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Little Town on the Prairie
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
62 posts | 140 read | 15 to read
The little settlement that weathered the long, hard winter of 1880-81 is now a growing town. Laura is growing up, and she goes to her first evening social. Mary is at last able to go to a college for the blind. Best of all, Almanzo Wilder asks permission to walk home from church with Laura. And Laura, now fifteen years old, receives her certificate to teach school.
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Coffeymuse
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I knew Laura Ingalls Wilder was a teacher but it's been so long since I've read this I had to Goggle which book!

#schoolspirit
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs

Eggs And she was so young! 2mo
20 likes1 comment
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melissajayne
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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1. I always loved the name Laura, especially when I saw Laura Ingalls‘ name cards in Little Town.

2.Tagged

#two4tuesday

TheSpineView ❤️ Laura. Thanks for playing 4mo
24 likes1 comment
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Susanita
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I had another copy of this in my youth, but it literally fell apart. When Borders closed, I was able to replace it and fill out the rest of the series. I was happy to see the same kitten illustration on the cover as on my childhood copy. #prairie #storysettings

IndoorDame I love it when you find the same cover as your childhood copy!!!! 6mo
RayHallucinogen Is this book still on the reading list at schools? 6mo
Susanita @RayHallucinogen I have no idea! 6mo
Soscha I do like that cover. My eyes might be fanciful but it looks to me they‘re meeting a Mogwai. How awesome would that twist have been?! 🤣 6mo
Eggs Yes - love these covers🧡🌾 6mo
51 likes1 stack add5 comments
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CrystalE02
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

I just finished this book!!! I love this series!!! I grew up with these books. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

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julieclair
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

One of my favorite Little House books. Filled with sweet adventures and not many perils.
#LittleHouse @megnews

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 1y
26 likes1 comment
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BethM
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

Enjoying this read along. Felt like less happened this book.

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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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On a fluke, Laura gets her teaching certificate 2 months early and already has a job lined up 12 miles away. I can‘t lie. It bothers me that everything seems to revolve around Mary. Laura has to teach solely to allow Mary to attend college. It‘s a nice sacrifice but the obligation they put her under rubs me the wrong way. As others have said, the tone of this book is much happier than others in the series. What are your final thoughts?

Bookwormjillk You‘re right about Mary. That‘s a lot to ask of a 15 year old! I wonder if Laura was as cheerful about it in real life as she was in the book. 1y
BethM I agree with you. And @Bookwormjillk I feel like it had to be one of those remembrance was kinder than actuality situations. 1y
julieclair This was one of my favorite books in the series. I enjoyed the more positive tone. But I do feel sorry for Laura having to teach when she has no desire to do so. And I wish she was a couple of years older. She is so very young to be teaching. 1y
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mrp27 I enjoyed this one better, the happenings in life of a small town. I do agree about Mary as well. I never really noticed it as a kid when I first read the books. Funny how I always thought Laura always wanted to be a teacher. 1y
TheAromaofBooks I totally agree about Mary. In fairness, I think most young people started working to help support the family at similar ages as this at the time. I wonder if she is emphasizing that it's to help Mary as a way of it not reflecting on Pa not being able to keep the family financially stable? Do they need Laura's income for other things, but saying it's for Mary casts Pa in a better light? 100% speculation here haha 1y
sblbooks This wasn't one of my favorite in the series but still good. Working as a teacher at 15 seems strange, but I know that was common back in the 1800s. My grandfather was born in 1925 and had to quit school in fourth grade, to help around the farm. 1y
Bookwormjillk @TheAromaofBooks that makes sense! 1y
BarbaraJean The obligation because of Mary didn't bother me--I think it would've been there even without Mary's tuition. If the family needed the money, Laura would probably have been teaching anyway. @julieclair @sblbooks @TheAromaofBooks It does feel SO strange to me for her to be teaching at 15! I guess it wasn't uncommon & she was only a little early in getting her certificate, but she literally goes from being a student one week to a teacher the next. 1y
37 likes8 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

Read a little, listened a little. I am really enjoying this reread, even more so with the group here.

TheAromaofBooks I have really gotten so much more out of these stories thanks to our group read!!! 1y
50 likes1 comment
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Yesterday and todays chapters see Almanzo walking Laura home from town event. As others mentioned, there is a 10 year age gap and Laura is just shy of 16. By today‘s standards, in most communities, this would be taboo but I think during this time there were no teen years. You went from being a child to an adult. As we‘ll see in the next chapter, Laura is about to become a schoolteacher, and therefore, an adult. Also I think about the isolation👇🏻

megnews On the frontier and few options for marriage. As we‘ve mentioned before about other aspects of the book, times were different then. So I don‘t really view Almanzo poorly for this. Somehow I either counted chapters wrong or I‘m off track. We‘ll end tomorrow with the last chapter and a recap then start Friday with 1y
Bookwormjillk Yeah, of all the things that bothered me in this book that age difference wasn‘t really one of them. Laura is going to work like an adult, makes sense she‘d have relationships with other adults. 1y
mrp27 Agreed, the age difference was never an issue for me. It was just the times. I‘m still chuckling about how clueless Laura is to Almanzo. 1y
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TheAromaofBooks The age thing never bothered me here, either. As others have said, Laura was moving into adulthood. Plus, Almanzo is known and respected by her parents, so there is nothing underhanded or shifty about the situation. My great-grandparents were ten years apart and got married when my great-grandma was 15, had a long and happy marriage (and 16 children haha). 1y
BethM I don‘t love it. Now I didn‘t read these as a kid and I work in criminal justice so I‘m tainted 😂but he has zero relationship with her prior to this so I think that‘s my rub. 1y
julieclair The age thing did bother me at first, but I do know that times were different then. And we know that Almanzo is a gentleman. 1y
36 likes6 comments
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mrp27
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

#LittleHouse #SeriesLove2023

Laura is growing up and studying hard to be a teacher while her nemesis Nellie Olsen returns. It‘s been such a joy to revisit these books and relive all of Lauras adventures.

