List of Little House on the Prairie books facts for kids
The original Little House on the Prairie books are a famous series of nine novels for children. They were written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and published by Harper & Brothers. Most of the books came out between 1932 and 1943. The last book, The First Four Years, was published after Laura's death in 1971. Even though it came out later, it's usually considered part of the main Little House series.
Besides the original books, other writers have created new series and stories. These books tell about the lives of Laura's family members, like her great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and even her daughter. Some stories also fill in parts of Laura's life that weren't in her own books. For example, Old Town in the Green Groves by Cynthia Rylant tells about the "lost" years of Laura's childhood.
There are also simpler versions of the original books for younger kids. These come as chapter books or picture books.
The first eight Little House books, published while Laura Ingalls Wilder was alive, are now in the public domain in many countries. This means anyone can use or share them freely.
Little House in the Big Woods
This is the first book in the series. It tells the story of the Ingalls family living in their small home near Pepin, Wisconsin. The family includes Ma (Caroline), Pa (Charles), and their daughters: Mary, Laura, and baby Carrie. In the book, Laura turns five years old, but in real life, she was only three during these events. Her publisher asked her to change her age in the book to make the story more believable.
Little House in the Big Woods shows how the Ingalls family lived on their homestead. Laura learns about many skills needed for pioneer life. For Christmas, her cousins visit, and Laura gets a doll she names Charlotte. Later, the family goes to Grandma Ingalls's house for a "sugaring off." This is when they collect sap and make maple syrup. Laura remembered this special event and the dance that followed for her whole life.
The book also describes daily farm tasks. Pa often hunts deer for meat, which they smoke for winter. One day, he finds a "bee tree" and collects lots of honey. In the evenings, Laura and Mary love to hear Pa play his fiddle.
Farmer Boy
Farmer Boy was published in 1933. It's the only book in the series that isn't about Laura's childhood. Instead, it focuses on the childhood of Almanzo Wilder, who would later become Laura's husband. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York in the 1860s, before Laura was even born.
The story starts just before Almanzo's ninth birthday. It describes all the hard work involved in running the Wilder family farm. The book also features Almanzo's brother, Royal, and his sisters, Eliza Jane and Alice.
It's interesting to note that the ages of Almanzo's siblings in the book aren't exactly true to their real ages. For example, when Almanzo was nine, his brother Royal was actually 19, not 13 as stated in the book. This means some parts of the story about his older siblings might have been changed for the book.
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie was published in 1935. It's the third book in the series, but it's the second one about the Ingalls family. The story takes place between 1874 and 1875.
This book tells about the time the Ingalls family spent on the prairie in Kansas, near Independence, Kansas. Pa decides to sell their home in Wisconsin and move the family in a covered wagon. They travel to the Indian Territory because people believed the land would soon be open for settlers. Laura, Pa, Ma, Mary, and baby Carrie make the journey. Along the way, Pa trades his horses for two wild mustangs, which Laura and Mary name Pet and Patty.
When they arrive, they meet Mr. Edwards, a kind neighbor who helps Pa build their house. Pa builds a roof and a floor and digs a well. The family finally settles in their new home.
Life on the prairie is harder and more dangerous than in the Big Woods. The Ingalls family gets very sick with "fever 'n' ague," which was actually malaria. A kind African American doctor, Dr. Tan, helps them get better. Mr. Edwards brings Laura and Mary Christmas presents from town. In the spring, the Ingallses start a small farm.
The book shows how Ma felt about American Indians, and Laura's own young feelings. A memorable scene describes the Osage tribe leaving for the west. Laura is fascinated by an Osage baby who stares at her from a basket. Laura even wants to keep the baby, which surprises her parents.
At the end of the book, the family learns that they must leave the land. It's not legally open for settlement yet. So, in 1875, Pa decides to move the family before the Army forces them to leave. The events in this book actually happened between 1869 and 1870. Laura was only two or three years old then, so she did a lot of research to make sure the details were as accurate as possible.
