William Anderson (American writer) facts for kids

William Anderson (born 1952) is an American author, historian, and lecturer. He is well-known for his many books about the famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder and her "Little House" books. He also teaches in Michigan.

Who is William Anderson?

William Anderson became interested in the American frontier after reading Little House on the Prairie. This book is part of the beloved series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

While he was a student at Albion College, he worked for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society in DeSmet, South Dakota. This experience helped him learn even more about Laura Ingalls Wilder's life. Today, he helps manage the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri. He is also a board member of the Wilder Home Association, which runs the museum.

Awards and Recognition

William Anderson has received many awards for his writing and historical work. These include the Billington Award from the Western History Association and the Robinson award from the South Dakota State Historical Society. He has also won awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Council for the Social Studies.

In 2002, he was invited to the White House by First Lady Laura Bush. She was a teacher and librarian herself. She brought together scholars, authors, and historians to talk about the American frontier experience.

Books by William Anderson

William Anderson has written many books. Most of them are about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. He has also edited collections of her writings.

About the Ingalls and Wilder Families

• The Story of the Ingalls (1967) – This booklet tells the story of Laura's family.
• Laura Wilder of Mansfield (1968) – A booklet about Laura's life in Mansfield.
• Laura Ingalls Wilder, Pioneer, and Author (1987) – A book about Laura's life as a pioneer and writer.
• Little House Country: a photo guide to the home sites of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1989) – This book has photos of the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.
• The Little House Guidebook (1996) – A guide to the "Little House" world.
• Pioneer Girl: the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1996) – A picture book about Laura's life.
• Laura's Album: a remembrance scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1998) – A scrapbook with photos and memories from Laura's life.
• Prairie Girl: the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2004) – Another book about Laura's life.

As an Editor

William Anderson has also helped put together collections of writings by and about Laura Ingalls Wilder.

• The Horn Book's Laura Ingalls Wilder (1987) – This book includes articles about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books. It also has writings by Laura herself.
• A Little House Sampler (1988) – A collection of writings by Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane.
• The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook (1995) – This book features recipes from Laura Ingalls Wilder's own collection.

Other Amazing Books

Besides his work on Laura Ingalls Wilder, William Anderson has written about other famous authors and families.

• Michigan's Marguerite de Angeli: the story of Lapeer's native author-illustrator (1987) – About a children's author and illustrator from Michigan.
• The World of Louisa May Alcott: a first-time glimpse into the life and times of Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women" (1992) – About the author of "Little Women."
• The World of the Trapp Family: the life story of the legendary family who inspired "The Sound of Music" (1998) – About the family that inspired the famous movie "The Sound of Music."
• River Boy: the story of Mark Twain (2002) – A picture book about the famous author Mark Twain.

Magazine Articles

William Anderson has also written articles for several magazines.

• American History Illustrated
• The Christian Science Monitor
• The Horn Book Magazine
• The Saturday Evening Post
• Travel + Leisure