TheSpineView Fantastic!💙📖📚 1y
33 likes1 comment
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Not Laura hoping a husband will come along so she doesn‘t have to teach for long. 😂

BarbaraJean I thought that was hilarious—she was excited about the ride with Almanzo primarily because of the horses, and here she‘s interested in marriage so she can get out of teaching. It seems our Laura is not a romantic? 😂 1y
Bookwormjillk I always thought she liked Cap best and settled for Almanzo 1y
BethM @Bookwormjillk I get that sense too. Also a 15 yo being courted by a 19/20 yr old when they have nothing in common and have Barely ever spoken skeeves me out. 1y
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BethM Wait! Google just informed me they‘re 10 years apart!!! Wtf 1y
mrp27 I love how clueless she is to Almanzo. Also says something about how much she does not want to teach. So funny because I didn‘t remember that from the books. 1y
Vansa Ma and Pa seem to think she's too young too! Clearly her editors told them to reduce the age difference because it really wouldn't have flown, for 20th century readers. 1y
40 likes6 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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The Ingalls continue to enjoy life in town. As someone said on the last post it seems the tough times are behind them. I found today‘s chapter about the minstrel show and accompanying illustration distasteful.

Bookwormjillk Me too. I pretty much cringed and skimmed that chapter. 1y
AnnR Worst chapter in the book and maybe the whole series. 1y
Vansa It made for difficult reading but it's important that it's chronicled.I think for kids reading this book,it's deeply important for adults to read it with them,or for there to be annotations-Black culture,to this day,is appropriated with Black artistes not being given their due and having less access to performance spaces.Its important to remember that this has a long history! 1y
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Vansa I found the entire Literary Society very interesting though-the activities sound so much fun!I love the way they break down a word to spell it. 1y
mrp27 This chapter really hurt, was tough to get through. As awful as it was I don‘t know that I would be all in for changing the text but I‘m certainly for removing that illustration. My Little House set is from the late 90‘s, anyone know if that illustration is in current copies of the book? 1y
BarbaraJean @Bookwormjillk I cringed, too. I also felt blindsided—I wasn‘t expecting this at all. @Vansa & @mrp27 I also think it‘s important to leave the text & teach it with context. It‘s awful, but it shows how many insidious ways racism showed up & was accepted, both at the time of writing & in the time being narrated. But absolutely, the picture should go! I think the illustration is still in current copies—at least it‘s in the ebook version I‘m reading. 1y
sblbooks @mrp27 I have the full color version from 2004 and the same illustration is in that one. I wasn't expecting that... A teachable moment for sure. 1y
julieclair This chapter absolutely made me cringe. I listened on audio, so I haven‘t seen the illustration, but (sadly) I can imagine it. I agree that the text should not be changed, and should be taught with sensitivity. But I do worry about kids reading them without adult interaction. I imagine many parents would feel “safe” letting their kids read “those sweet Little House books”, and not realize they should be reading them alongside their children. 1y
BethM I agree with you all. I read these out loud to my son and the amount of editing that I did was something else. The picture has to go but the words can stay. Though honestly the picture is far less terrible than of a curious kid googled blackface. 1y
34 likes9 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Sociables, literaries, whirls of gaiety, a letter from Mary, another Christmas, and Laura finally gets the Tennyson book but is disappointed. And now an invitation to a party. Time seems to be flying and life seems suddenly different from the long endless days in the big woods or alone on the prairie. What stands out to you in these 3 chapters? I thought Pa was a hero when he shut down the literary bureaucracy! 😂

Bookwormjillk Pa was a hero! But I did notice he always had to be best 🤣 1y
julieclair @Bookwormjillk I agree with you on both counts! 😂 1y
sblbooks it's nice to see the family having fun for a change! 1y
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BethM I did too! 1y
BarbaraJean These chapters were so much fun to read! I loved what a grand old time the town has with a spelling match!! I did think it was funny that the “Literary Society“ didn't seem to focus a whole lot on literary activities 😂 1y
mrp27 Town life is certainly getting exciting! (edited) 1y
TheAromaofBooks This book is so much happier than some of the earlier ones. It feels like their years of struggle are finally starting to pay off. 1y
34 likes8 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Laura gets a ride with Almanzo‘s beautiful horses and trades name cards with him. This is the first I recall hearing her middle name. And then Ma let‘s her cut bangs for the church sociable which turns out to be a bust. 😳