On the Banks of Plum Creek
This is the fourth book in the series, taking place from 1875 to 1877. The Ingalls family moves from Kansas to Minnesota, settling in a dugout home "on the banks of Plum Creek (Redwood County, Minnesota)". Their bulldog, Jack, moves with them in the story, though in real life, he didn't make this journey. Laura is between seven and nine years old in this book.
Pa trades his horses, Pet and Patty, for land and crops. He later gets two new horses, Sam and David, as Christmas presents. Pa then builds an above-ground wooden house. Laura and Mary go to school for the first time and meet friends like Christy and Cassie Kennedy. They also meet Nellie Oleson, who teases them for being "country girls."
The family attends church and Sunday School. Laura plays with Jack, and they go to a party at the Olesons' home. They also host a party at their own house. Hard times come when Rocky Mountain locusts (grasshoppers) destroy their crops. Pa has to go east to find work to support the family. Everyone is thrilled when he returns safely. The book ends with Pa coming home after a severe four-day blizzard.
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The fifth book in the series is about Laura's later childhood near De Smet, South Dakota, starting in 1879. This book also introduces Laura's youngest sister, Grace.
The story begins after Mary has become blind from scarlet fever. Aunt Docia visits and suggests that Pa and Ma move west to the Dakota Territory. Pa can work in Uncle Henry's railroad camp there and look for a homestead. The family agrees, hoping for a new start after many hardships. Pa goes ahead with the wagon, and the rest of the family follows later by train because Mary is too weak to travel by wagon.
On the day Pa leaves, their beloved bulldog Jack is found dead, which makes Laura very sad. In real life, the dog wasn't with the family at this point, but the author added his death here to mark a change in Laura's life. Laura also starts to take on more grown-up responsibilities because of Mary's blindness. Pa tells Laura to "be Mary's eyes" and help her daily.
The family travels by train, which is a new and exciting experience for the children. They reunite at the railroad camp, and Laura becomes good friends with her cousin Lena.
As winter approaches, the Ingallses need a place to stay. Luckily, the county surveyor needs someone to house-sit his large, comfortable house while he's away. The Ingalls family enjoys a luxurious winter there with plenty of supplies. They spend a cozy winter with their new friends, Mr. and Mrs. Boast.
In the spring, many pioneers rush to the Dakotas. Pa leaves immediately to file his claim for land. The girls are left alone and earn money by feeding and boarding passing pioneers. They save this money to send Mary to the School for the Blind in Iowa.
With help from his old friend Mr. Edwards, Pa successfully claims his land. As spring flowers bloom and new settlers arrive, the Ingalls family moves to their new land and begins building their permanent home.
The Long Winter
This sixth book in the series mainly covers the winter of 1880–1881. This was one of the harshest winters ever, known as "The Snow Winter."
The Long Winter starts in Dakota Territory in August 1880. Pa tells Laura he knows winter will be tough because muskrats have built very thick walls for their homes. In mid-October, an early blizzard hits their poorly built shanty. Soon after, an old Native American man warns the town that there will be seven months of blizzards. Pa decides to move the family into town for the winter.
Laura and Carrie attend school until the weather gets too bad. Blizzard after blizzard sweeps through town for months. Supply trains can't get through, so food and fuel become scarce and expensive. Eventually, the railroad stops trying to clear the tracks, leaving the town stranded. For weeks, the Ingallses eat only potatoes and coarse brown bread, using twisted hay for fuel. When even this food runs out, Laura's future husband, Almanzo Wilder, and his friend Cap Garland risk their lives to bring wheat to the starving town. This wheat lasts the rest of the winter.
As predicted, the blizzards continue for seven months. Finally, the trains start running again, bringing the Ingalls family a Christmas barrel full of good things, including a turkey. In the last chapter, they enjoy their Christmas dinner in May.
