,349 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mansfield is located at ....
. It also focuses a lot on the character of Wilder's young daughter; Rose (
Skye McCole BartusiakSkye McCole Bartusiak is an American film and television teen actress.-Biography:McCole Bartusiak was born in Houston, Texas, where she lives today with her parents Raymond Donald Bartusiak and Helen McCole. She attended St...
).
Little House on the Prairie (2005 miniseries)
The 2005
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
five-hour (six-episode) miniseries
Little House on the Prairie attempted to follow closely the books
Little House in the Big Woods and
Little House on the Prairie. It starred
Cameron BancroftCameron Bancroft , sometimes credited as Cam Bancroft is an actor known for playing Joe Bradley on the TV Series Beverly Hills, 90210. He was on the show from 1995 to 1996....
as Charles Ingalls;
Erin CottrellErin Cottrell is an American actress born in Yardley, Pennsylvania who has appeared in the role of Missie Davis-LaHaye in 5 of the 8 films in the Love Comes Softly series. She also played Caroline Ingalls in the 2005 miniseries Little House On The Prairie.-External links:* official website...
as Caroline Ingalls;
Kyle ChavarriaKyle Chavarria is an American teen actress.Chavarria has landed numerous television roles including the lead role of Laura Ingalls on Walt Disney's ABC mini-series Little House on the Prairie, According to Jim, Gilmore Girls and the CBS hit television series Ghost Whisperer.Kyle has appeared in...
as Laura Ingalls;
Danielle ChuchranDanielle Ryan Chuchran is an American teen actress, having appeared in films since 2001. Currently she is best known for playing the role of Mary Ingalls in the newest screening of Little House on the Prairie...
as Mary Ingalls; and Gregory Sporleder as Mr Edwards. It was directed by
David L. CunninghamBorn in Switzerland and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, David Loren Cunningham is an international filmmaker. Besides his documentary credits in more than 40 countries, Cunningham has also directed several feature films including To End All Wars and the TV miniseries The Path to 9/11...
.
Stage adaptation
A musical version of
Little House on the Prairie, based on the books, premiered at the
Guthrie TheaterThe Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in...
(
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
) on July 26, 2008 in previews, opening August 15 and running through October 19. The musical has a book by Rachel Sheinkin, music by
Rachel PortmanRachel Mary Berkeley Portman is a British composer, best known for her film work. She was the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Score...
and lyrics by Donna DiNovelli and is directed by
Francesca ZambelloFrancesca Zambello is a leading American opera and theatre director. Zambello lived in Europe when she was a child, learning to speak French, Italian, German and Russian. Zambello is of Italian descent...
with choreography by Michele Lynch. The cast includes
Melissa GilbertMelissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. The naturally red-headed Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
as "Ma",
Steve BlanchardSteve Blanchard is a stage actor best known for his musical theatre roles, being most closely associated with the role of Beast in the musical Beauty and the Beast, which he played both on Broadway and on tour for eleven years...
as "Pa", Kara Lindsay (Laura), Jenn Gambatese (Mary), Sara Jean Ford (Nellie), Kevin Massey (Almanzo Wilder) and Brian Muller (Clarence Brewster).
The musical began a 5-week engagement at the
Paper Mill PlayhousePaper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles away from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City...
,
MillburnMillburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 19,765.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
, on September 10, 2009 prior to a US National tour beginning in October 2009 at the Ordway Theatre,
St. PaulSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the north bank of the Mississippi River, downstream of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
,
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
. Gilbert, Blanchard, Lindsay and Massey continue their roles.
Prior to these productions, workshop presentations were held April 16-17, 2007; the cast included Melissa Gilbert and
Patrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best-known for his roles as romantic leading men in the films Dirty Dancing and Ghost and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries...
.
External links
- The LITTLE HOUSE Encyclopedia, devoted to the television series and spinoffs
- Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl - Comprehensive site
- Pioneer Girl, Fact and Fiction of Laura Ingalls Wilder, A-Z - Comprehensive site
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Walnut Grove, MN
- A Review of The Little House Books
- Complete guide to the world of little house on the prairie, and a special guide to pioneer life.
- Little House on the Prairie original site near Independence, Kansas
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society, located in De Smet, South Dakota
- The Little House archive, bibliography for the series, its spinoffs, and Little House scholarship.
- All about the Show on Series-80.net
- Little House Wiki : littlehouse.wikia.com/wiki/Little_House_Wiki