BethM Oh shoot I must be a chapter behind! I thought church social was tonight. 1y
megnews @BethM it‘s today‘s chapter. (I thought). As I missed posting about yesterday‘s, I combined the two. 1y
TheAromaofBooks I was surprised at how casually we eliminated Miss Wilder from the story! I thought she was living on a claim, but apparently has given that up and headed back east! 1y
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Bookwormjillk The bangs thing had me cracking up. Some issues are timeless. 1y
AnnR I thought it was funny Laura put Nellie in her place without even trying, because Almanzo offered her a ride. He mentioned Eliza Jane spoke of Laura during the ride. I wonder what she said to him? If Eliza Jane said something bad, maybe that spurred him on to take notice of Laura. After all, Almanzo had a contemptuous relationship with his sister in book 2. Maybe he had respect for someone who could stand up to his sister? 1y
AnnR Sorry, I haven't been commenting much. I am following the conversation but fell behind in my reading again. 1y
BarbaraJean @Ann_Reads I loved that, too—all of Nellie‘s scheming and Almanzo just comes along and offers Laura a ride as she‘s running late 😂 And I was also SUPER curious what Eliza Jane had said about Laura, because it couldn‘t have been good. Apparently Almanzo has better judgment and maturity than his sister. (edited) 1y
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Me too! I was really hoping for a more satisfying conclusion to that drama! @Bookwormjillk 😂😂 Yes!! The perennial dilemma of bangs…this took me right back to jr. high! (edited) 1y
julieclair The bangs! And after all that fuss, the sociable sounded just awful. And @TheAromaofBooks , I also wondered about Miss Wilder. Did she just give up her claim? Her moving back to the East reminded me of tv shows where an actor quits and they just write them out of the script. Here one minute, gone the next! 1y
mrp27 I wanted more resolution from all the school drama and boy did I love Nellie getting put in her place when Laura shows up behind the horses. 1y
Vansa I love the way the school drama was resolved-with no comeuppance or justice.Its so real and that's exactly how it goes-you have to grit your teeth and put up with horrible teachers,and wait till you're done with the year!My one quibble is that she cuts her bangs with such ease,it's so hard to get right😂Bangs are in fashion since absolutely forever!!! 1y
megnews @Ann_Reads I‘m behind on responding. I loved this comeuppance too. I imagine she complained of Laura‘s feistiness and Almanzo is looking for just such a one. It makes you wonder how Laura and Eliza get along after they marry. 1y
megnews @Vansa it is very accurate. Some things in life you just have to get through til they resolve themselves 1y
34 likes14 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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The school board visits. Ms Wilder takes no personal responsibility, further demonstrating her immaturity and gullibility. Pa and Laura uncover what is probably happening with Nellie. But it just leaves you wondering what happens next, this being nowhere near resolved.

julieclair I am so glad the school board made an unannounced visit. Good for them! But I was amazed when Miss Wilder brazenly blamed Laura for all of the bad behavior. Poor Laura! 1y
mrp27 I was pretty peeved with Ms.Wilder in this chapter! 1y
Bookwormjillk Hard not to read ahead today! I wonder if that was Ma‘s actual handwriting at the end of the chapter. 1y
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sblbooks Miss Wilder should not be a teacher. 1y
BethM @Bookwormjillk that‘s what I was thinking ! 1y
BarbaraJean I did feel a tiiiiiiny bit bad for Miss Wilder about the rhyme Laura wrote! But I was appalled at her blaming all her classroom issues on Laura. Such a liar and so immature. Even if you give her the benefit of the doubt with what Nellie may have told her. I also loved that the school board/Pa stay above the blame game and also don‘t seem to believe Miss Wilder one bit. 1y
Vansa I loved how real this was. Teachers can be completely horrible( I've never had a single decent one), and they can completely abuse their power over children,which many do, and Ms.Wilder was clearly one of them.I can't wait to see how things pan out when Laura's her sister in law!!!! 1y
megnews @sblbooks agreed 1y
megnews @vansa some teachers can be horrible. I was lucky that I and my kids had some great ones. Sorry you didn‘t!! 1y
29 likes9 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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While I‘m sure all this is driven by Nellie Olsen, it shows Ms Wilder‘s immaturity and cruelty. I feel so bad and angry for Carrie and proud of Laura for standing up to Ms Wilder. If I was Ma I‘d be demanding her job.

Vansa Ms.Wilder reminds me of the sadistic teachers at my school!Completely horrible. Poor little Carrie and Laura 1y
BarbaraJean This chapter was infuriating to me. To so clearly target/bully both of the Ingalls girls, never mind singling out Carrie when she‘s clearly not well physically. 😡 I do think Miss Wilder is really insecure as a teacher, and Nellie is a fantastic manipulator who‘s taking advantage of that. That doesn‘t excuse Miss Wilder‘s behavior at all, though!! 1y
TheAromaofBooks I'm SO curious as to what Nellie is telling Miss Wilder in order for Miss W to justify (in her mind) her actions towards the girls! 1y
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Bookwormjillk Funny to think Laura is writing all of this about her sister-in-law 1y
BethM I am so angry, and dearly hope she sticks it to ms wilder. 1y
mrp27 @Bookwormjillk Agreed! That‘s all I kept thinking about. 1y
julieclair @TheAromaofBooks I am wondering the same thing! 🤔 1y
31 likes7 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Laura finds a book of poetry in Ma‘s dresser. She can‘t wait to find out the end of the poem at Christmas, which is just around the corner as they‘ve moved back into town for the winter again.