In this book, Laura's age is finally accurate to history (she was 13 in 1880). However, Almanzo Wilder's age is changed. The book says he is 19 pretending to be 21 to get land. In reality, Almanzo was 23, ten years older than Laura. Some believe Laura made him younger because the age difference might have seemed too big to readers back then.
Little Town on the Prairie
The seventh book begins in 1881, right after the long winter. Most of the story takes place in the town of De Smet, South Dakota.
Laura gets her first job doing sewing work to earn money for Mary to go to a college for the blind in Iowa. When Laura loses her job, the family plans to grow crops to pay for Mary's college. But blackbirds destroy the crops, so Pa sells a calf to get the money needed. While Ma and Pa take Mary to college, Laura, Carrie, and Grace are left alone. To feel less lonely, they do a big fall cleaning. They have some challenges, but the house is spotless when their parents return, who are truly surprised.
In the fall, the Ingalls family moves to town for the winter. Laura and Carrie go to school and reunite with friends. Laura also meets Ida Brown. The new schoolteacher is Eliza Jane Wilder, Almanzo's sister. Nellie Oleson, Laura's rival from Plum Creek, has also moved to De Smet and attends the school. Nellie causes trouble, and Miss Wilder struggles to control the class. She tries to be friendly but then becomes too strict, even humiliating Carrie. The school board steps in, and Miss Wilder leaves. She is replaced by Mr. Clewett and then Mr. Owen, who becomes Laura's friend. Laura studies hard, hoping to get a teaching certificate soon.
In this book, Laura feels restless and wants things to change. She focuses on helping Mary stay in college but isn't sure what she wants for herself. One night, she gets upset and throws her schoolbooks, saying she's tired of acting like an adult. Later, Pa tells her about a new literary society in town. It's a weekly gathering with entertainment like spelling bees and shows. These meetings become Laura's main source of happiness and help her enjoy studying again.
Around this time, Almanzo Wilder starts walking Laura home from school. Near Christmas, Almanzo offers to take Laura on a sleigh ride in a cutter he's building.
Mr. Boast and Mr. Brewster interview Laura for a teaching job 12 miles from town. The school superintendent tests her. Even though she's two months too young, he doesn't ask her age. She earns a third-grade teaching certificate.
These Happy Golden Years
The eighth book in the series, These Happy Golden Years, takes place between 1882 and 1885. The story begins with Pa taking Laura 12 miles from home to her first teaching job. Laura is only 15 and still a schoolgirl herself. She is nervous but determined to earn $40 to help her sister Mary, who is at Vinton College for the Blind.
Her first teaching job is tough. Laura lives with the Brewsters in their small shanty, sleeping on their sofa. The Brewsters are unhappy and often argue, which makes Laura uncomfortable. One night, she even sees Mrs. Brewster standing over her husband with a knife. The winter is very cold, and the schoolhouse and shanty are hard to heat. Some of her students are older than her and test her teaching skills. But Laura becomes more confident and successfully finishes the two-month job. All five of her students are sad to see her go.
To Laura's surprise, Almanzo Wilder (whom she met in Little Town on the Prairie) arrives at the end of her first week. He brings her home for the weekend in his new two-horse cutter. Almanzo, who likes Laura, decides to bring her home and back to school every weekend to help with her homesickness.
Their relationship continues after the school term. Sleigh rides turn into buggy rides in the spring. Laura impresses Almanzo by helping him train his new, sometimes wild, horses, Barnum and Skip. Laura's old rival, Nellie Oleson, briefly appears, flirting with Almanzo during two buggy rides. Laura is annoyed, but Nellie soon moves back to New York.
Laura's Uncle Tom visits and tells about his failed attempt to find gold in the Black Hills. Laura also helps a seamstress, Mrs. McKee, by staying with her for two months to "hold down" her prairie claim, as required by law. The family enjoys summer visits from Mary.
