The Long Winter (novel) facts for kids
Front dust jacket with Sewell's illustration
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| Author | Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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| Illustrator | Helen Sewell and Mildred Boyle Garth Williams (1953) |
| Country | United states |
| Series | Little House |
| Genre | Children's novel Family saga Western |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
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Publication date
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June 15, 1940 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 325; 334 pp. |
| ISBN | 0-06-026461-6 (lib. bdg.); 0060264608 |
| OCLC | 504334768 |
| LC Class | PZ7.W6461 Lo |
| Preceded by | By the Shores of Silver Lake |
| Followed by | Little Town on the Prairie |
The Long Winter is a children's novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was published in 1940. This book is the sixth in her famous Little House series.
The story is based on Laura's own life. It takes place in southeastern Dakota Territory during a very harsh winter. This was the winter of 1880–1881, when Laura was 14 years old.
The book was considered for the Newbery Medal in 1941. Many Little House books received this honor. They are now called Newbery Honor Books.
Contents
Surviving a Harsh Winter
Signs of a Tough Winter
The story begins on a hot August day in the 1880s. Laura helps her Pa stack hay at their home in Dakota Territory. They need the hay to feed their animals in winter. Laura notices a muskrat den nearby.
Pa checks the den and sees its walls are very thick. He worries this means a very hard winter is coming. It is a warning from nature.
Early Blizzards and Warnings
In mid-October, an early blizzard hits. The Ingalls family wakes up to strong winds and snow. Their small home is not ready for such cold.
Soon after, Pa gets another warning. An old Native American man visits the general store in town. He tells the settlers that very hard winters happen in cycles. This winter will be the worst in a long time. He warns that blizzards will last for seven months.
Because of these warnings, Pa decides to move his family. They leave their farm and move into his store building in town for the winter.
Life in Town During the Storms
In town, Laura and her younger sister, Carrie, go to school. But the weather quickly gets too bad for them to walk. The school also runs out of coal to keep warm. So, school has to close.
Month after month, blizzards keep hitting the town. Food and fuel become very hard to find. They also become very expensive. The town relies on trains to bring supplies. But the heavy snow stops the trains from getting through.
Eventually, the railroad company gives up trying to clear the tracks. Trains are stuck in the snow near Tracy. This means the town is cut off until spring.
Finding Food and Fuel
With no coal or wood left, the Ingalls family learns to burn twisted hay for heat. It's a clever way to stay warm.
As the town's food supplies almost run out, hope seems lost. But Laura's future husband, Almanzo Wilder, and his friend, Cap Garland, hear a rumor. They hear that a settler has wheat at a farm twenty miles away.
Almanzo and Cap decide to risk their lives. They travel through the deep snow to get the wheat. They bring back sixty bushels of wheat. This brave act saves the starving townspeople. It is enough food to last until spring.
Spring and a Delayed Christmas
Just as predicted, the blizzards continue for seven long months. Finally, the spring thaw arrives. The snow melts, and the trains can run again.
Trains bring much-needed supplies to the town. They also bring the Ingallses' Christmas barrel. It was sent by Reverend Alden months ago. The barrel holds new clothes, presents, and a Christmas turkey.
With the long, hard winter finally over, the family celebrates. They enjoy their long-delayed Christmas celebration in May!