Bookwormjillk I‘m glad they have food for the winter, and I hope Carrie is okay! 1y
julieclair I was really proud of Laura for not turning the page to read one more word. I definitely would not have had that self control! And I agree with @Bookwormjillk , it's such a relief to know they have food and the stores are well-supplied. I, too, am worried about Carrie. 1y
BarbaraJean @julieclair Me, too! Ma would have come in to find me absorbed in reading the whole poem and beyond. 😆 With everyone so well-supplied and the weather indicating it will be a milder winter this time, I have a feeling this winter will be a non-event. But the comments about Carrie worried me as well. I was kind of annoyed at how that came out of nowhere when apparently she‘s not been well since last winter! 1y
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BethM I would‘ve bc no self control. Now im@worried she‘ll be let down and the book isn‘t for her. 1y
Vansa I love how lyrically she describes how it feels when you read good literature!Also it's interesting that she writes of Carrie's weakness from the long winter in an.... insidious sort of way,which is how a lot of these work- long Covid, for instance.Not necessarily a major illness at the time but a persistent nagging one. 1y
mrp27 I‘m very curious about the book and worried for Carrie! 1y
35 likes6 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Nellie Oleson returns and is being typical Nellie Oleson. I don‘t understand why the girls do what she said or why Miss Wilder allowed her to be like that.

Bookwormjillk Same. Just say no girls. 1y
BarbaraJean Same here—I understand why the girls might be intimidated into moving, but the teacher shouldn‘t have allowed it to get that far. It would have been completely valid for Miss Wilder to say, “These girls were here early to choose their seats, and since you were late, you‘ll have to sit in a seat that‘s not already taken.” I‘m worried about Miss Wilder not standing up to Nellie in the future. 1y
BethM I disliked her in the show and really disliked her here. Ms. Wilder needs to control the class not the other way around. I found this very frustrating. 1y
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mrp27 Nellie‘s back! Ohhh how I love to hate her 😂. Ms. Wilder definitely showed weakness in this chapter. 1y
TheAromaofBooks I totally forgot that Nellie reappears after Plum Creek! I felt bad for Miss Wilder - is this her first teaching assignment? I think she definitely made the wrong move but can understand the intimidation of the first day on the job, not wanting to start a big conflict. 1y
megnews @mrp27 I love to hate her too. 😂 1y
sblbooks @megnews @TheAromaofBooks @mrp27 @BethM @BarbaraJean @Bookwormjillk I'm curious, if any of you were ever told to never criticize a teacher? 1y
Bookwormjillk @sblbooks I don‘t think so but my parents always took the teacher‘s side 1y
TheAromaofBooks @sblbooks - Trick move, I was home schooled so no teacher criticism allowed 😂 But in seriousness, my parents always encouraged us to discuss our reasons for disagreeing with a teacher with them. We were definitely taught that adults are quite fallible BUT adults usually have more life experience/a reason we don't understand for why they have done something in a way we wouldn't do it. 1y
megnews @sblbooks I was not and I never seemed to have problems in this area. My kids had some issues with a teacher or two and I told them teachers are people and any person can be wrong. I also told them I wasn‘t likely to intervene because it‘s a good life lesson to learn working with people you don‘t agree with or dislike. Most of us have to learn that at some point. 1y
BethM My mom was a teacher and it was implied you respect teachers. But she raised strong, independent girls so I certainly had teachers I didn‘t get along with- usually men who I now recognize as chauvinists, and my elementary art teacher who I thought hated me but I was just an anxious kid 😂 1y
BarbaraJean @sblbooks I don‘t think I was ever told not to criticize a teacher, but I was homeschooled from 5th grade through high school so like @TheAromaofBooks my teacher interactions were a bit different! Like @megnews I also didn‘t really have problems in that area, though. Also my family was always pretty avoidant, so things often just weren‘t discussed. And I think my criticism when there were issues was directed not at teachers but at other students! 1y
mrp27 @sblbooks No, I was never told that and it was always implied the teacher was going to be respected. 1y
31 likes13 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Mary leaves for school and gets settled in. But what stands out in this chapter is the hilarious antics the girls left at home get into all kn the name of trying to help, very similar to a past experience of the same. Never ceases to amaze me how all ends well.

Bookwormjillk They were so sweet cleaning everything. And Ma with the autograph books. She drives me bananas sometimes but she knew the perfect thing to do for her girls! 1y
mrp27 A bittersweet chapter as everyone‘s life is changing with Mary‘s departure to college. Pretty funny attempt to clean the house, poor Laura. 1y
BethM Oh grace ! I can just imagine it! 1y
43 likes1 stack add3 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I could never be a farm wife. Fire. Grasshoppers. King winters. What next? Clouds of crows. This picture terrifies me.
In other news: Mary is getting closer and closer to leaving for college
Edited to ask: who would try crow pie? Not I!