The Ingalls family's money situation improves, and Pa buys a sewing machine for Ma. Laura continues to teach and sew. Almanzo invites Laura to a new "singing school" with her classmates. On the last night of singing school, while driving Laura home, Almanzo, who has been courting her for three years, proposes marriage. On their next ride, Almanzo gives Laura a garnet-and-pearl ring, and they share their first kiss.
Several months later, after Almanzo finishes building a house on his tree claim, he asks Laura if she would like to get married in a few days. His sister and mother wanted a big church wedding, but Pa can't afford it. Laura agrees, and they have a simple ceremony with Reverend Brown. After a wedding dinner with her family, Laura drives away with Almanzo, and they settle happily into their new home.
The First Four Years
This is the ninth and final book in the series, and it's the last one to feature Laura as the main character. It tells about the first years of Laura and Almanzo's marriage. This book was found after Laura's death and was published in 1971.
The First Four Years gets its name from a promise Laura made to Almanzo. She didn't want to be a farm wife, but she agreed to try farming for three years. At the end of that time, they decided to continue for one more year, calling it a "year of grace." The story takes place near De Smet, South Dakota. During this time, Laura and Almanzo's daughter, Rose, is born. They also sadly lose their unnamed son shortly after his birth. They both get sick with diphtheria, which leaves Almanzo in poor health for the rest of his life. Their house also burns down. The book ends on a hopeful note at the close of that fourth year. In real life, a two-year drought and other sad events caused the Wilders to go into debt and leave their land. They later started a successful fruit and dairy farm in Mansfield, Missouri, where they lived comfortably.
The Spinoff Series
The Martha Years
These stories are about Laura's great-grandmother, Martha Morse Tucker. They were written by Melissa Wiley.
- Little House in the Highlands (1999)
- The Far Side of the Loch (2000)
- Down to the Bonny Glen (2001)
- Beyond the Heather Hills (2003)
The Charlotte Years
These books tell stories about Laura's grandmother, Charlotte Tucker Quiner. They were also written by Melissa Wiley.
- Little House by Boston Bay (1999)
- On Tide Mill Lane (2001)
- The Road from Roxbury (2002)
- Across the Puddingstone Dam (2004)
The Caroline Years
These stories are about Laura's mother, Caroline Quiner Ingalls. Maria D. Wilkes wrote the first four books, and Celia Wilkins wrote the others.
- Little House in Brookfield (1996)
- Little Town at the Crossroads (1997)
- Little Clearing in the Woods (1998)
- On Top of Concord Hill (2000)
- Across the Rolling River (2001)
- Little City by the Lake (2003)
- Little House of Their Own (2005)
The Laura Years
These are the original stories about Laura, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder herself.
- Little House in the Big Woods (1932)
- Farmer Boy (1933) – This book is about Laura's husband's childhood.
- Little House on the Prairie (1935)
- On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937)
- By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939)
- The Long Winter (1940)
- Little Town on the Prairie (1941)
- These Happy Golden Years (1943)
- The First Four Years (1971)
Other books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder that are sometimes called Little House books include:
- On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894 (1962)
- West from Home: Letters Of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco, 1915 (1974)
The Rose Years
These stories are about Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. They were written by Roger Lea MacBride.
- Little House on Rocky Ridge (1993)
- Little Farm in the Ozarks (1994)
- In the Land of the Big Red Apple (1995)
- On the Other Side of the Hill (1995)
- Little Town in the Ozarks (1996)
- New Dawn on Rocky Ridge (1997)
- On the Banks of the Bayou (1998)
- Bachelor Girl (1999)
Laura's Lost Years
This series tells stories about what happened between On the Banks of Plum Creek and By the Shores of Silver Lake, which are the fourth and fifth novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. These books were written by Cynthia Rylant.
- Old Town in the Green Groves (2002)
New Books
- Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls by Heather Williams (September 2007)
- Mary Ingalls on Her Own by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (December 2007)
- Farmer Boy Goes West by Heather Williams (February 14, 2012)
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