Bookwormjillk I haven‘t read today‘s chapter yet but feel like I should have done a better job seeing this coming since Laura was talking about how well the garden was doing. 1y
julieclair @Bookwormjillk 🤣🤣 Sad but true! Positive developments only make us nervous! 1y
Bookwormjillk @megnews not sure I‘d seek it out, but the pie and all the food in this chapter sounded amazing. 1y
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TheAromaofBooks Considering they are grain-fed blackbirds, I suppose it makes sense that they taste pretty good!! I was actually also interested in the section about making Mary's clothes. I didn't remember the part about the corsets before - I was a bit horrified to think how compressed Ma's rib cage must have been, and thinking of SLEEPING in them...!!! Although Laura's “saucy“ answer did make me laugh! 1y
keys_on_fire The tomatoes with sugar and cream intrigued me. I‘d never heard of that before, but we make cream of tomato soup which must have all of those ingredients! 1y
BarbaraJean @julieclair @bookwormjillk Seriously! This chapter brought back all my stress about the grasshoppers at Plum Creek!! 1y
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Me too with Ma‘s comment about her waist!! When she said it used to be so small Pa could “span it with his two hands” I couldn‘t help but think, “I really hope Pa has HUGE hands” 😂 And I never imagined that women would sleep in their corsets—😱 That‘s horrible!! 1y
Vansa I love how Ingalls Wilder shows you what living off the land was like, without pulling any punches because it's a children's book.Its extremely difficult,not idyllic at all,and they just had to put their shoulder to it and keep moving on.Quite inspiring,really. 1y
TheAromaofBooks @keys_on_fire - I thought the same thing about tomatoes! If I eat them fresh, I just add a little salt. May have to try the sugar and cream method sometime this summer!! 1y
mrp27 Yeah the crow pie creeped me out a bit….. I‘m sure it is good just not used to the idea. Leave it to Laura to reject her corset. Don‘t blame her a bit in that one. 1y
sblbooks I've never heard of anyone eating blackbird pie. I don't think I could do it. As for sleeping in corsets, no way! 1y
38 likes11 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Laura and Carrie enjoy Independence Day in town with Pa. Grace is too young to go and Mary is back to being Mary. This chapter made me think though. Is her preference for home just a defense mechanism due to her blindness? There‘s a full reading of the Declaration of Independence. Have you ever experienced this as a part of a 4th of July celebration? The only time I did was at Washington‘s Mount Vernon. They see their first horse race &👇🏻

megnews 👆🏻Laura‘s found inspiration to go to school. 1y
Bookwormjillk There was a lot of propaganda in this chapter! I‘ve read that‘s Rose Wilder‘s influence. I‘m glad Laura and Carrie got a day off though. I live near DC so things like Declaration readings are pretty common. 1y
megnews @Bookwormjillk There was a lot of propaganda. 1y
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julieclair I was surprised by all the propaganda in this chapter. I have never experienced a reading of the Declaration of Independence at any event, but it certainly seems appropriate for a July 4th celebration. 1y
sblbooks @Bookwormjillk. I am not a Rose Wilder fan. I think Mary was a homebody well before she lost her sight. So, she probably would have stayed home anyway, but it's definitely worse now. 1y
TheAromaofBooks I think the “propaganda“ may have been the influence of its 1941 copyright date, an era where patriotism was at a high. It's interesting to wonder if Ingalls had any thoughts about Hitler and how much America should be involved in Europe's affairs when she was writing this. 1y
Bookwormjillk @TheAromaofBooks oh good point. It‘s hard to imagine Laura knowing about WWII. Here‘s an article I found that sums up what I was reacting to. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/the-subtle-libertarian-politics-of-laur... 1y
mrp27 I agree that Mary was a homebody before her blindness. (edited) 1y
Vansa I found this chapter had a lot less propaganda than all the other chapter where Almanzo thinks about breaking the age limit law, or practically the entire second half of Farmer Boy, with its glorification of the lone farmer lifestyle,that completely ignores the interconnected realities of agriculture! 1y
Vansa I can understand Mary not wanting to go,she always was a homebody, but Ma being such a....downer in these books is baffling. 1y
Bookwormjillk @Vansa lol fair point about Almanzo. If I were Ma I would claim not to want to go in hopes Pa would take some of the kids out of the claim shanty for once. 1y
39 likes11 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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And just like that Laura‘s job has ended. The rush for shirts is over after 6 weeks and Laura has only made $9. About $267 today. Laura feels she hasn‘t contributed enough for Mary to go to college but Ma reassures her. Sounds like Mary could be going any day.

sblbooks Sure sounds like it won't be long. I'd forgotten it was a full 7 years that she went to school. Will Mary and Laura ever see each other again, once she leaves? 1y
mrp27 Laura‘s selflessness is admirable. Not a penny to herself! 1y
julieclair $267 in today‘s dollars does not sound like much money for six weeks of full time work. What a different world. 1y
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Bookwormjillk It was so bittersweet when Laura realized Mary would be going away. 1y
TheAromaofBooks I was so excited about the chicks!! I love getting new chicks and watching them grow. 1y
megnews @mrp27 I agree 1y
megnews @julieclair it really was 1y
megnews @Bookwormjillk very much so 1y
41 likes8 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Ma is really unhappy about the rough circumstances Laura is exposed to in town. Can you imagine how she‘d feel if they were dropped into today?

Bookwormjillk Ma would not be pleased today 😳 1y
TheAromaofBooks I had completely forgotten this episode! I can understand Ma's horror... but also definitely understand Laura's inclination to find it hilarious. 😂 1y
mrp27 I‘m surprised Ma said yes to the job but I wonder if she knew the true situation if she would allow it. 1y
julieclair The idea of Ma being suddenly dropped into life today is hard to even imagine. That would make a very funny tv show! 1y
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Laura finally starts her job in town. Sewing! And finds that all families aren‘t quite like hers.

Bookwormjillk Poor Laura. I kind of laughed at the description though. Maybe they were hangry? 1y
BarbaraJean I felt bad for Laura—she was so anxious all day trying to sew well and quickly, and then to sit through all of that at lunch!! Then her description of the day to Pa: “Mrs. White spoke well of my buttonholes.” So much left unsaid!!! 😂😂 1y
sblbooks @BarbaraJean I felt bad for Laura too. She knows she has to work in order to send Mary to college. I guess that's why she didn't say anything. 1y
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bnp Maybe a long the lines if "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything." ? 1y
mrp27 Knowing how much Laura hates sewing I was disappointed to find out that was the job. 1y
BethM @mrp27 me too! 1y
TheAromaofBooks I did admire Laura's attitude - she hated making buttonholes so much that she learned how to do them efficiently! I need to carry that method over into some areas of my life! 1y
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pa helps the town the continue to grow. The kitten catches its first mouse. Laura reminisces about life in the big woods. And Pa asks Laura about working in town again. The tension about this job continues to build. Hopefully we find out tomorrow!

julieclair We all suspected that Pa wouldn‘t give up on the job idea so easily! 😉 This was a fascinating chapter. I had no idea that Pa had been such a town leader, serving on the County Council and helping to start the church. And the information about the chicks was so interesting. I know nothing about chickens. I never dreamed it would take several years to establish a flock. And the kitten in a fight with a mouse! I was so proud of her! 1y
BarbaraJean This was a great chapter—so much going on. It‘s nice to see Pa able to earn some money, and I love that the Boasts are able to give back to the Ingalls for their hospitality the year before. And then the kitten scene—good job, kitty! I had to read ahead to find out about the job for Laura. 😂 (Also, I‘ve been wondering why Carrie and Laura aren‘t going to school again, now that spring is here.) 1y
mrp27 @BarbaraJean That‘s a good point, what about school? It‘s still spring so shouldn‘t they be attending? I read ahead too, so curious about the job. 1y
AnnR I felt sorry for the little kitten getting bites from the mouse. 1y
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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The Ingalls discover they have a mouse problem on their homestead and get a 🐈‍⬛. Still no word on Laura‘s job. Did Ma‘s no just shut that down? That‘s unlike pa.

julieclair The kitten seems so sweet! And oh my goodness, the mouse nibbling at Pa's hair while he slept! 😳 And as for Laura's job, I agree... it's unlike Pa to just give up on it. I'm betting we'll hear more about it at some point. 1y
AnnR I was really creeped out by the wild mice. Hoping the kitten grows up to be a healthy kitty and good mouser, mainly for health reasons, of course. 1y
BarbaraJean @julieclair @Ann_Reads - Same here!! The mouse nibbling a bare patch on Pa's head was SO disturbing! I also thought it was weird there was no further mention of the job thing. I was wondering if it would be a random mention with no follow-up, like the ball lightning 😂 1y
sblbooks That Mouse description gross me out, I'm so glad they're getting the kitten though. 1y
mrp27 This chapter creeped me out as well! Eww…. Mice eating Pa‘s hair. 1y
34 likes5 comments
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Chapter 2. Pa is expanding the shanty. Ma combines spring cleaning with the move. Laura is feeding her beloved animals. Curtains are hung. The whatnot is set up and the shepherdess put in her place of honor. We still don‘t know Pa‘s plan for Laura but she and Mary had quite a heartlfelt talk. We get more insight into Mary. What did you all think?

BarbaraJean I loved the discussion between Laura and Mary about how Laura always wanted to slap her for being so good! And Mary's admission that she was showing off about how good she was and deserved to be slapped-- 😂 I did get annoyed at Mary, though, when Laura said that sheep's sorrel tasted “like springtime“ and Mary “corrected“ her. 🙄 1y
AnnR I liked this chapter too, especially the conversation between Mary and Laura. It was nice they were able to be comfortable enough with each other to speak that way and clear the air. Plus the China Doll makes another appearance. Let's hope it stays on the mantel for a while. 🤞 1y
Bookwormjillk Weird that working in town wasn‘t mentioned again. I‘m glad Laura and Mary had that talk though. 1y
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julieclair I liked that Mary and Laura had that heart to heart talk. I think it shows that they are growing up, and relating more to each other as adults, rather than as children. 1y
mrp27 Like everyone else the discussion between Laura and Mary was really insightful and I appreciate Mary more. Loved the honesty between sisters. 1y
TheAromaofBooks I loved reading about her feeding the calf. I worked on a dairy farm for several years and was in charge of the calves, and not much has changed in how you teach them to drink from a bucket! 😂 When a calf is nursing, butting their head against the cow's udder makes the milk let down faster, so they tend to bang their heads against whatever they can when they're hungry!! 1y
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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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The first chapter in the next book in the #LittleHouse series is quite short but surprises us with a bit of a cliffhanger. The family is back to the homestead but what job in town is Pa thinking of for Laura?

sblbooks I can't remember... was it tutoring someone? 1y
mrp27 That was a surprise! I don‘t remember but probably has something to do with preparing her for teaching. 1y
BarbaraJean It was SO short!! I immediately thought of a job in the hotel because of their experience before with all the people taking over their house! But Ma shot that down super quickly. @mrp27 Something to do with teaching makes a lot of sense. 1y
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julieclair Isn‘t it amazing that the only two jobs available to her would have been working at a hotel and teaching? And Ma seemed to think the idea of working at a hotel was shocking. But hadn‘t they owned a hotel at some point? 1y
megnews @julieclair it is amazing! I work in a hotel. How scandalous! 😃 1y
megnews @julieclair I think they just became the town inn out of necessity and no real choice of theirs. 1y
julieclair I asked Uncle Google about the Ingalls family and a hotel, and found some interesting info: http://www.pioneergirl.com/blog/archives/11669 and https://authoradventures.org/trails/by-state/iowa/wilder-laura-ingalls/ . These shed some light on why Ma says “no hotel work” for Laura. Sounds like their experience was not a good one. 1y
Bookwormjillk The first chapter was very abrupt. I thought my book might be missing pages! 1y
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LitsyEvents
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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repost for @megnews:

Reminder: our next #LittleHouse readalong chapter a day book starts in a couple weeks.

#BuddyRead

Original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2586127

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megnews
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Reminder: our next #LittleHouse readalong chapter a day book starts in a couple weeks.

Bookwormjillk I know I‘ve read this one but I don‘t remember it. Looking forward to it. 1y
AnnR I'm looking forward to this one as well. It's a reread but the plot details are fuzzy. Thanks again to @megnews for all the wonderful posts. Lately, the daily discussions have been a welcome short mental reprieve from some other stressors. (edited) 1y
BarbaraJean Thanks for the reminder to put the next book on hold at the library! 😁And thank you for continuing to lead this buddy read and the daily discussions. I‘m really enjoying reading along with everyone! 1y
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mrp27 Yay! 1y
megnews @Ann_Reads glad we‘re giving you a little getaway. 1y
melissajayne Count me in 1y
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JuliaTheBookNerd
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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1. I loved the Little House books and this one is set in South Dakota 😊
2. I‘ve never been but Custer State Park looks beautiful in pictures 😍

#TravelTuesday 🚘 #RoadTripUSA2022 @megnews

#BookNerd 🤓💙📚

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LibraryCin
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

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. 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

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Dostoyes
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

After the Long Winter, it was lovely to read about life in town. I love how they make so much of what to us contemporary folk looks like so little. These books help ground me and make me grateful for the daily blessings I have to know so little of what was so normal to them.

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LapReader
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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It was a late walk home from ballet on Thursday night as we didn‘t finish until 9pm but I scored these at the Book Swap on the way. It usually takes me about an hour. I am named after the imaginary friend in this tv series, Little House on the Prairie. Mum was ironing and saw an episode when pregnant with me and just like that I had a name. If I was a boy I was going to be Mitchell. I love the movie Nim‘s Island. I didn‘t realise there was a book.

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RayHallucinogen
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder

Just wanna read #mood 📖

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MittenGirlPeach
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

Loved it once again; probably my favourite after Long Winter. And of course now I have to read Golden Years! Then it‘s back to my bingo card. One book crossed off for #BookSpinBingo.

TheAromaofBooks It's been sooooo long since I read these books! They are way overdue for a reread!! 4y
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MittenGirlPeach
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Woke up to a winter wonderland! I started my #Bookspin last night, but this morning I‘m in the mood for a comfort read, so Little Town it is. It‘s been years since I read it, but since I read Long Winter for my November bingo board I decided I needed to read more Laura in January. It‘s the perfect choice this morning. Back in bed with ☕️.

Hazel2019 So beautiful! 4y
MittenGirlPeach @Hazel2019 it really is lovely! 4y
Sleepswithbooks I love it!! My dad sent me pictures of his yard in Milford, Michigan 🥰 4y
MittenGirlPeach @Sleepswithbooks ooohhh, I bet he‘s got a very pretty day there too! Michigan is all frosted today! 4y
Deblovestoread So pretty! I would love to be curled up in a window seat with that view. 4y
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MaggieCarr
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

Oh how times have changed for the Ingalls family. Seasonlly moving from the claim to town and back again. With Mary off to college, Laura takes on more responsibilities while still enjoying building relationships with peers at school and even young Almanzo Wilder who Laura thinks is so much older than herself. At this point, I'm sure she enjoys his horses more than him.

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Susanita
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Day 6 of #7books7days

I devoured this series in my youth. When I got to the end, I‘d start back again with the first one.

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batsy
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I #crave the yummy dishes that authors take time and care to describe, and Laura Ingalls Wilder's descriptions of food always makes my mouth water! This description of Ben Woodworth's birthday party meal stayed in my mind for aaaages 😆

#MOvember @Cinfhen

Cinfhen I agree; food descriptions are a good indicator of history, place, time, culture and region 5y
JennyM Descriptions of food are always good 😊 5y
Leftcoastzen My grandma took leftover mashed potato and made yummy patties. 5y
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merelybookish I like the cover on your Puffin edition! 5y
ljuliel @Leftcoastzen Potato cakes ! We had them when I was a kid. I still make them on occasion. Very good ! 5y
batsy @Cinfhen @JennyM Agreed! ❤️ 5y
batsy @Leftcoastzen @ljuliel Yummy! I'm drooling 5y
batsy @merelybookish I love these Puffin editions. Well loved and falling apart! 5y
xicanti I loved her food descriptions so much that I begged my parents to get me the official Little House cookbook. Then I taught myself to cook from it! 5y
batsy @xicanti I love that!! 💜 I hope it was yummy! 5y
rubyslippersreads I assume you‘ve read the food descriptions in 5y
jillrhudy My fave is when the turkey came in on the train after the long winter and they had butter! 5y
batsy @jillrhudy Oh yes! She finally had her Christmas dinner in the spring! 5y
jillrhudy @batsy I haven‘t seen a pat of butter the same since 5y
batsy @jillrhudy I know, right? In section I quoted above in Little Town she also talks about eating an orange, an utter luxury, and I always think about that when I eat oranges 5y
Centique I love her food descriptions too! I‘ve only read the first one of these, must read the rest 😍 5y
batsy @Centique They're all such gems! The craving for a re-read of the whole stories is strong. Alas #somanybookssolittletime 5y
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TheEllieMo
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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AvidReader25
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

A lot of this book focused on Laura‘s time in school. Thanks to Nellie, who moved to town, the teacher hates Laura. Luckily she has sweet friends who stand by her. It‘s important to note that Ma‘s hatred of the Indians and a black face musical show are unfortunate parts of the book. I know that those things were accepted in that time. I‘ve use them to open conversations about prejudice with my kiddo. No matter when it‘s written, it‘s still not ok.

ManyWordsLater #unpopularopinion I think that we need to *learn* from books/art/history that was acceptable at the time but racist in retrospect. We can‘t hold the past to the same standards of today. (edited) 5y
AvidReader25 @ManyWordsLater I actually agree with you. This was part of the culture she was raised in. I don‘t hold that against the books. I do think it can‘t be glossed over when reading with your children though, because if you do you are condoning those actions or beliefs. 5y
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EmmaMae
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

Another delightful read in the series. This book captures so much of Laura's maturing through so many different experiences. It gives a picture into whom and what shapes her.

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JessicaThunstromNelson
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I'll be through this series soon. Probably would already if I weren't doing HoL Book Club, too, and perpetually falling behind. Ha

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Susanita
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I was out last night and didn‘t have my reading glasses, so I‘m only just now caught up with you dear Littens. Once again I‘m late to the party!
1. Youngest
2. Sometimes! OTOH they were out of the house when I was in high school, so it was almost like being an only child.
3. Two (not including various steps)
4. Ingalls sisters
5. I think @JuliaTheBookNerd and @Seekingtardis are also the youngest of three. Any others?
#friyayintro

Lcsmcat I‘m youngest of three also. 7y
hgrimes I‘m the third and youngest too. 😊 7y
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AshleyC
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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By: Laura Ingalls Wilder- Historical Fiction
Award: Newbery Honor Award
This book is the 7th out of the 9 books from this special series! I can somewhat relate to this book because I too want to become a teacher. Laura takes on a responsibility to help her sister make her way to a college for the blind (amazing deed) they are present with some trials but that moves on to the next book! This book is certainly an IR- students can take this book

AshleyC home and write a reflection on their thoughts for the story! Hopefully this can spark yo some interest in reading. A fun activity to participate in http://littlehouseontheprairie.com/category/lifestyle/crafting/ it is a few different crafting projects students can participate in small groups. 7y
AshleyC UDL Strategy- 5.1 Use multiple media for communication (using videos and pictures for the time the story was told) an appropriate EL strategy is 10- teach think, pair and share strategies in cooperative groups. 7y
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Andrea313
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Andrea313
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Laura was only #fifteen when she got her teaching certificate. Pretty young to handle mad Mrs. Brewster pulling a knife, but I guess that's prairie life. #novemberbythenumbers #15 #lauraingallswilder

Betty I have my grandmother's teaching contract from 1911. She earned $37.50 per month. 7y
Andrea313 @Betty What a great family treasure to have! Where did your grandmother teach? 7y
Betty @Andrea313 Gran taught in a one-room schoolhouse called Brick School in middle Tennessee, couple miles from the Tenn-Ky state line. Her father and her daughter (my mother) also taught at Brick School! I'm a 4th generation teacher 7y
Andrea313 @Betty How cool! Thanks for sharing a bit of your family history. :) 7y
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DarcysMom
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

robinb Wonderful review! I wish I had read this with both my daughter and son. Instead we purchased and watched the tv series together (which was great too). Oh well, hindsight is..... 7y
LeahBergen ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
Ms_T Lovely! 7y
minkyb Enjoyed this review! 7y
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Shannon_McKinney
Little Town on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Pickpick

I literally can‘t believe I have never read these books before. This has instantly became one of my favorites.
I love this book, because it takes you back to a different time in America. Yes, somethings were obviously not good but it was as simpler time. I long for such a time I fear I‘ll never see.

rubyslippersreads ❤️❤️❤️ this series! 7y
Shannon_McKinney I started on this book which is totally out of order! Haha it just happened to be the first one I was able to grab from the book store - so I hope I like the others just as well! 😊 7y
DebinHawaii I just reread Farmer Boy for my virtual foodie book club and it made me want to reread the series. 📚👍 7y
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